24 Hours in Stockholm

D: Which area should we stay in, and at which hotel?

H: Södermalm for sure. Stockholm is spread across over 30,000 islands, and Södermalm is an island in the southern central part of the city that was once known as the “slum” area. Today it’s more known as the ultra-hip neighbourhood in the heart of Stockholm. If you want to stay at a hotel my recommendation is Hotel Frantz, a small boutique hotel located in Slussen on Södermalm. Perfectly located if you’d like to visit the central part of Stockholm, as well as the other central islands, and you can easily go from there by walking or the subway. Also if you want to visit other islands in the archipelago, you can easily take boats not very far from there.  

D: Early or late riser? 

H: Late riser. Stay up with the sun! During spring and summer in Sweden the sun sets very late and rises early [sunset at 11pm, sunrise at around 2am] and it gives you a lot of great energy. 

D: Where should we eat breakfast and what should we eat? 

H: Kaferang. I love that they have a huge breakfast selection and just not a simple and boring sandwich. 

Otherwise Kaffebar at Bysistorget is a favourite. 

D: What sightseeing should we do?

H: Walking around Södermalm is beautiful and doesn’t cost you anything, and what’s great about Stockholm is that you can walk everywhere. Take a walk by Södra Mälarstrand, Monteliusvägen and up by Skinnarviksberget where you can take a stop for a beautiful view over the city. Life hack - bring some beers and a picnic with you. From there you can continue your walking journey to Fotografiska. A beautiful museum by the water where everything revolves around photography. 

D: Are there any super Swedish things we should look for or try while we’re here?

H: Well, other than taking a boat to the archipelago you haven’t had the full Swedish experience until you’ve tried some traditional Swedish meatballs. (Try Restaurant Pelikans). But If you feel like being hardcore you should try eating surströmming which is a salted fermented herring (in a nutshell a Swedish super stinky fish). But do it at your own risk. The smell is really horrible and will piss people off if you open the can with surströmming nearby them. After that you can celebrate your bravery with a fika (a coffee and a cake break).

D: Lunchtime! What should we have?

H: Grab a pizza slice at 800grader. Or go to ‘Omnipollos Hatt’ for a pizza and beer. Omnipollo is also a brewery with a lot of fun crafted beers. And Omnipollos Hatt is their restaurant/bar. 

D: Any good places to get a coffee?

H: Swedes are famous for drinking a lot of coffee, and very strong coffee [Currently Swedes drink 9kg of coffee each per year, the 4th highest in the world]. You’ll find a lot of great coffee places on Södermalm - Bageri Petrus is my favourite! But don’t forget to order a cake with your coffee. Remember, it’s not a proper Swedish fika without sweets. You can never have too many. 

D: Where’s good for dinner? Fancy or casual?

H: Bar Agrikultur at Nytorget is my favourite restaurant. A small restaurant with a great atmosphere serving delicious food and wine.

D: Ok time for a bar tour, where are we drinking? What’s your favourite drink? Anything we need to try while we’re in Stockholm?

H: Take a walk to Mariatorget and visit Paradiso, a small rum bar serving great cocktails. Order all their rum cocktails from their menu. A two-minute walk from Paradiso you’ll find Häktet and Häktet Vänster. Häktet Vänster is Häktets speakeasy bar. Häktet Vänster is famous for having different fun themes on their menus. Finish your cocktail tour at the one and only Tjoget. Try signature cocktails from the menu or classic ones. Tjoget also has a wine bodega and a beer café. So you can stay there all night long. During the weekends the ambience gets turned up a notch with DJs playing. 

D: Right, everyone’s drunk, where do we go now for a nightcap?

H: Both Tjoget and Häktet are open until 3am. But if you’re up for more dancing and a night club vibe I would recommend Trädgården/F12. Both of them are outside nightclubs open only during summertime where you can party until the sun rises.