FIKA Café

Incredibly delicious food! I highly recommend checking out Fika. The swedish meatballs are so tasty, and their Bloody Mary is honestly one of the best I've ever had! The location inside the American Swedish Institute is great -- whenever there is a long wait, you can put your name in and explore the museum until you can be seated. The wait staff are really friendly and the atmosphere feels nice. Great place!

FIKA is a restaurant in the American Swedish Institute. The name is derived from the Swedish tea time / snack called “Fika.” The food is inspired fromby traditional Swedish fare and was outstanding with an artistic presentation and Scandinavian flavors. The coffee was also maybe the best I’ve ever had. The atmosphere is fine - it’s located in the institute right by the entrance, so it’s easy to find but not intimate.

I had the pleasure of arranging a special brunch for my mother and decided this was the perfect place. We have a strong Scandinavian background, which we relished growing up. I’d been here multiple times before with family and friends, so I knew firsthand how lovely the building and grounds were. As well the food is consistently exceptional.

I’ve had the apple beet salad multiple times – I highly recommend it. And I always get a scone or two. It makes a difference if you catch them fresh out of the oven when they first open. My favorite is the White Chocolate Chip Raspberry scone, but the Apricot Chamomile Lemon Zest scones are good, too. Go for any of the berry versions if you can get them on the day of your visit. The bread pudding and cake are very “Swedish” and yummy. My sister likes the ginger cookies and takes some home.

The creamed wild rice super is nicely complemented with their in-house baked rye bread. The Gravlax, and Swedish Meatballs on the menu are some of the very best you can eat. This last time, I ordered the Whitefish Cake for only $20. It comes with Wild Rice, fantastic lemon creamed leeks, fresh spinach and tossed Herb Crumbs.

We had an excellent server who was timely with food and drinks as well as providing great suggestions. The interior light airy atmosphere is super with natural lighting from the big windows. It is also pleasant to view the garden.

We also like the related gift shop and always buy something.

No problem with parking, they have a huge parking lot. Also, it is easy access for people in wheelchairs to drive right up to the front door. No steps. It makes for a perfect outing along with touring the mansion.

Sitting next to the iconic 1908 mansion (33 rooms) of the Turnblad family (Swan Turnblad managed Svenska Amerikanska Postern, which had the largest Swedish newspaper paid circulation) is the Nelson Center which includes Fika Cafe offering many Nordic delights. Plenty of free parking. Keep in mind Park Ave was the first paved street in Minneapolis & Turnblad owned the 1st electric car in Minnesota.

This is the lovely, modern cafe inside the American Swedish Institute. Come channel your inner Swede and have gravlax or Swedish meatballs on pureed potatoes, or a lovely apple and beet salad. The cafe is on the first floor when you enter from the parking lot. I had the toast Skagen, with shrimp and egg on a brioche bread slice. Perfect light lunch. My husband had Swedish meatballs. Yum. Don't forget to have a few slices of their in-house baked Danish rye bread. They have assorted original cocktails on the menu, as well as wine and beer.

They have pastries as well as a bread pudding and cake, if you have a sweet tooth!

This place is very Swedish, having visited Sweden a number of times I say this with knowledge.

The big plus is their huge parking lot!

We had a really excellent meal here. We showed up after 2 on a weekday so it was not busy at all and we got a table outside on a nice warm day. The food was really good, one of my favorite places I've eaten in the twin cities. I tried the Swedish meatballs, gravlax, and lamb gnocchi and I could not pick a favorite!

Hidden Perfect Dinner spot with kids!

The American Swedish museum has creating a lovely space for kids to play in the courtyard with a cart full of Swedish toys. Adults can sit enjoy dinner, drinks, and dessert while watching the kiddos.

I visit several Thursday evenings a year. And I love each and every dish. Our family favorites are the meatballs, egg salad, all of the desserts and the soups!

Excellent food and good service in a space that’s equally inviting to sharing a bottle of wine with friends, or stopping by with kids.

Food is always executed spot-on and the service is friendly and speedy. Lovely spot to come for a light lunch.

A hidden gem of a place you don’t want to miss if you are a foodie and come to Minneapolis. All the food items are made on the premise including 3 types of delectable breads, scones, cardamom buns and danish like pastry. The entrees keep to the traditional Swedish fare exactly and are the next best place to actually having meals in Sweden! The soup was served hot and delicious with bursts of flavor. Breads are hearty and dense buttered and a faint flake salting really make them delectable! I also had the best Gravlax (cured salmon plate) I ever ate in the US! The salmon is cured in-house and served with little dabs of onion marmalade, deviled egg smear, beet sauce, capers, delectable fish eggs and fresh dill sprigs. They also had meatballs, beef stew among many other heavenly things. You have a party going on in your mouth the whole time. The plate was a work of art in itself. I spent extra time eating as to savor the Unadulterated flavors! I’ll go back every time I visit here. Wonderful way to taste the real true flavors of Sweden!

This was an excellent lunch. The atmosphere is 'casual museum cafe' but the food is more formal new Nordic. The gravlax and pork were both excellent. They also pull a very nice espresso.

Delicious! The Swedish meatballs had great accompaniments (mustard, mash potato and pickles) and I would recommend highly. Northwood breakfast was ok, not too special. Gravlax was scrumptious. Got the coffee with cardamom syrup and it was tasty (no whip)!

Excellent food. You feel like your body has been nourished after you've eaten here. Your palate has been dazzled also.

Delicious food, friendly service. Seasonal options on food you won't find too many places in the cities. We will be back again.

Great spot to grab some lunch. Food and drinks are always good. Staff is helpful in answering any questions. There is a limited amount of seating and it can get busy very quickly.

Fika is a wonderful café inside the American Swedish Institute. The menu is smaller, featuring artisan style Scandinavian foods. There is a great patio as an option if the weather is good. Fika is a great place, and we try stop by whenever we're in the area. Everytime, the food has been fantastic! The chef is very helpful in identifying food allergens. The meals are a little pricey, but not bad for the type of authentic house made food you get. My favorite is the meatballs! Make sure to try some of the Danish rye bread!

Gravlax with mustard seeds, capers, beets, and creme fraiche made for a good lunch after a visit to the museum. A quiet setting with friendly, helpful employees who quickly and thoroughly cleaned tables. All employees wore masks and the tables were well spaced. We will be back.

Best patio in the Twin cities! Staff is wonderful and accommodating, always. They also run daily specials and a fresh soup of the day. Gotta try the Gravlax & Bread Pudding!

Loved the creative take on the bloody mary. Amazing color with the beet brine. The baby had fun playing with the toys in the outdoor play area. Great experience!

Delicious but relatively expensive for how much food you get. I highly recommend the swedish coffee though!

When you get your Nordic-inspired food you think, "Is this going to fill me up?" Then once you finish your perfectly balanced, best-whatever-you-ordered-thing-you've-ever-had, you realize the portions are just right. The ambiance is of high-energy combined with the spirit of Fika (to pause) makes this a great stop on anyone's Minneapolis tour.