Restaurants

Sweden's major cities offer a full range of dining choices, from traditional to international restaurants. Outside the cities, restaurants are usually more local in influence. Investments in training and successes in international competitions have spurred restaurant quality to fantastic heights in Sweden. It is worth remembering, though, that for many years eating out was prohibitively expensive for many Swedes, giving rise to a home-socializing culture that still exists today. Friday evenings, for instance, are fondly called "fredagsmys," loosely translated to "Cozy Friday." For this reason many smaller towns are bereft of anything approaching a varied restaurant scene.