If you've heard about my upcoming move to Sweden and/or are a friend of mine on Facebook you've probably heard about fika. But for those of you that haven't here's an amusing take on it from Swedish coffee company Gevalia.
Just a note to say that fika seems to have fizzled out and I don't get out to restaurants or cafes often due to my inherent (genetic?) frugality (otherwise known as being 'so cheap she squeaks'). But included below is a post on my recent lunch with classmates at Dwell Cafe.
My roomies and I have decided that as time and finances permit we will visit a different cafe for fika every Friday for the foreseeable future. I've started a list and will do my best to chronicle each and every FFF (fabulous Friday fika).
Fika Number 1 - August 10, 2012 - Güntherska Hovkonditoriet
Fika Number 2 - August 17, 2012 - Kafferummet Storken
Fika Number 'supposed to be 3' - August 24, 2012 - one of my roommates went to Stockholm so the other two roommates and I returned to Kafferummet Storken - we will visit somewhere new next Friday which will be the 'official' Fika Number 3
Fika Number 1 - August 10, 2012 - Güntherska Hovkonditoriet
We arrived at the cafe at about 6:00 pm and I ordered a coffee (25 kr) while Zohreh got a tea (25 kr). She chose an apple-and-black tea mixture that was spooned into a little paper pouch which she then was able to dip into her cup of hot water to obtain the strength she desired.
Despite the tables not being beneath an awning the presence of the tall buildings and some trees along the nearby river bank meant we didn't get much sun and after we'd been sitting for some time I appreciated the colourful Gevalia-emblazoned blankets available for those feeling the afternoon chill (even in August!). Both drinks were very nice and I was happy to discover when I went inside to get Zohreh some more hot water that this cafe follows the Swedish tradition of complimentary refills. There was an urn of coffee positioned on the counter and I simply refilled the little teapot that my coffee had come in and then waited at the counter to refill Zohreh's cup with hot water.
There was also ample indoor seating as well as about 15 tables outside and a spacious washroom was available (believe me in bathroom-scarce Uppsala you appreciate this). There was a wide variety of teas available and espresso drinks as well as regular drip coffee. Mouthwatering desserts and scrumptious looking sandwiches remained unsampled - we're frugal students after all and I don't think I'll be surprising anyone by mentioning that we did in fact eat something but it was banana bread that I'd brought with me from home.
I'll pop back later this week to get some photos of the goodies available - both savoury and sweet - as well as additional photos of the setting near the river. Our first fika was a very successful and enjoyable one and we sat for well over two hours enjoying our beverages and lively conversation. Here's the only photo I got - note the 'old' spelling of Uppsala (with a single 'p') that was in vogue at the time of the cafe's founding.
Back room seating - there is also an outdoor patio through the doorway in the upper left of photo
Blankets for when it gets a bit chilly
Ice cream which I presume is made on the premises - if you speak English I am sure you can see that written Swedish is often very easy to decipher - smultron (rear left corner) is wild, small strawberries
various mousses (mice?) - one raspberry and chocolate left and the others are blueberry and mango (I think)
where my roomie and I sat and had fika last Friday - very pleasant though could have been sunnier
pastry display case
my treat of choice - called 'prestige' - was very nice but not really worth $6 (!) in my opinion
Another private seating area - was only a little bigger than the table - would hold about 8 people
Fika Number 2 - August 17, 2012 - Kaffeerummet Storken
I met my two (female) roomies at 5:00 pm in the main square (Stora Torget). Apparently my third roommate, who we'll leave unnamed, is impossible to pull away from his computer except under extreme circumstances or calls of nature - certainly he's not interrupting his gaming for something as trivial as fika (obviously, he's not Swedish - I'm sure you figured that out already).
We walked about 20 yards across the square to Kafferummet Storken (the Stork Coffeeroom) which is upstairs and much larger (I'd say one and a half tennis courts but that's a rough guess) than I expected. The furnishings are a little odd though certainly comfortable enough - they all look very old and some perhaps worth a bit of money but all look as if they've been through decades (centuries?) of very rough treatment and harsh cleaning. There are also rather melancholy paintings on he walls - dreary oils, desolate landscapes and the like. Taken as a whole the decor is certainly unique!
The place was very busy - Marzi commented that when school is in session you can often not find a seat. Once again I had coffee (24 kr) and my roomies had tea - I think it was the same price as coffee but I didn't pay attention. There was outdoor seating but not many takers on this rainy Friday (although it had stopped by the time we went in to the cafe - I got a little damp on the walk to town from Flogsta). Although there was no urn of coffee to help yourself from I decided to ask if a free refill was included and was told 'of course' and given a second cup for nothing.
Selection of food looked appetizing and prices were about the same as last week's location for sweets (between 30 and 40 kr or $4.50 to $6.00) and 70 to 100 kr for main dishes - like a sandwich or a plate of salad. I think you can see why we stick to coffee and tea and surreptitiously (or not) consume our own grub. Only one toilet which seemed a bit lacking for a place that would probably seat 100 without difficulty (I discovered when I revisited Güntherska Hovkonditoriet last week to take photos that they actually have two toilets).
Cabinet that appears to be full of children's toys
Decor is well .... unique
Tempting selection of desserts
Mural of old Uppsala on the stairway wall
Outdoor seating
Salad choices
Entrance off the main square
View of the main square from one of the cafe's windows
Dwell Cafe
On January 18, 2013 we wrote our final exam in the Research Methods course. Myself and two of my classmates (Astrid from the Netherlands and Maija from Finland) wanted to treat ourselves after the ordeal (okay, so it wasn't really that bad) and decided to have lunch at Dwell Cafe.
I pass the cafe almost every day on my way to school and I had heard good things about it from others at IMCH (International Maternal and Child Health). They serve Sri Lankan food and offer a lunch buffet for 85 SEK (about $13 Canadian). So after writing the exam, trudging back to IMCH and inviting other classmates (alas, none wanted to join us) off we went.
The interior of the cafe is warm and welcoming and the buffet although not extensive is nicely presented. We were very pleased to find that they offer a substantial student discount and that we'd only have to pay 70 SEK each. Nice! The food was simple and flavourful. There were south Indian papadoms (very different from north Indian ones - milder, not so peppery and fried in coconut oil to give them an even more distinctive taste).
From the Dwell Cafe website - vada, a favourite south Indian snack (there were none at lunch time - not sure when they are available)
A delicious looking plate of food (photo from Dwell Cafe website)
There was a lovely salad with an assortment of greens - not just a couple of kinds of lettuce - and an unusual broad bean and melon salad that was very good. There was dal, rice with raisins and cashews, chicken, beef, curried cauliflower and what the cook called roti although they didn't seem familiar to either Astrid or I who have both spent a fair amount of time in India. We had no room for dessert - maybe next time or we'll drop by for fika some day.
Yummy looking desserts
We lingered for quite a while and it was oh so pleasant. Then we went secondhand shopping - which is a story for another day.
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