" Bill Bryson, Neither Here nor There There's no escaping the fact that eating and drinking is going to take up a large slice of your daily budget in Sweden whether you despair quite as much as Bill Bryson depends on what you're prepared to spend. At its best, Swedish food is excellent, largely meat, fish and potato based, but varied for all that, and generally tasty and filling. Unusual foods are the northern Swedish delicacies reindeer and elk meat, and wild berries while herring comes in so many different guises, in restaurants and supermarkets, that fish fiends will always be content. Drinking is more uniform, the lagertype beer and imported wine providing no surprises; the local spirit, aquavit, however, is worth trying at least once it comes in dozens of different flavours. Food Eating well and cheaply in Sweden are often mutually exclusive aims, at least as far as a sit down restaurant meal is concerned. Yet it s no impossible to eat good, hot meals cheaply: tne best strategy is to fuel up on breakfast and lunc . both of which offer goodvalue options, mere also a large number of foreign restaurants P' cipally pizzerias and Chinese restaurants wn are more likely to serve decently priced eveniiy meals. Breakfast, snacks and selfcatering Breakfast (frutosfl is almost invariably a help vourself buffet served in most youth hostels and some restaurants for around 4050kr, free in hotels. If you can eat vast amounts between 7am and 10am, it's nearly always good value. Juice, milk, cereals, bread, boiled eggs, jam, salami, tea and coffee appear on even the most limited tables. Swankier venues will also add herring, porridge, yoghurt, pate and fruit. Something to watch out for is the jug of filmjolk next to the ordinary milk it's thicker, sour milk for pouring on cereals. Coffee in Sweden is always freshly brewed and very good; often it's free after the first cup, or at least greatly reduced in price look for the word PStir. Tea is less exciting weak Uptons as a rule but costs around the same, 1014kr a cup. For snacks and lighter meals the choice expands, although their availability is inversely related to their health value. A Gatukok (street kitchen] or KorvstSnd {hotdoq stall) will serve a selection of hot dogs, burgers, pizza slices, chicken bits, chips, ice cream. Coke, crisps and ketchup something and chips will cost around 30kr. These stalls and stands are on every street in every town and village. More upmarket (if that's the word) burger bars are spreading like wildfire and a hefty burger and chips meal will set you back a shade over 40kr: the local Clockburger is cheaper than McDonalds and Wimpy, but all are generally the source of the cheapest coffee in town. It's often nicer to hit the konditori, a coffee shop with succulent pastries and cakes. They're not particularly cheap (coffee and cake cost around 1825kr) but are generally as good as they look; and the coffee is often free after you've paid for the first cup.