Mariefred (Gripsholm Castle) is a food day trips in Stockholm.
Mariefred one hour west of Stockholm sits below Gripsholms Castle on Lake Mälaren; the 1609 inn Gripsholms Värdshus claims Sweden's oldest hotel-restaurant continuous operation.
Tip: Day trip with the steam train from Läggesta in summer; the inn books a week ahead for Saturday lunch.
Vaxholm in Stockholm's archipelago anchors the inner-archipelago day trip; smoked whitefish lunches at Vaxholms Hembygdsgård and the Vaxholms Hotell harbour terrace overlooking the fortress.
Tip: Ferry from Strömkajen takes 60 minutes one way. The fortress restaurant is open May through September.
Uppsala 40 minutes north of Stockholm is the student-city day trip; café Linne for fika, Tegnérgatan bistros and the medieval Domkyrkan cathedral, with a lunch at Hambergs Fisk.
Tip: Trains run every 15 minutes. Save the afternoon for the cathedral, the Linnaeus garden and the Hambergs Fisk lunch counter.
Sigtuna 50 minutes north of Stockholm is the country's oldest town from 980; Stora Gatan runs medieval cobbles past bakeries pulling cinnamon buns, the Tant Bruns cafe and a lakeside fish counter.
Tip: Combine with Skokloster Palace for the full day. The lake-edge cafe Tant Bruns is the heritage fika.
Drottningholm one hour west of Stockholm sits as the royal residence on its own island; the Karamellan restaurant inside the palace and the lakeside Slottsteatern cafe make the lunch stop.
Tip: Ferry runs May through September. The Slottsteatern cafe is the lighter sit; Karamellan is the formal lunch.
Fjäderholmarna 25 minutes from Stockholm by ferry is the closest archipelago island; Fjäderholmarnas Krog cooks the canonical archipelago lunch and the smoked-fish counter sells takeaway.
Tip: Ferry runs April through October only. Day-trip with the early ferry; restaurants close 18:00.