My Södermalm - Artek and Fabrique
Miss Clara - a new design hotel in Stockholm
The Asplund Stockholm Store
Visiting DRY Things showroom/office
We are a creative design team that work by ourselves or together with our friends that share our philosophy. Our ambition is to produce locally and use only ecological processes and sustainable materials."
Ps. If you are interested in getting this feature for your magazine, we have many more great images, just contact Mikael to see the contact sheets.
Landet Järna - A city shop for wild flowers
Stockholms Fotoantikvariat, a shop for rare and used photography books
Stockholm Guide 2012
Scandi Bohemian apt for rent
Stockholm Guide 2011
These are my personal favorites, and I'm skipping the more traditional guide book spots as I figure you can just get a book for that. I have moved to the countryside outside of Stockholm since I wrote my last guide, so in some ways I feel like I'm a tourist in my own hometown now… Every time I go into town I find something new that wasn't there the last time, and I don't know if that's a sign that I'm losing touch with the city, or just that Stockholm is a vibrant and ever-changing city. I hope for the latter. Enough babbling now, on to the guide!
Södermalm is my favorite area in Stockholm. This part of town used to be for the working class, not-so-hip people. That has all changed in the last decades, and Söder is now Stockholm's trendiest area, very bohemian chic and full of cute little hipster kids. It's a great place to go barhopping or shopping, or just do some people watching in one of the many parks. The two most happening areas are the SoFo area around Nytorget and the blocks around Mariatorget, you will find that most of my tips are located around these spots. There is also a nice area called Hornstull in the western parts of Södermalm.
Eat and drink
Morfar Ginko and Pappa Ray Ray, a very nice restaurant and cava bar with lots of cool dj's and clubs, and a ping pong table. Swedenborgsgatan 13.
Debaser Slussen, a restaurant/bar with clubs, concerts with popular artists and a big outdoor area in the sun. There's another Debaser at Medborgarplatsen, also on Södermalm.
Södra Teatern, beautiful old house with a great big terrace with Stockholm's best view and some great clubs and concerts. Mosebacke Torg 1-3.
Snotty, small and crowded indie rock/pop bar. Hip but relaxed. Skånegatan 90.
Trädgården, café and clubs under the Skanstull bridge, Hammarby Slussväg 2
Hermans, for the spectacular view of Stockholm and for their delicious vegetarian lunch buffet. Fjällgatan 23b.
Urban Deli, probably the only combined grocery shop, seafood bar and restaurant in Stockholm. And a very nice one at that! Nytorget 4.
Nyfiken Gul, a charming place by the water where you can barbeque your own choice of meat for dinner, and order some nice side dishes to go with it. Hammarby Slussväg 15.
Fika
Chokladfabriken makes incredibly tasty choolate. Renstiernas gata 12.
Shop
Brandstationen, vintage furniture and accessories in an old fire station. Krukmakargatan 22.
KIKI, selling design products made by skilled Japanese craftsmen and ecological green tea. Renstiernas gata 41
Grandpa, a mix of fashion and interiors. Last year they added a basement full of carefully selected vintage items like old lab bottles, school chairs and biology posters, a real treasure trove! Södermannagatan 21.
Eat and drink
Rolfs Kök, a Stockholm classic where the food, cocktails and service are always excellent. Small place with a relaxed atmosphere and an open kitchen where you see the chefs cooking your meals. Designed by Jonas Bohlin och Thomas Sandell in the 1990's, but the interiors are still holding up quite well in my opinion. Tegnérgatan 41.
Hjerta, rustic Swedish country food with French influences served in a former shipyard on the small island of Skeppsholmen. Slupskjulsvägen 28 B.
Svartengrens, a brand new restaurant opening in May 2011, with a focus on good quality, locally produced meat. I haven't been there myself yet, but from what I've heard, both the food and the interiors are great. Tulegatan 24.
Shop
Asplund, for the best of modern Scandinavian style. Sibyllegatan 31.
Pärlans konfektyr makes and sells delicious handmade oldfashioned toffee with flavours like seasalt or candied ginger. The shop/workshop is decorated completely in 1930's style, and the cute shop assistants/toffee makers are all kitted out in matching 30's outfits. Artillerigatan 56.
Nunc is a tiny store/showroom on Vikingagatan 15, only open on Fridays and Saturdays, with a great mix of industrial, vintage and modern pieces, and also a great webshop.
Mor Karin is a children's shop with stylish clothes and interior products. Tegnérgatan 6.
Snickarbacken 7, interiors, art, clothes and coffee in an old stable.
Cow parfymeri is THE place to go for excellent skin care and make up products that you won't find anywhere else in Stockholm. They also sell some of my favourite perfumes. Mäster Samuelsgatan 9.
Byredo, super hyped Swedish scented candles and perfumes. I love them! Mäster Samuelsgatan 6.
Dusty Deco has Stockholm's best selection of vintage furniture. Östhammarsgatan 69.
Hotels:
Berns Hotel, I wrote a whole post on this hotel last year, and to this date, it's the best hotel I've stayed in. It's stylish, has a great location and very serviceminded staff. And the breakfast is to die for! You can read the post I did on Berns Hotel here.
Story Hotel, with interiors inspired by worn down New York restaurants and chic bohemian hotels in Paris, mixed with the spirit of the progressive musicians and artists that used to live in the building. Add a wonderful restaurant to that, and you have greatness. To see more pics and read more about Story, visit my old post here.
As of October 2011, Stockholm will get a new design hotel called Scandic Grand Central, located right next to the central station. I can't tell you much about it yet, but I'll update this post when I know more.
I hope you enjoyed this guide and that it will be useful for those of you visiting Stockholm in the nearest future!
Nobis Hotel
Yesterday I was at a press show for Stockholm's newest design hotel called Nobis Hotel, opening on December 1. Located in the city center with just a few minutes walk to the central station, and everything you need just around the corner (including Riche, one of my favorite restaurants in that area), and with a great view of the busy square in front of the hotel.
I had expected this luxury hotel designed by prominent design trio Claesson Koivisto Rune to be very sophisticated but also a bit boring and cold. It was sophisticated for sure, but also very warm and welcoming! The house is an old bank building from the late 1800's (actually this is the bank where the famous "Norrmalmstorgs robbery" was held in 1973 and so the birth place of the Stockholm Syndrome!) with loads of wonderful details like intricate stucco, wood panels and patterned ceilings, and the architects have managed to balance that with more modern and cleanlined furnishing, without making it clash. The rooms and corridors are all painted in matte warm grey hues, including the ceilings and trims, and curtains in the same hue, which produces a feeling of calmness and understated luxury.
I could write a whole lot more, going on and on about the restaurants with Stockholm's top chefs, the hi-tech solutions that are hidden everywhere in the hotel, the amazing service levels that will be offered to guests, and so on and so on. But I won't. This blog is more about pictures and feelings, so if you want more hard facts, just click over to the Nobis Hotel site.
Stockholm's smallest museum, the clock room, with an old mechanical clock from the 1800's. An amazing room, I loved seeing all the little brass wheels, pistons and other mechanical parts still doing their job. This clock is actually rather special because it's not a pendular clock, but a circular one, meaning the pointers on the clock move in a smooth motion instead of ticking minute by minute.
The ceiling of the atrium is just one example of the great meetings between old and modern.
One of the rooms, with grey walls, ceilings and curtains. I might be modern and cleanlined, but I promise, it felt very warm and welcoming in person.
The bedroom of the Nobis Suite. Super luxury and lots of shiny surfaces, without feeling bling.
Berns Hotel, Stockholm
I got a big room with a great view through the floor to ceiling windows and an enormous private roof terrace. It was decorated with lots of stylish furniture and great lighting, and on the sofa table was a pile of interesting magazines. But the best part was probably the bath tub, since I don't have a tub at home, so taking a bath is really the height of luxury to me!
Another lovely thing was the breakfast, with the best buffet I've had in years. It really had it all, from fresh sourdough bread and any topping you can imagine, a big tray of fresh fruit and different kinds of juice, to chocolates and cinnamon rolls. And everything in between.
I can truly recommend Berns Hotel if you ever need a place to stay in Stockholm. It's right in the city center within walking distance of everything, and the rooms and building are beautiful. The lobby also works as an art gallery (during my stay the walls were covered with black and white photos of glamourous naked smoking women.) And last but not least, the reception staff were so cute, they looked like 16 year old fashion models, but were really nice and competent.
Restaurang Bar
Hotel Story, Stockholm
The hotel is called Story, and it's situated right in the city center, in the "posh" neighbourhood called Östermalm. It's filled with modern art, due to a collaboration with Wonderwall, a Swedish company specializing in affordable art prints from cool artists. Between the lobby and bar they have tucked a small boutique with carefully chosen clothing labels and accessories from Milan and New York. And of course, the rooms are to die for!
"The philosophy of Story Hotel is to combine design and innovation with an attractive location in downtown Stockholm. Our mission is to offer a smart, stylish and new kind of hotel for today's traveler."
My Stockholm Guide 2009
Ok, here we go again:
First I'd like to recommend Skansen on Djurgården, the oldest open-air museum in the world, with lots of old houses and Scandinavian animals. It is a really nice place, I take my children there several times every year and we never get tired of it. Our favourite part is the tiny town, where there are a bunch of small shops, a café, bakery, glass blowing hut, pharmacy etc. looking just like they did in the old days. All of them are open and fully functioning!
Old style food store at Skansen
Junibacken
Matador, lots of colourful clothes in soft cotton from mostly Danish brands like Molo, Ej sikke lej, Silke og Sus and Katvig.
Matador
UNI, unisex clothing in strong colours and cool patterns with inspiration from the seventies. I love their collaboration with Swedish design group De Fyra.
If you are visiting in the summer, a swim in the middle of the city is a nice break from the shopping, walking and museum visits. My favourite is Långholmen, a small island between Södermalm and Kungsholmen with a sandy beach and some nice cliffs to jump into the water from.
Take a bath at Långholmen
Café Tubby
Vurma's baker, and a statue outside the café
My favourite café in the neighbourhood is Svart Kaffe. They have great sandwiches, nice interiors, and always the coolest music in town! Their outdoor seats are a great place to sit and watch the hippest people in Stockholm walking by... Or try café/vintage record shop Louie Louie, just half a block away, for some delicious chocolate cake!
The owners of Louie Louie
If you would rather buy your own food and cook it yourself, Cajsa Warg is a good choice for organic groceries. They also sell readymade picnicbags that you can take with you to the park Vitabergsparken next to the store.
Asplund
Granit
Rival, a chic boutique hotel in one of Stockholm's trendiest neighbourhoods on western Södermalm, owned by former ABBA member Benny Andersson. In addition to the hotel they also boast a cinema, bars, a bistro, a cafe and a bakery. All rooms are decorated with an old-fashioned movie print over the bed, and are equipped with a plasma screen tv, egyptian cotton sheets, a selection of different pillows, DVD/CD player with a selection of CDs (movies and video games can be rented in the reception), wireless internet access and bathroom products from Crabtree & Evelyn.
Hotel Rival
Clarion Hotel
Welcome to Stockholm!
My Stockholm Guide
First I'd like to recommend Skansen on Djurgården, the oldest open-air museum in the world, with lots of old houses and Scandinavian animals. It is a really nice place, I take my children there several times every year and we never get tired of it. Our favourite part is the tiny town, where there are a bunch of small shops, a café, bakery, glass blowing hut, pharmacy etc. looking just like they did in the old days. All of them are open and fully functioning!
Old style food store at Skansen
To get to Skansen, take a ferry from Slussen, it is a nice way to get to see Stockholm from the water. On the way back, get off at Skeppsholmen for a nice walk into town, and a visit at the Modern Museum. The museum has a great shop with lots of contemporary Swedish design, and a fantastic lunch restaurant that you really shouldn't miss! It has a great view of Stockholm, lovely food, in the weekends they are serving brunch, and on Sundays even a special brunch for the kids.
The restaurant and the museum shop at the Modern Museum
Junibacken
Matador, lots of colourful clothes in soft cotton from mostly Danish brands like Molo, Ej sikke lej, Silke og Sus and Katvig.
Matador
Under, handpicked retro clothes and toys from the sixties and seventies, along with brand new stuff from young indie designers.
UNI, unisex clothing in strong colours and cool patterns with inspiration from the seventies.
Haven, great clothes and small interior details for both you and your baby.
Birka Baby, your baby will be the most fashionable and streetcool kid on the block dressed in their clothes! They sport brands like Finger in the Nose, Cheap Monday's baby collection and Minirodini.
Exterior and interior of Birka Baby
Numero, a small toy store on Katarina Bangata 33, full of great stuff in all price ranges. You will find everything from marbles to retro robots here.
Kalikå, plush animals and real tools and kitchen stuff in miniature versions, free from stuffy old thoughts on gender roles.
If you are visiting in the summer, a swim in the middle of the city is a nice break from the shopping, walking and museum visits. My favourite is Långholmen, a small island between Södermalm and Kungsholmen with a sandy beach and some nice cliffs to jump into the water from.
Take a bath at Långholmen
The Street market
Café Tubby
Vurma's baker, and a statue outside the café
If you like indie shopping and are curious about the latest Swedish trends in fashion, head to the SoFo area on eastern Södermalm. It is crowded with cool little shops like Grandpa, TjallaMalla, Nudie Jeans, Kunigunda, Lisa Larsson Second Hand, Under, Coctail, Acne Jeans, UNI and Nakkna.
While you are there, visit Café String, a retro inspired café where everything is for sale. So if you fall for the chair you are sitting in, the coffee cup the girl at the next table is drinking from or the paintings on the wall, just take them with you when you leave! (Well, you have to pay first, of course...)
Café String (photo taken from http://absurditypublishing.wordpress.com)
If you would rather buy your own food and cook it yourself, Cajsa Warg is a good choice for organic groceries. They also sell readymade picnicbags that you can take with you to the park Vitabergsparken next to the store.
For modern Swedish furniture and decorating details, go to Asplund, they sell products from the greatest designers of the moment. The store is very fresh and cleanlined, and apart from the minimalistic furniture there are some really cute and surprising little things for sale.
Asplund
Other good shops with modern design are Granit, Designtorget, Åhléns and Stockhome.
If you are looking for place to stay, these are the hotels I'd recommend for a sleep in modern Scandinavian style.
Rival, a chic boutique hotel in one of Stockholm's trendiest neighbourhoods on western Södermalm, owned by former ABBA member Benny Andersson. In addition to the hotel they also boast a cinema, bars, a bistro, a cafe and a bakery. All rooms are decorated with an old-fashioned movie print over the bed, and are equipped with a plasma screen tv, egyptian cotton sheets, a selection of different pillows, DVD/CD player with a selection of CDs (movies and video games can be rented in the reception), wireless internet access and bathroom products from Crabtree & Evelyn.
Hotel Rival
Birger Jarl, a hotel in one of Stockholm's most busy areas, took it's name from the City's founder. The hotel is totally decorated by the most talented Swedish designers of today. Exept for one room, the Forgotten Room, looking exactly as it did in 1974. This room, situated at the end of a corridor, was simply forgotten by the builders during the renovation, and is now kept as a reminder of the old days. It is super cool though, with teak furniture all over, black leather chairs and brass wall lights! Some of the sources of inspiration in the renovation process were Sweden's tall, slender birch trees, the traditional copper-red paint of wooden houses and good old-fashioned thoughtfulness and consideration.
Clarion claims to be "Stockholm's art hotel no 1", which means that contemporary Nordic art can be seen in all rooms and in the public areas of the hotel, the two bars and the restaurant. The hotel also arranges live concerts with popular artists. Clarion is built on top of Söderleden, one of the largest freeways into Stockholm, and distinguishes itself with it's spectacular architecture featuring a large expanse of glass. The unifying feature of the hotel's interior - it's light background, dark base and accent colours - continues into the guest rooms, where white contrasts with dark wenge wood.
Clarion Hotel
Welcome to Stockholm!