Hötorgshallen — Supermarket in Norrmalm, Stockholm

Hötorgshallen is a covered market hall on Sergels Torg in Norrmalm, a mix of restaurants and shops under one roof rather than a single supermarket aisle. You walk in off the square and the place opens up into counters and tables, with the basement holding the widest range of food and local items.

The fish soup is the bowl to order: a huge portion with free bread, salad and water, and a small beer for around 18 euros. Swedish meatballs turn up as a sit-down meal in the hall, and the cheese stalls and the butcher and delicatessen counters are the other reasons to shop rather than just eat. On the lowest floor a small coffee counter sells beans from different roasters, including a local roast, plus paper filters and equipment.

Beyond that the hall runs on international flavours, with Greek and Latin cooking among the restaurants, and ramen among the things you can buy. The seafood and fish counters are the strongest draw downstairs, and the atmosphere is lively, fresh and pleasant. Staff are friendly and helpful, though almost nothing is in English, so have a translator ready or be prepared to guess.

Lunch is where the value sits: good prices for lunch, and a bowl of fish soup with bread, salad and water included stretches further than the headline price suggests. Come at midday or early afternoon to eat and chat with a friend; the hall closes early, so a Latin-style dinner is not on the cards here.

It gets crowded at times, and the early closing is the trade-off you accept for a central spot that works for a quick bite and a break from the cold. The hall suits anyone who wants to eat and shop in the same stop, and anyone building a picnic or a souvenir run from cheese, meat and coffee beans.