Alexander B.
Yelp
As most reviews are from Americans, and as I was told by the staff of the hotel, this is primarily a tourist destination. With that being said, Aifur leans so heavily into its Viking theme and executes its food and experience so well that even an anti-tourist curmudgeon such as myself had an absolutely terrific time.
Getting there can be a bit of a trip, particularly if you've avoided Gamla Stan (Old Town) prior to your meal at Aifur. Clogged with tourists of all stripes, gawking and gaping at anything that does or doesn't move and ambling around the agency of a headless bovine, Aifur is downstairs from a distinguished, Viking-esque entrance off of Västerlånggatan. I was greeted by a jovial man, who couldn't have been more "Viking" in appearance standing at what must have been 7 foot 2 inches tall (2.19 meters for our Swedish friends) with a beard and ponytail. Despite me confusing my reservation date (the whole month switches with the day thing is tough for Americans), he was able to find us a spot to sit down for dinner.
Upon entering the space, you pass through a bar area thoroughly decorated with relevant materials; axes, helmets, leathers, furs, you name it. You can grab a glass of mead (honey wine) braggot (honey beer FAR superior than the honey wine unless you're craving diabetes) here and maybe even luck out with a table overlooking the bustling dining room. Continue through the space and you're arrived at the dining hall.
Vaulted ceilings and torch sconces set the theme, as there is apparently no electricity, adding to the Viking theme. The host viking (for lack of a better name) tends to blow a horn upon each group's entrance, announcing where they're from and eliciting a round of applause which sustains the vibrant celebratory atmosphere. Eventually, the viking equivalent of a bard took a place on the wall and begin playing a Scandinavian bagpipe of some kind. Like I said, this is an experience.
For the meal itself, we started with a salad, which, in a Viking restaurant, was as silly as it sounds. They're not a people known for their salads (and the fork, which only had two widely spaced prongs, was not designed to eat them). To correct the leafy mistake that was the salad, we went with Rurik's Feast (all the names are entertainingly mythological) which was basically every land animal and root vegetable known to man, roasted. Knowing it was tourist oriented, I was expecting garbage food, priced for naive people, in a setting that would make fanny pack wearers excited. But Rurik's Feast was an expertly cooked dish, fun to eat, and served in the aforementioned atmosphere. the meat came hanging off of wrought iron, dangling above (more meat and) a rainbow medley of roasted root vegetables. What is there to dislike?
If I had to make one complaint, I don't like shared bench seating (but again, Viking Style) and the furs on the chairs would probably get gross after a while (at least in NYC they would...). Expect to sit with strangers and converse with other parties, as they'll likely be at your table. There is some kind of private chair (up a cool ladder and in the window), but I'm not sure how to sit there. It's clearly the best seat in the house.
Lastly, as with all Swedish restaurants I learned, you MUST ask for your check or it may not come. Unlike American restaurants in which it might be expected for the check to drop after no dessert/coffee has been ordered, you still must ask despite the inference.
ANYWAY, I'll always recommend this place for a good time, with good food, and a fun atmosphere, for those who are inclined to 1) a lot of meat and 2) like renaissance fairs.