Fika

My favorite place in the city. Any season. So far all of my guests, family and friends, have loved it too. I try to have a favorite (cardamom bun, meatballs, pulled pork toast) and one new things every time I go. In nice weather there is nothing more relaxing than sitting outside and seeing the contrast in architecture between new and old ASI.
I dropped it a star because finding their correct hours, and what type of menu is being served, has proven difficult every time. There are so many places to check online (website, facebook, Unilocal etc) and they all seem to be different.
There was an art museum in Reykjavik that had a café that looked and felt EXACTLY like Fika, I couldn’t believe how at home I felt. True Nordic/​Scandia.

Perfect for a light lunch: pricy small plates of well-​composed Nordic foods. My mom, sister, and I fawned quite a bit over the complex and delectable salmon chowder; the cardamom bun and coffee were also very good. My mom thought her Swedish meatballs weren’t as tender as could be, but overall we really enjoyed our meals.

An upscale Ikea cafeteria.
Time: Brunch.
Ambiance: White minimalist.
Crowd: Older individuals of Scandinavian extraction.
Menu: Small plates of Americanized Swedish food.
Service: Good and respectful of space.
Food Ordered: Baby lettuce salad, salmon smorgasar, braised chicken smorgasar, meatballs, and Brussels sprouts.
Food Quality: Very good. The baby lettuce salad had a light dressing that was not overpowering. The salmon was very mildly flavored, with the mustard a little strong. The braised chicken tasted exactly as expected. The meatballs were nice, and not very fatty. Finally, the Brussels sprouts were as palatable as one can make this loathsome vegetable.
Value: Appropriately priced.

Fika is modern European and boy do they do that well. It is like stepping off into a European bistro with their desire of quality, expertise, and authenticity. This isn’t a place to go if you want something cheap and quick. Hipsters abound and so do the prices, but the food is very good albeit kinda small portions. Be prepared to to be surprised by how they serve items. They might be deconstructed or presented in unique ways. Something different and I love that it is Swedish! Yeah!

Super fresh ingredients. I had the cream soda, meatballs, and cod salad. Delicious! I’m excited to check out the rest of the complex after a great meal.

Hours in many places around the internet are wrong. My wife and I went in on our anniversary around 4:00p and they were only serving coffee and soup. I love ASI but this was so frustrating it will be a long time before we go back.

To be honest, the last time I ate Swedish food (aka… bastardized American version… meatballs) was at IKEA. That is probably not something I should admit on here but… alas the truth. Hey sometimes you just like some mystery meat while you look at cheap furniture. ANYWAY.
Fika has honestly really opened my world to a whole new country of cuisine. The flavors at Fika make me want to visit Sweden or any other Nordic country. It was fresh, and the different items we ordered were truly delectable.
The highlight of the meal was probably the grilled shrimp SMÖRGÅSAR. I had to copy and paste that… lol. It is really just an open faced sandwich for the rest of us. The pickled egg on top was amazing. Perfectly oozy inside and a pink pickled slightly tart flavor. The shrimps were fresh and perfectly cooked.
The «peas and carrots» is also not to be missed. The carrot purée and buttermilk curd pairs together well.
All in all, Fika is a delightful place to have brunch. Inside the American Swedish Institute, it has a bright modern feel to it. If you sit on the patio outside, you will sit between modern and classic looking buildings, making the vibe quite different.

As soon as you walk into the American Swedish Institute, you will see Fika to the left. It’s a café in the open space of the sunny, airy lobby. Although it looks casual, you have to wait to be seated up front.
Every dish at Fika looks like a work of art. Everything is arranged in a minimalistic but artsy way. The best part is, the prices are very reasonable.
We started with the $ 4 cocktails (four dollars!!). Mine was a refreshing gin cocktail with thyme. It was delicious and crisp without being too sweet.
For the meal, we were recommended Minila Clams & Smoked Pork Hock and Shrimp Smorgasar. The Clams and Pork were presented well. I can’t say it’s anything super unique but it was delicious. The Shrimp Smorgasar on the other hand was not only delicious but a delight to look at. Actually, it looked too pretty to eat! You get perfectly fried shrimp on top of their rye bread and dill sauce, topped with a purple pickled egg. The soft boiled pickled egg yolk oozes out over the smorgasar when you break it open. The combination of flavors makes for a hearty, but not too heavy meal. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t feel gross after a meal with deep fried shrimp. I really wish I could have tried everything on the menu!
Even if you don’t visit the museum part, I highly recommend having lunch here. Worth the trip!

I had the Swedish meatballs! They were great, all the ingredients worked together to make a very good, flavorful dish. It’s quality over quantity here, so don’t expect cheap fast food. I know it’s just a café but I would love to see a few more menu items, being that they could make boring meatballs into a mini masterpiece, it would be great to see what else they could do. Skål!

Love love love this place. Before getting to the food, the entirety of Fika is housed at the American Swedish Institute and the presentation of the building and the layout exudes a very contemporary and modern feel. Very Swedish!
The food is the absolute most memorable stuff I’ve ever had the honor of putting in my mouth at this price range, which is pretty darn cheap! ;)
I’ve been twice and the first time I begrudgingly ordered the meatballs thinking it was going to be so-​so, but it is a heavenly combination of various zingy and earthy flavors that battle in your mouth.
It’s been a few months and I don’t remember the exact names of the dishes now, but the squash dish was also heavenly. The sauce was amazing and the texture of the potato dumplings was amazing.
My hat goes off to the creativity of the chef (s) in amassing such awesome dishes that are within reach of the general public’s wallets.

!!! Why did no one tell me about this? Why did the INTERNET have to be the one to inform me that we have one of the best New Nordic restaurants in the world in Minneapolis? Oh, good LORD this was delicious. But, wait, why is it just lunch and not dinner except on Wednesday? It’s new, right? Please add dinner. I might just move home if you add dinner.
Ok, here’s the thing: I live in Denmark right now and I can safely say that Fika has my –favorite– smørrebrød, um, you know… Kinda anywhere? …I really hope the Danish authorities don’t read Unilocal as I might get in trouble because smørrebrød is the national dish of DK and it’s probably total and utter sacrilege to say that some Swedish institute in the States has the best smørrebrød but I felt compelled to speak my truth so there it is.
However, Fika isn’t trying to be «authentic» it’s New Nordic. And it’s divine. I had the shrimp and tasted the beef. I also had the pork belly and it was shiveringly good. My dining companion put it well when he said «they’re like tiny clouds from heaven» The beer selection was good. The cardamon bread pudding was to die for.
However, although the service was super friendly and nice and helpful when they were around, twice my water glass went dry (which REALLY sucks for me as I have aphasia [trouble swallowing]) and there was a point wherein I had to resort to the «laser eyes into the back of your head as you obliviously ignore me» thing for a while before I could get the attention of my server. I think hiring more staff would solve this problem. I do think she was oblivious and not being rude, though, so that sorta took the edge off of the annoyance.
That said, I liked the food so much I’m actually not docking a star for that, which in other restaurants might have tanked the whole experience for me. Minneapolis just keeps getting better and better each time I go home.

Stopped by here for lunch on a sunny sunday !
The meatballs are great. The pastry selection looked pretty good too and we also had some of their house made soda which really helped us cool off in the pre-​winter 100 degree twin city heat wave.
Overall, I really liked the atmosphere (I’m a fan of museums and certainly of restaurants located within museums). This place has become a regular hang out spot for me during my time in Minneapolis.

This place is such a little, unpretentious gem. Some of the city’s finest New Nordic cuisine. Plus, they have an insane happy hour on Wednesdays where you get 6 imported beers for something like $ 13 and glasses of wine for $ 3.
It’s one of my favorite brunch spots in town. It’s affordable and super yummy (especially the meatballs and pork belly). After you finish, visit the gift shop for cool imported Swedish stuff and take a tour of the Turnblad Mansion.
My only complaint about this place is that I wish it were open longer hours.

This is a place my boyfriend has been wanting to try so this past weekend we finally decided to stop in for lunch. Upon entering the ASI, we were greeted warmly by the host and were seated quickly. The service from there, unfortunately, was all downhill form there.
So to take you through our experience after being seated, we probably sat there for a good 10 minutes before having any contact with our server. She stopped by, said hello and asked us if we want anything besides water and left. We didn’t see her for another 15 minutes so we just sat there waiting for our order to be taken. She finally came to take our order and then I have no idea how long it took for our food to come out. The table next to us had arrived after us and had finished their dessert by the time we received our small plates. What. the. heck. I’m guessing that took almost 30 minutes for our food to come out, no joke. Our server was smart enough to at least ask us how everything was but proceeded to be impossible to get a hold of once we finished dessert.
What should have been a 45 minute lunch turned into an hour and a half of just sitting. It was awful! I was really disappointed because the food itself was so yummy. I would go back and cross my fingers that I didn’t get Jenny as our server again. If you’re curious, I honestly wouldn’t let my bad service experience deter you from going since everyone else’s service seemed just fine. The food is def worth trying! Especially the cardamom bread pudding.

We stopped at the Swedish Institute specifically to eat here. We ordered the Swedish meatballs, the Brussels sprouts, and the rock shrimp sandwich. I thought the rock shrimp was okay, but the Swedish meatballs and Brussels sprouts were amazing! I couldn’t stop commenting how delicious they were between every bite.
The soup of the day was delicious too. It was potato soup with chives and bacon. We didn’t have room to try any dessert, but from the looks of them, I am sure they were amazing too.
Fika is a definite must every time I visit Minneapolis now! I’m looking forward to taking a tour of the museum next time as well.

Love the food.
Dislike the service.
No one ever came by to even greet or ask us what we would like to eat.
Lady just took dishes away without even asking if we were done.
Don’t even know who our server was.
Apparently, cashier gives us wrong change.
We leave tip and just about to take off and lady follows us to ask us for $ 5 because she made a mistake.
Seriously?
I don’t even know if it’s correct or not, but we just give her extra $ 5…
Just leaves a bitter taste in your mouth after an awesome experience with the food.

Consistently one of the best and most creative kitchens in the Twin Cities. Everything so fresh, so balanced, so utterly delicious. Seriously, have never had a mediocre or less than stunning dish here. And the plating! A feast for the eyes.
Favorites: In summer, the chilled golden beet salad, with nasturtium leaves delicately placed like lily pads in a golden pool. Open faced sandwiches the envy of any Swedish or Danish chef (try the rock shrimp). A bright and earthy beet terrine; rich in flavors, yet light. Also an absolute visual delight. Gravlax complimented and balanced with dollops of a complex earthy mushroom sauce and dark bread, yes, pair with a Pinot Noir!
Fika is a favorite for us when entertaining international guests, including family from Sweden. It never fails to delight all diners.
P. S. Enjoy patio season while it lasts!

Whenever I sit down at Fika I am a little perplexed and always unsure about what I am going to order. The cuisine is unfamiliar to me so I order what sounds familiar. I started with the beet salad. This was awesome and so beautifully presented. It would be a wonderful first course at an elegant affair. Then I had the rock shrimp on toast. Yummy! I could honestly go back today and have the same meal all over again.
It was delicious.

Fika, boo, you are hella fine in almost every way possible and deserve all the stars.
Where do I begin? Is it your stunning open space with gigantic windows that allows for tons of sunlight, and chic furniture? Your friendly and enthusiastic staff members that wear huge smiles across their faces that work über fast? How about your beautiful, vibrant, and palatable salads, soups, sandwiches, and small plates that always seems to satiate my lunch hungers? It’s everything, but I think the food in particular can hold it down by itself.
During my last visit, I tried a couple of dishes:
Mussels with apples and other goodies in a white wine reduction: I went there for a business meeting, and left wotj a shotgun-​like residue of mussel sauce splatters. It has permanently stained my shirt. My only regret? Not sipping down more of my sauce. Forget the shirt.
Rock Shrimp Open-​Faced Sandwich: The dill, aioli, pickled celery, horseradish surprisingly complimented my rock shrimp very well. Like the mussels, I had a hard time holding myself back from destroying this thing, and my fingers from turning green.
Maybe I get lucky with each visit and order the right things, but this place is one of my favorite lunch spots and writing this review has me dying to return soon.

I was fairly disappointed the previous couple times I been here and came just short of the 3pm cut-​off for their restaurant. Today I woke up just in time to make it here for brunch. At 1pm, there were no lines and I got seated immediately.
Food:
+ The soup of the day, corn purée, was delicious! It was a bit sweet with mild resemblance of cream of corn but also sweet. The kernels they had in there were somewhat pickled so each bite was like a flavor bomb. They topped it off with popcorn. I would recommend this if they serve it again. ($ 6)
+ Meatballs: This dish put me to shame that I window-​shopped at Ikea for pastime (yes that is a real thing), and had their meatball version… Fika’s meatballs were perfectly dense without a lot of fat on top of a bed of what seemed to be mash potatoes, mustard sauce, and a green liquid sauce that tasted like horseradish. It was plated beautifully. On top of the meatballs, they added garnish of some pickled vegetables (I think cucumbers). DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. ($ 10)
+ Gravlax: This small plate was also delicious but fish was little too bland for me. I would say that this dish was mildly above average but I wasn’t entirely blown away by it. It also came with homemade chips which were pretty light and perfectly salted. ($ 10)
+/​-​Panna Cotta: Given I have the biggest sweet-​tooth, I was pretty excited for this. However, I felt the fruit sauce they had on top of the actual panna cotta was a bit tart and strong for the custard. When I ate them together, it reminded me of a fruit parfait… But that being said, once i ate the layers separately (i.e., fruit by itself, and panna cotta by itself) it actually tasted much better given the latter had more subtle flavor. ($ 6)
Service: Generally, service was pretty good, food came out decently fast and we were done in an hour. You get seated next to the middle courtyard, giving a nice view of outside. There are also outdoor seating but that is more limited.
Overall, I loved the food here and definitely will try to come back again! It seems like their menu often changes so I am excited to see what’s new to come.
P. S. I had their coffee and pastries before — I loved their coffee but the pastries I find to be average.