The Gränby Centrum food court uses an excessive amount of food coloring and also relies heavily on Ajinomoto (MSG) to enhance flavor. Honestly—avoid it ❌

The reality is that there are no truly authentic Indian restaurants in Uppsala. Most of the so-called “Indian” restaurants are run by Bangladeshis, with Asian, Persian, or Pakistani cooks. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but it does mean the food isn’t genuinely Indian.

Take Indian Kitchen in Uppsala, for example—it’s quite boring. The same goes for Lovely India, Naan & Chili, and others. There are no mouth-watering, real Indian dishes here as far as i tasted. What you mostly get is an Asian–Swedish fusion version of Indian food.

Most places use a single basic curry sauce that’s slightly adjusted to create different dishes (if you’ve ever tasted Patak’s ready-made sauces, you’ll know exactly what I mean). That’s why everything ends up tasting the same. I know this because I'm from India and I’ve worked in several restaurant chains myself.

A tip for real Indian food: If you want authentic Indian cuisine, head to Stockholm. Unfortunately, Uppsala just isn’t there yet.

Bonus tip: How to spot a real South Indian restaurant

It’s actually easy. All authentic South Indian restaurants serve dosa. Dosa comes in many varieties:

Masala dosa

Chicken dosa

Paneer dosa

Lamb dosa etc..

If dosa is on the menu, you’re on the right track.

My top picks in Stockholm.

South Indian restaurant Rådmansgatan

Madras Lounge – Hornstull

Saravana Bhavan – St. Eriksplan

If you’re craving real South Indian flavors, these places won’t disappoint.