Ritorno

Ritorno – a historic café with delectable charm

On Odengatan, close to the park Vasaparken, you’ll find the classic patisserie Ritorno. Here, Stockholmers and tourists have been able to enjoy coffee and buns since 1959. And when you enter the café, it’s like the time has stood still since then.

The first thing you’re greeted by is a classic café counter filled with pastries, cakes, and buns. If you are looking for traditional Swedish coffee, you’re in the right place, but they also serve food such as soup, salads, and pies as well as an à la carte menu with classic Swedish dishes. There is also breakfast and a small selection of alcoholic beverages — everything at affordable prices.

“Everyone should find something on the menu and be happy. We want to offer a lovely atmosphere and delicious food and pastries. Here you can also get a glass of beer or wine so you can socialize even if you want different things,” says Taif Albela, who owns and runs Ritorno together with his brother Nasir Albela since 2007.

When you order your coffee (second cups is included) and Stockholm’s juiciest cinnamon bun, you can sit down in one of the comfortable sofas, where many have sat before you. Or sit on one of the many dressed red chairs that are set up around dark wooden tables in the room. The floor is covered with a soft red carpet and on the walls hang portraits and large oil paintings with thick gold frames. Two enormous crystal chandeliers throne in the ceiling, which together with heavy velvet drapes and art deco details, create a sense of past elegance and charm.

“We’re like a living room. The atmosphere is personal and homely. We want everyone to enjoy our café, and different generations should be able to meet and socialize here,” says Taif.

The Albela brothers took over the café in 2007 and are proud to be one of Stockholm’s few preserved old classic bakeshops.

“We’re not like other places; we’re unique. When you enter, it’s like stepping into a cafe from the ’50s or ’60s. Not much has changed. You get to experience how it was like back then,” Taif continues.

But it is not only the traditional decor and the personal atmosphere that makes Ritorno one of Stockholm’s most popular coffee shops. Here’s also a lot of attention behind everything that is served.

“We invest a lot of time and love in our pastries. Everything is made from scratch in our own bakeries,” says Taif proudly.

An ordinary Tuesday morning, the café is almost full of couples, students and seniors having coffee, eating lunch or reading the newspaper. Here are also people on parental leave with their babies and friends gathering around the tables. The fact that no loud music is played eases the low-voice conversations that fill the room. The visitors look comfortable and move like it’s their own home – which is no surprise since Ritorno is something of an institution in Stockholm.

“We have a lot of frequenters. For example, many children in the area who grew up with Ritorno. They may have been skating in Vasaparken in the winter and then come here for hot chocolate. And now they are teenagers and still come here with their parents sometimes,” says Taif.

Suitably, the word ritorno means to return in Italian.

You can tell that Taif and his employees care about their customers. You’re greeted by personal service, a warm atmosphere, and perhaps Stockholm’s best coffee. There really is something for everyone here, and it is a great place to hang out at any time of day.

So take a break from modern life and have a delicious Swedish ‘fika’ in the historical setting. Chances are you’ll return.