In Umeå, Christmas food draws on both the culinary traditions of Västerbotten, our region of northern Sweden, and fresh ideas from local kitchens. There’s room for pickled herring and Christmas ham, smoky flavours and plant-based interpretations. Gather around a traditional Swedish Christmas buffet, settle in for a leisurely lunch or make a day trip of dinner. Here’s where to eat this Christmas in and around Umeå.
Some places do half the work of creating a Christmas atmosphere. Sävargården, a historic manor house at Gammlia, is one of them. The region’s food heritage runs deep here, and the Christmas buffet is a perfectly good reason to linger.
Christmas traditions can always make room for a new acquaintance. At Rökstugan, that means BBQ, smoky flavours and food to share. A festive option for a group ready to try a different kind of Christmas feast.
At Granö Beckasin, Christmas dinner unfolds between the forest and the Ume River. Fires light up the winter darkness outside while the evening continues around the table. Worth the journey for both the food and the setting.
A Swedish julbord is a Christmas buffet traditionally enjoyed in several rounds, from herring and salmon to warm dishes, cheeses and sweets. Take your time — going back for another plate is part of the occasion.
25 November–19 December · Wednesday–Saturday · Dinner
Umeå’s former school building hosts a Christmas buffet created by Swedish chefs Carina Brydling and Tareq Taylor. Traditional favourites meet contemporary flavours inspired by Nordic ingredients.
Find out more and book at Mimer
26 November–19 December
Lunch: Wednesday–Friday, plus Tuesdays 8 and 15 December
Dinner: Wednesday–Saturday
At Sävargården, a manor house in Umeå’s Gammlia museum area, the food traditions of Västerbotten take pride of place. Expect Christmas classics, ingredients from northern Sweden and the chefs’ own specialities in a historic setting.
Find out more and book at Sävargården
23 November–20 December · Lunch & dinner
A traditional Christmas buffet arranged in seven rounds, with local ingredients and vegetarian options. Officersmässen, the former officers’ mess run by Rex, welcomes groups for both Christmas lunch and dinner.
Explore Christmas dining with Rex
23 November–23 December
Lunch: Monday–Friday
Dinner: Monday–Saturday
Christmas flavours with the Ume River just outside the window. Tonka Strandgatan serves both festive lunches and evening Christmas buffets, with vegetarian and vegan menus available.
Find out more and book at Tonka
27 November–12 December · Friday & Saturday · Dinner
A traditional Swedish Christmas buffet with a northern touch, piano music and a welcome glass of glögg — Swedish mulled wine. Gather family, friends or colleagues for a festive evening in central Umeå.
Groups of 30 or more can also enquire about other evenings during the Christmas buffet season.
Find out more and book at Angelini
27 November–19 December · Thursday–Saturday · Dinner
In Anumark, just outside Umeå, a traditional Christmas buffet includes plenty of vegetable dishes and a dessert table worth saving room for. Welcome glögg and julmust, Sweden’s seasonal Christmas soft drink, are included.
Find out more and book at Entré Norr
2–19 December · Dinner
Droskan lays out a Christmas buffet with the traditional favourites. Take a look around, find your preferred dishes and let everyone else do the same.
Sävargården i Umeå
A manor house, a historic inn or a farm serving its own produce. Across the Umeå region, you’ll find Christmas meals where the setting is part of the experience. Make an outing of it and give the occasion a little extra time.
28 November–20 December · Wednesday–Sunday · Lunch & dinner
The fire is crackling and the traditional Christmas buffet is ready. At Skeppsviks Herrgård, a manor house outside Umeå, Christmas dinner is a good reason to make an unhurried trip.
Explore Christmas dining at Skeppsviks Herrgård
27 November–20 December · Friday–Sunday · Dinner
Meat and house-made charcuterie meet herring, salads and vegetable sides with flavours from northern Sweden. Then there’s the dessert table. Something to keep in mind when filling that first plate.
Find out more and book at Åbrånets Limousin
27 November–22 December · Lunch & dinner
At Hotel Vännäs, the Christmas buffet is made from scratch using ingredients sourced mainly from northern Sweden. Traditional festive food for anyone who enjoys making an outing of a meal.
Explore Christmas dining at Hotel Vännäs
11–13 December · Friday–Sunday · Lunch & dinner
Enjoy Christmas dining among red wooden buildings and forest at Strömbäck, an adult education college outside Umeå. The traditional buffet is made from scratch, and you can begin your visit with a Christmas concert in the church.
Find out more and book at Strömbäck
27 November–20 December · Wednesday, Friday–Sunday · Dinner
Make a Christmas dining trip to Levar Hotell in Nordmaling. At this inn, whose history dates back to 1635, food is made from scratch with plenty of local produce and close ties to meat producers in northern Sweden. The Christmas buffet is popular, so book well ahead.
Reservations: Call +46 930 101 09 or email [email protected].
27 November–18 December
All group sizes: Saturdays and Sundays, 5–6 and 12–13 December
Other dates: Groups of at least 15 people, by advance booking
Norrkällan in Vännäs hosts its first Christmas buffet this year. Start with glögg before moving on to herring, salmon, local charcuterie and smoked game, followed by warm dishes and a dessert table with cheeses and Christmas sweets. A new festive tradition to try.
23 November–23 December · Lunch
Traditional Christmas flavours served as a three-course lunch. Settle in and let the food come to your table, with time for conversation between courses.
Explore Christmas lunch at Harlequin
1–22 December · Monday–Friday, plus Saturday 19 December · Lunch
Köksbaren’s sociable Christmas lunch arrives at the table in four acts. Seasonal ingredients get the kitchen’s own interpretation, with a vegetarian menu including eggs and dairy available to order in advance.
Find out more and book at Köksbaren
1–22 December · Monday–Saturday, plus Sunday 20 December · Lunch
Head to Umedalen, a neighbourhood in western Umeå, for Christmas lunch at Bistro Le Garage. The meal comes in three servings, enjoyed in the relaxed atmosphere of this neighbourhood restaurant.
Find out more and book at Bistro Le Garage
25 November–23 December · Dinner
Seven courses give Christmas ingredients new forms. Hunger & Törst draws on local produce and seasonal flavours, with drinks selected to complement the food.
Explore Christmas dining at Hunger & Törst
25 November–23 December · Dinner
Christmas classics take on new expressions in Facit’s five-course menu. The Swedish theme continues in the glass, with spirits and wines produced in Sweden.
Explore Christmas dining at Facit Bar
1–19 December · Dinner & weekday lunch
Begin on the deck with the house-spiced glögg, then continue with a three-course Christmas dinner aboard Sjöbris, a floating restaurant on the Ume River. If you prefer to enjoy the river views in daylight, there’s also a Christmas lunch.
Find out more and book at Sjöbris
Christmas breakfast: 1–24 December
Christmas dinner for businesses and larger groups: 24 November–19 December
Christmas dinner for individuals and smaller groups: 7–19 December
Christmas dining stretches from breakfast to dinner at Clarion. The evening meal begins with cold dishes to share, continues with a served main course and finishes at the dessert buffet.
Find out more and book at Clarion Hotel Umeå
4–19 December · Friday & Saturday · Dinner
Five courses explore the flavours of Christmas, with locally produced and organic ingredients a priority. Outside, lights and fires brighten the winter darkness. With a little luck, the northern lights will make an appearance too.
Explore Christmas dining at Granö Beckasin
17 November–22 December · Dinner
Four courses inspired by Christmas and winter. At Lilla Krogen, the meal is served in a small dining room where you can take your time over dinner.
12–13 and 19–20 December · Lunch & afternoon sittings
At Presteles in Hörnsjö, vegetables and plant-based proteins take centre stage. Familiar Christmas flavours return in vegetarian and vegan interpretations, from cold pickles and salads to warm dishes and desserts. When booking, specify whether you would like a fully vegan meal or a combination of vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Find out more and book at Presteles
Evenings · Contact Rökstugan for available dates and reservations
Texas meets northern Swedish ingredients at Rökstugan’s BBQ Christmas feast. Food arrives in two rounds on sharing platters, followed by a dessert buffet. Catering is also available.
Explore Smokey Christmas at Rökstugan
Let a restaurant do the preparation and add the finishing touches in your own kitchen. Follow the links for Christmas meal boxes, ordering deadlines and collection times.
Check each restaurant’s website for available sittings and current menus. Linked websites may be in Swedish.