Restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden
OAD-ranked French bistro, easy to book.
Cafe Nizza is Stockholm's most credible casual French address, ranked #238 in OAD's Europe Casual list for 2025 and easy to book compared to the city's tasting-menu competition. Chef Jack Guyonvarch runs an evening-focused kitchen in Södermalm that opens at noon on weekends. Come for a date dinner or a relaxed celebration without the fine-dining price tag.
Cafe Nizza sits on Åsögatan 171 in Södermalm and delivers French bistro cooking at a price point that almost certainly undercuts every comparably awarded room in Stockholm. The price range is not confirmed in our data, but the OAD ranking — #238 in Europe for 2025, up from #229 in 2024 — positions this as a serious casual dining address, not a neighbourhood placeholder. If you want French cooking in Stockholm without committing to a fine-dining budget, this is the most credible option on the table.
The room on Åsögatan is evening-focused on weekdays, opening at 5 pm Monday through Friday and running until midnight. On weekends it stretches to an all-day format, opening at noon on both Saturday and Sunday. That Saturday and Sunday lunch window matters: it is the lowest-friction time to get a table, and it is where a first visit makes most sense if you are unfamiliar with the booking rhythm here.
The space reads as a genuine bistro rather than a design exercise. Expect a compact, convivial room where proximity to other tables is part of the experience rather than a flaw. For a date or a celebration dinner, the evening service works better than lunch: the room shifts in atmosphere once it fills after 7 pm, and the midnight closing means there is no pressure to turn the table quickly. Chef Jack Guyonvarch leads the kitchen, and the French orientation holds firm across the menu.
Cafe Nizza rewards return visits more than most casual rooms in Stockholm. On a first visit, come on a Saturday or Sunday at lunch , the noon opening gives you time to settle in without the weekday evening crowd, and you can read the room before committing to an evening reservation. The OAD Recommended status in 2023, rising to #229 and then #238 across the following two years, suggests a kitchen that has developed consistently rather than coasting on early attention.
On a second visit, book a weekday evening and eat at the bar if the option is available. The midnight closing across all five weekdays means late sittings are feasible without feeling rushed. A third visit is where you stress-test the range: try whatever the kitchen is doing that diverges most from the core French framework. Venues ranked in this OAD tier tend to have at least one dish that the regulars know and tourists miss.
Booking difficulty is rated easy. You do not need to plan weeks in advance the way you would for Frantzén or AIRA. That accessibility is a genuine advantage, particularly for visitors building a Stockholm itinerary around our full Stockholm restaurants guide. Book a few days out for weekday evenings; same-week booking should be achievable for weekend lunch. The restaurant's website and phone details are not confirmed in our data, so check current booking channels directly via search before you commit.
Cafe Nizza works for a date or a mid-range celebration dinner, not for a formal milestone event. The bistro format keeps things relaxed, which suits couples and small groups who want a considered meal without the ceremony of a tasting menu. For a genuinely formal occasion in Stockholm, Operakällaren or Aloë will deliver more of the production. But for a birthday dinner or a first-date restaurant where the food carries weight without the room feeling intimidating, Cafe Nizza is well-positioned.
See the full comparison below. Among French-leaning options in Stockholm, Allegrine is the closest peer worth considering. Further afield in Sweden, Vollmers in Malmö and Koka in Gothenburg operate in a similar casual-serious register if you are travelling regionally. For French cooking in an international context, Les Amis in Singapore and Hotel de Ville Crissier represent the category at a different tier entirely.
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| Detail | Cafe Nizza | Operakällaren | Ekstedt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | French | Swedish / Modern | Progressive Asador |
| Price tier | Not confirmed | €€€€ | €€€€ |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Moderate–Hard | Moderate |
| Weekend lunch | Yes (from noon) | Yes | No |
| Awards (2025) | OAD Casual Europe #238 | Michelin-recognised | Michelin Star |
| Midnight closing | Yes (all week) | No | No |
No specific dietary information is confirmed in our data. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if you have significant restrictions , French bistro kitchens tend to be dairy and meat-forward by default, so it is worth flagging requirements in advance rather than on arrival.
Smart casual is the sensible call. The OAD ranking and French cuisine signal a room that takes food seriously, but the bistro format and Södermalm address suggest nothing approaching a dress code. Overdressing slightly , a jacket, a neat outfit , is safer than underdressing for an evening sitting.
Group capacity is not confirmed in our data. For parties of six or more, contact the restaurant directly and book well in advance. The bistro format typically means tighter floor plans, so large groups may need to check availability for a shared table or semi-private arrangement.
Dinner on a weekday or Saturday evening gives you the full bistro atmosphere , the room fills, service settles into a rhythm, and the midnight closing removes any time pressure. Weekend lunch is the easier booking and suits a more relaxed pace. First-timers: start with Saturday lunch. Return visitors: push to a weekday evening.
Allegrine is the closest French-leaning peer in Stockholm. For a step up in formality and spend, Operakällaren covers the Swedish-French intersection at a higher price. Aloë is stronger if creativity matters more than bistro comfort. For modern European at the top tier, AIRA is the comparison , but expect a harder booking and a significantly higher bill.
Yes, with caveats. It suits a date night, a birthday dinner, or a celebration where good food and a relaxed room matter more than ceremony. If you need white-glove service or a private dining room, look at Operakällaren instead. The OAD ranking confirms kitchen quality; the bistro format confirms the vibe stays accessible rather than formal.
Book weekend lunch for your first visit , easiest table, lowest pressure, good read of the room. The kitchen is French-focused under chef Jack Guyonvarch, and the OAD trajectory (Recommended 2023, #229 in 2024, #238 in 2025) shows a kitchen building momentum. Come with a plan to return: this is a venue that rewards familiarity more than a single visit.
Bar seating is not confirmed in our data. French bistros of this size and format often have counter or bar options, but check directly with the restaurant before assuming. If bar seating is available, a solo visit on a weekday evening is the format it suits leading.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Nizza | French | Easy | |
| Operakällaren | Swedish, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| AIRA | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Etoile | Contemporary French, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Adam / Albin | New Nordic | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Ekstedt | Progressive Asador, Grills | €€€€ | Unknown |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Cafe Nizza is a French bistro format, which typically means a meat- and dairy-forward menu. The kitchen is not documented as having a dedicated dietary restriction programme. Contact them directly via their address at Åsögatan 171 before visiting if you have specific requirements — a French bistro kitchen with set cooking is less flexible than a contemporary à la carte room.
Cafe Nizza has ranked in Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list two years running, which signals an unpretentious room rather than a formal one. Dress as you would for a serious neighbourhood bistro: neat but not ceremonial. You will not be underdressed in jeans, and you will not be overdressed in a blazer.
Cafe Nizza is a bistro-format room, which typically suits pairs and small groups better than large parties. Booking difficulty is rated easy, so securing a table for four is unlikely to require much advance planning. For groups of six or more, call ahead — bistro rooms at this scale rarely hold large tables in reserve without notice.
Weekend lunch is the opening case for a first visit. Cafe Nizza opens at noon on Saturday and Sunday, making it one of the few OAD-ranked casual rooms in Stockholm accessible at midday. Weekday dinner — open from 5 pm through midnight — is the core format and where the bistro atmosphere is most fully realised.
Allegrine is the closest peer among French-leaning Stockholm rooms and worth comparing directly on price and format before booking. For a more formal occasion, Operakällaren shifts the register considerably. If you want natural wine and a looser bistro feel, check what is current in Södermalm before defaulting to Cafe Nizza.
It works for a date or a relaxed celebration dinner, not a formal milestone. The bistro format under chef Jack Guyonvarch keeps the tone easy-going, and the OAD Casual ranking confirms it is a serious room without being a stiff one. If the occasion demands a private dining room or a grand setting, look at Operakällaren or Adam/Albin instead.
Come on a Saturday or Sunday at lunch for the easiest entry point — noon opening gives you flexibility that weekday evenings do not. Cafe Nizza has held an OAD Casual Europe ranking since 2023 and moved up the list in 2024 and 2025, which means it is not a flash-in-the-pan opening. Booking is easy by Stockholm standards; you do not need the lead time required for Frantzén or AIRA.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
