Bart's Best of: Stockholm (tips for eating, drinking and sleeping)
We love Scandinavia. Not just because of the cinnamon rolls. Although of course they do play a role (spoiler alert: also in this article). About Oslo en Copenhagen we have already written a lot and it was high time to list all the favorites of the Swedish capital. Herewith: Bart's best of Stockholm.
First things first, coffee and breakfast. Morning mood? Start (and end) your day with one cinnamon roll and you no longer have to worry about anything. There are a lot of places you can go, but you are definitely in the right place at the places below.
Lillebrors
Lillebrors means little brothers in Swedish. Three guesses who the owners of the business are. At Lillebrors they don't just sell delicious ones bullars, but also good (sourdough) bread and other baked goods, such as the traditional semla that is eaten en masse around holidays in Sweden.
Stora Bageriet
Stora Bageriet is a wonderful place where, like many bakeries in Stockholm, you can look straight into the bakery. Great to see – and know – that your sandwiches and bullars are freshly made, right?
Bageri Compass
Just outside the city, but perfect if you're driving into town. Tucked away in an old garage, they bake some of the tastiest buns here. Their new twist with custard is also selling like hotcakes. For a more substantial appetite, they also serve a delicious lunch.
Stockholm 1897
A truly classic spot, white tablecloths and a view of the incoming boats from the cliff. Here you can enjoy that delicious cinnamon or cardamom bun with a view.
Mountain beaches Bageri
This small bakery has a nice terrace where you can enjoy the sun in the morning. They make perhaps the best croissants in the city here buns staring seductively at you from the display case.
Gamla Orangerite
This bakery is located in a dreamy spot in Stockholm; in the Bergianska Trädgården. A place that is especially enchanting in summer. You have to pay an entrance fee to view the gardens, but the bakery is accessible. You can sit here for a drink, either inside the greenhouse or outside on the terrace fika, breakfast or lunch.
Lilla Espresso Bar
A must-see for its great location and the perfect coffee you can order with your sandwich or croissant. From here, you're ready to explore Södermalm.
The real coffee geek goes to Drop. Here they source (and taste) beans from all over the world. Looking for the perfect one blend for the store. Through them wholesalebranch they provide many Swedish cafés with good bags of beans. So you will certainly encounter Drop more often throughout the city.
Big appetite? Go to Guest. Apart from the delicious coffee, this is an extremely cozy brunch spot. A menu that appeals to you (numerous options) and all this in a more than stylish interior. Small lights, candles on the table and cool art on the wall. From eggs with salmon to Fried chicken waffles. All of the highest quality with fresh products.
Favorite in the Norrmalm district is food hall K25. A large hall with several stands where you can get everything from falafel to tofu bowls and citizens.
Hötorgshallen, just like K25, is a kind of market hall (saluhall in Swedish) with all kinds of wonderful places where you can sit down for lunch. But in this hall you can also get goodies for home, such as chocolate, coffee, cheese and fish.
At Banacado it's all about, you can already feel it coming, the banana and the avocado. With bowls, sandwiches, salads and banana bread (how could it be otherwise) you can go here for both lunch and breakfast. Everything at Banacado is plant based, organic, gluten-free and sugar-free. Sounds boring? Think again. Banacado strives to serve only healthy dishes that not only taste good, but also look magical. And she's doing well. They hide all kinds of superfoods in their dishes, such as acai, lucuma and matcha, to boost not only your body but also your mind. Want to bet you'll leave the shop with a broad smile? Tip: be on time, because the shop is open until 15:00 PM (and closed on Sunday and Monday).
À la Lo
This vegan spot is a classic lunch and brunch spot in Stockholm and is regularly packed. You will find classics, such as toast with avocado, croques en pain perdus, but also signature dishes like the frozen banana yogurt (of killer granola) or rice porridge (rice porridge).
Brunos Korvbar
Korv is the Swedish word for sausage. Can you guess what you can go to Brunos Korvbar for? A delicious Swedish sausage sandwich. The sausage comes in a crispy yet soft bun with sauerkraut (or potato salad) and just the right sauce.
Cyclelcafé Le Mond
At Cyclelcafé Le Mond you can enjoy breakfast, brunch and lunch from early in the morning until the end of the afternoon. The café offers a wide choice of dishes, as well as tasty pastries and croissants. Cave, pancakes, toast or salads; there is something for everyone.
Holiday = dining out. A number of favorite restaurants for dining (and drinks) in Stockholm.
During the day, Savant is your place for coffee and vegetarian lunches. Is it wine time? Then Savant is also the place for tasty natural wine. This natural wine bar serves wine by the glass (changing daily) and Scandinavian beer. So it really is a place for enthusiasts. This in combination with Swedish snacks and a nice relaxed atmosphere.
Bar Agrikultur is located in a sweet little building and serves great food. So great that they received a Michelin star for it and a green star for sustainability. They raise their own pigs which they feed with the food waste from the restaurant. And they ferment, forage and hunt together another part of their ingredients. You eat in a cozy interior high quality food prepared with care for the planet. And that's delicious.
O, Purple Ego, how nice you are. One of the nicest restaurants in Stockholm if you ask us. Although they describe themselves as an 'unconventional neighborhood pub', Lilla Ego is much more than that. The restaurant serves beautiful dishes that are prepared with care and attention. You eat a lot of fish (you are in Sweden, after all), but being vegetarian is also no problem. Reservations are strongly recommended, as the restaurant is often packed. Would you rather come by on spec? Also possible. They always keep some options open for spontaneity, but you may have to wait a while or come back another time. We warned you.
Främmat is a creative French restaurant (one with a twist) in the middle of Stockholm. A business with an intimate, attractive setting. And of course with a fantastic menu. The menu is always changing, which means that you will be surprised whenever you join (and therefore also when you do it several times). You eat various small dishes that you share with your table companions. And that's only a good thing, because this way you can taste everything. Crazy about wine? Then you can also do well at Främmat. The servers at the table have a good understanding of the wines they serve and are happy to explain this to you.
Knut is a Swedish restaurant with two locations in Stockholm (Upplandsgatan and Regeringsgatan). You can go there for brunch, lunch and dinner and eat dishes and ingredients from Scandinavian cuisine. Think: flat bread, salmon, mashed potatoes, peas, blueberries and rhubarb, but also moose and reindeer.
A small wine bar Slash bistro with natural wines and small dishes in Södermalm. Simple dishes, but of very good quality, where Scandinavian flavors are combined with Asian cuisine.
Ekstedt is one of the great star restaurants in Stockholm. You can eat dishes from Swedish cuisine prepared on wood fire. Coal and smoke are the most important tools for the real Ekstedt experience.
On the edge of central Stockholm you will find Arc Rooftop, on top of design hotel Blique by Nobis. Arc is a bar and restaurant with an amazing 360 degree view of the city. You can have drinks there and enjoy Korean bites or a five-course menu.
From this roof terrace you have a great view over the water in the northern part of Stockholm. One of the better places in the city to watch the sunset. No place and still want to see the sunset? Walk a little further to Monteliusvägen.
On the top floor of the Bank Hotel you will find Le Hibou, a large balcony with views over the city center. The cute tables and chairs feel French and the terrace is a bit more intimate than the previous tips. Ideal for one date night or to celebrate something.
The place to be, if you ask us? Head to Slakthusområdet. Here, in and around the old slaughterhouse, you'll find some of Stockholm's coolest, hippest spots.
Here you will find Hasoi, a club but also an organization that organizes fun events on the weekends in the industrial estate. At Hasoi, you can enjoy a drink at the bar, which also serves as a listening bar.
You eat with the whole family at The sunFrom family dinners to boozy brunches, this place is a local favorite. The menu offers something for everyone, from pizza and tacos to small dishes perfect for sharing.
Bar Montan knows how to combine unique ingredients to create culinary taste sensations. You can sit outside or inside in the industrial-style restaurant. Most of the dishes are sourced from the barbecue, which you can see smoking and steaming from the terrace in full bloom.
Just like everything in Scandinavia, the hotels are stylish. Almost a shame to close your eyes, but luckily you can continue dreaming at night about all the great impressions you have gained during the day.
A (tourist) concept in Stockholm for years; Hardly anywhere will you spend the night more centrally or in a more beautiful setting. And the contemporary art collection spread throughout the hotel is a reason in itself for a visit. Almost ten years ago, the group opened a second, less known branch in the suburb of Sundbyberg, ten minutes by metro from Stockholm Central Station. The idea remained the same: a vintage-chic design hotel with spacious rooms and art everywhere you look – even the walls themselves are works of art. The hotel is located in a former factory where shops and creative companies are located. And that subway? It is punctual and runs twenty-four hours a day.
'Ett Hem' means 'a home' and that homely feeling is central to this twelve-room boutique hotel. You can choose whether you want to eat breakfast in the kitchen (like at home), in the library (more chic) or in the greenhouse (with a view of the garden). A home is cozy, quite a bit chic and the type of homely that you can dream about. This one comes as a surprise residency from 1910 also a beautiful one gym, Swedish sauna and hot stone plate in the basement. And we really don't have that at home. That's why Ett Hem is a delicious option to pamper yourself for a weekend when you're in Stockholm.
Located in a more than 100-year-old Art Nouveau building, once a girls' school ('Clara' was the first headmaster) and now a Scandinavian hotel landmark. Miss Clara Hotel. The features of the original building – high ceilings, large windows and large rooms – remain gloriously intact; it is a picture. Whether you wanted to go to the Stockholm Concert Hall (cool! do it!) or to the Kulturhuset Stadsteatern – the nationally known art and culture center (also a tip), the Norrmalm neighborhood is culture on a regular basis. And you can also do better shopping here.
It is not without reason that every Swede who can put some money aside buys a country house. The richest people in the country live, somewhat traditionally, in the capital and for their free time these people seek it out nearby if possible. Don't blame them, the area around Stockholm is absolutely beautiful, vast and you can shoot a cannon there, so peaceful. We also want such a luxurious life in the open air, even if only for a weekend. About half an hour's drive south of Stockholm is Häringe Castle, a seventeenth-century castle that stands in the middle of a picturesque nature reserve, Häringe-Hammersta. The impressive building was purchased by the c/o group (care of hotels) and was renamed c/o Häringe Palace or c/o Häringe Slott, a dream of one off beat Hotel.
In Stockholm's most central location (behind the main square) you'll find HOBO. A wonderfully large but stylish hotel with a perfectly maintained interior. The rooms are compact, stylish, and fully equipped. A breakfast buffet is included in your room rate and is served in the TAK restaurant, located on the top floor with city views. Here you'll find a selection of Swedish delicacies, of course, but also with Japanese influences.
