Restaurant Trattorian

Celebrity chef Meleker Andersson owns quite a few great restaurants in Stockholm (F12, Villa Godthem, Grill, Le Rouge among others). For many years, one of his most popular restaurants has been Kungsholmen. A few months ago, he closed Kungsholmen, renovated & redesigned the place and reopened it as an Italian restaurant called Trattorian.

Exterior

The original Kungsholmen was always one of my favorite restaurants... especially in the summer as it is located right on the waterfront of the island with the same name. Great place for a drink or dinner and watch the beautiful people walking along the waterfront promenade.

...and interior!

So naturally I was curious when Melker changed it to an Italian restaurant! I stopped by this past weekend for dinner. The location is, of course, still fantastic. The interior is much better... warmer and more intimate than Kungsholmen was. His restaurants are known for their ecclectic interior design and Trattorian is no exception. The interior looks like a Tuscan restaurant complete with a trellis celing with grape leaves. Beforehand, I thought that Italian cuisine sounded boring... Stockholm is filled with Italian restaurants! But it is a far cry from your run of the mill pasta & pizza joint. We had a great dinner... starting out with a variety of anti pasti, after which we had the Scottadito and the Ossobucco. My colleague was there the week before and had the duck ravioli with truffles which she loved. Of course they were out of that on the evening we were there... bummer! Next time.
Click here for my other restaurant reviews.

Floating bar (Pontonen) in front of the restaurant

Restaurant Trattorian

Posted by zlatin

Celebrity chef Meleker Andersson owns quite a few great restaurants in Stockholm (F12, Villa Godthem, Grill, Le Rouge among others). For many years, one of his most popular restaurants has been Kungsholmen. A few months ago, he closed Kungsholmen, renovated & redesigned the place and reopened it as an Italian restaurant called Trattorian.

Exterior

The original Kungsholmen was always one of my favorite restaurants... especially in the summer as it is located right on the waterfront of the island with the same name. Great place for a drink or dinner and watch the beautiful people walking along the waterfront promenade.

...and interior!

So naturally I was curious when Melker changed it to an Italian restaurant! I stopped by this past weekend for dinner. The location is, of course, still fantastic. The interior is much better... warmer and more intimate than Kungsholmen was. His restaurants are known for their ecclectic interior design and Trattorian is no exception. The interior looks like a Tuscan restaurant complete with a trellis celing with grape leaves. Beforehand, I thought that Italian cuisine sounded boring... Stockholm is filled with Italian restaurants! But it is a far cry from your run of the mill pasta & pizza joint. We had a great dinner... starting out with a variety of anti pasti, after which we had the Scottadito and the Ossobucco. My colleague was there the week before and had the duck ravioli with truffles which she loved. Of course they were out of that on the evening we were there... bummer! Next time.
Click here for my other restaurant reviews.

Floating bar (Pontonen) in front of the restaurant

Take a Walk on the Island of Djurgården

Café at Blockhusudden with view of harbor

Well marked paths

If you enjoy walking in Hyde Park when visiting London, Tiergarten when in Berlin or Central Park when in NYC... then you shouldn't pass up the opportunity of visiting Djurgården when in Stockholm.

Täcka Udden

Ditto!

Most tourists do visit Djurgården, mainly to see such popular attractions like the Vasa Museum, Skansen and Gröna Lund. But Djurgården is so much more than that! Beyond Skansen you will find acres and acres of parkland, forest and wetlands dotted with art galleries, gardens, cafés, monuments and other interesting buildings.

Part of the islands southern shoreline

Freedom Gate, a gift from the Estonian people

There are well marked paths through the parklands as well as along most of the shoreline. You can just concentrate on seeing the great nature there or visit the art galleries and museums like Thielska, Waldermarsudde or Liljevalchs... or combine nature with culture. Click here for my past posts on some of the points of interest on Djurgården... The world's first national city park!

Part of Waldemarsudde

The gardens at Rosenlund

The other day I took my visiting mother on just such a walk. We took bus #69 (not 69K which only goes as far as Kaknästornet!)) from Norrmalmstorg out to the last stop at Blockhusudden and then walked back along the south coast of the island to Djurgårdsbron (the bridge connecting the island with central Stockholm). The walk took about 1½ hours including some shorter stops for pictures and water. The pictures in this blog post are from this walk and for your inspiration...

Cross over to northern shoreline... Kaknästornet in distance

The Blue Gate- entrance (or exit) to Djurgården

Take a Walk on the Island of Djurgården

Posted by zlatin

Café at Blockhusudden with view of harbor

Well marked paths

If you enjoy walking in Hyde Park when visiting London, Tiergarten when in Berlin or Central Park when in NYC... then you shouldn't pass up the opportunity of visiting Djurgården when in Stockholm.

Täcka Udden

Ditto!

Most tourists do visit Djurgården, mainly to see such popular attractions like the Vasa Museum, Skansen and Gröna Lund. But Djurgården is so much more than that! Beyond Skansen you will find acres and acres of parkland, forest and wetlands dotted with art galleries, gardens, cafés, monuments and other interesting buildings.

Part of the islands southern shoreline

Freedom Gate, a gift from the Estonian people

There are well marked paths through the parklands as well as along most of the shoreline. You can just concentrate on seeing the great nature there or visit the art galleries and museums like Thielska, Waldermarsudde or Liljevalchs... or combine nature with culture. Click here for my past posts on some of the points of interest on Djurgården... The world's first national city park!

Part of Waldemarsudde

The gardens at Rosenlund

The other day I took my visiting mother on just such a walk. We took bus #69 (not 69K which only goes as far as Kaknästornet!)) from Norrmalmstorg out to the last stop at Blockhusudden and then walked back along the south coast of the island to Djurgårdsbron (the bridge connecting the island with central Stockholm). The walk took about 1½ hours including some shorter stops for pictures and water. The pictures in this blog post are from this walk and for your inspiration...

Cross over to northern shoreline... Kaknästornet in distance

The Blue Gate- entrance (or exit) to Djurgården

Viking Restaurant Aifur

As promised...

Entrance...

I recently visited Aifur, a restaurant dedicated to "the gastronomic heritage from the Viking Age", for a dinner with relatives. To be honest, I was a little sceptical before the visit. Themed restaurants aren't really my thing and I thought it might be "too touristy". I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, there were many tourists there, but hey... it is located in Gamla Stan! Aifur is owned by Swedish pop-star Martin Eriksson, who is a real Viking aficianado, so it does feel more serious than other history themed restaurants. The restaurant is quite dark and fitted with long tables with the benches covered with sheep skins. Hanging on the walls were tapestries, shields and weapons. When we first arrived, we had one long table to ourselves. But as the restaurant filled up, we soon had company from other diners and it was part of the fun to see how others reacted to their surroundings. 

Dinner! Note the utensils.

I was also sceptical about the food... how good can Viking cuisine actually be? But it was good (Viking cuisine modernized?)! The ingredients are mainly from the Viking Age- items that could be found in Scandinavia or brought in through trade. They have a nice explanation of each dish on the menu that ties it in with the Viking history. We had the honey and garlic marinated rack of lamb which was delicious. We did try some mead before dinner. A little sweet, not really my taste but they had some nice non-Viking wine that went well with the lamb. Click here for the menu, scroll down for the English version. A word of warning: they do announce you to the other diners as you enter the restaurant. A little embarassing but lots of fun after you have a drink and can cheer and laugh at the discomfort of other patrons as they arrive. So, all in all, a good experience. I wouldn't go there for a romatic dinner... but fun for a family or people interested in history. 
Other Viking experiences in Stockholm!

Shields along the wall.

Other restaurant recommendations...

Viking Restaurant Aifur

Posted by zlatin

As promised...

Entrance...

I recently visited Aifur, a restaurant dedicated to "the gastronomic heritage from the Viking Age", for a dinner with relatives. To be honest, I was a little sceptical before the visit. Themed restaurants aren't really my thing and I thought it might be "too touristy". I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, there were many tourists there, but hey... it is located in Gamla Stan! Aifur is owned by Swedish pop-star Martin Eriksson, who is a real Viking aficianado, so it does feel more serious than other history themed restaurants. The restaurant is quite dark and fitted with long tables with the benches covered with sheep skins. Hanging on the walls were tapestries, shields and weapons. When we first arrived, we had one long table to ourselves. But as the restaurant filled up, we soon had company from other diners and it was part of the fun to see how others reacted to their surroundings. 

Dinner! Note the utensils.

I was also sceptical about the food... how good can Viking cuisine actually be? But it was good (Viking cuisine modernized?)! The ingredients are mainly from the Viking Age- items that could be found in Scandinavia or brought in through trade. They have a nice explanation of each dish on the menu that ties it in with the Viking history. We had the honey and garlic marinated rack of lamb which was delicious. We did try some mead before dinner. A little sweet, not really my taste but they had some nice non-Viking wine that went well with the lamb. Click here for the menu, scroll down for the English version. A word of warning: they do announce you to the other diners as you enter the restaurant. A little embarassing but lots of fun after you have a drink and can cheer and laugh at the discomfort of other patrons as they arrive. So, all in all, a good experience. I wouldn't go there for a romatic dinner... but fun for a family or people interested in history. 
Other Viking experiences in Stockholm!

Shields along the wall.

Other restaurant recommendations...

Upcoming Festivals & Events

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board

I have posted about all of the festivals and events this summer, but I thought I would give a little reminder for the big events in the upcoming weeks.

• Stockholm Gay Pride (July 30th to August 4th)- very popular annual festival. Pride Park is located in the park Tantolunden. Here there will be performances from both Swedish and international artists, as well as restaurants and bars. Lots of parties at different venues all week long! The Pride parade is on Saturday afternoon and is a big event in Stockholm with thousands coming out to watch.
• Stockholm Music & Arts Festival (August 3rd to 5th)- new festival on the island of Skeppsholmen. A great line-up of artists to perform: Marianne Faithful, Laleh, Patti Smith, Emmylou Harris, Björk among others. Should be interesting!
• Royal Philharmonic (August 12th)- free outdoor concert in Gärdet, starts at 2pm. Come early to get a good seat (see picture below).
• Culture Festival (August 14th to 19th)- culture, art, music, live performances throughout the city. Best of all? Free entrance to 99% of the events! Always popular...

So... lots of fun events coming up in the calendar! I will write about some of these, with more information, as we get closer to the actual dates.

(Royal Philharmonic) Photo by Jeppe Wikström, Stockholm Visitors Board

Upcoming Festivals & Events

Posted by zlatin

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board

I have posted about all of the festivals and events this summer, but I thought I would give a little reminder for the big events in the upcoming weeks.

• Stockholm Gay Pride (July 30th to August 4th)- very popular annual festival. Pride Park is located in the park Tantolunden. Here there will be performances from both Swedish and international artists, as well as restaurants and bars. Lots of parties at different venues all week long! The Pride parade is on Saturday afternoon and is a big event in Stockholm with thousands coming out to watch.
• Stockholm Music & Arts Festival (August 3rd to 5th)- new festival on the island of Skeppsholmen. A great line-up of artists to perform: Marianne Faithful, Laleh, Patti Smith, Emmylou Harris, Björk among others. Should be interesting!
• Royal Philharmonic (August 12th)- free outdoor concert in Gärdet, starts at 2pm. Come early to get a good seat (see picture below).
• Culture Festival (August 14th to 19th)- culture, art, music, live performances throughout the city. Best of all? Free entrance to 99% of the events! Always popular...

So... lots of fun events coming up in the calendar! I will write about some of these, with more information, as we get closer to the actual dates.

(Royal Philharmonic) Photo by Jeppe Wikström, Stockholm Visitors Board

Arlanda Express... a Reminder!

I wrote about the train Arlanda Express two years ago. In fact, it was my third post ever! I thought perhaps it was time for an update/reminder.

Ticket Office at Central train station

The Arlanda Express is a high speed train that travels between Arlanda airport and the Central train station in downtown Stockholm. The trip takes just 20 minutes (as opposed to 35-40 minutes by car). The trains leave, apporximately, every 15 minutes from around 4:30am to 12:30am. Click here for summer timetable. During the summer (until August 31st) and on weekends during the rest of the year, they have a special where two people travel for 280 SEK. Basically a 2-for-1 special. Keep in mind that it is only economical if you are maximum two persons. Taxis have fixed rates between the airport and Stockholm. For example, Taxi Stockholm costs 520 SEK for a car that seats up to 4 persons. When taking the Arlanda Express, remember to buy your ticket before getting on board at the ticket booth, by using one of the ticket machines on the platform or online at their website. Buying a ticket on board the train costs 50 SEK extra! You will need a credit/debit card with a pin number in order to use the ticket machines. The Central train station is directly above the T-Centralen subway station which connects you to the rest of the city. The Rival Hotel is just three stations away on the red line at the Mariatorget station.

Ticket machine found on the platform

Arlanda Express... a Reminder!

Posted by zlatin

I wrote about the train Arlanda Express two years ago. In fact, it was my third post ever! I thought perhaps it was time for an update/reminder.

Ticket Office at Central train station

The Arlanda Express is a high speed train that travels between Arlanda airport and the Central train station in downtown Stockholm. The trip takes just 20 minutes (as opposed to 35-40 minutes by car). The trains leave, apporximately, every 15 minutes from around 4:30am to 12:30am. Click here for summer timetable. During the summer (until August 31st) and on weekends during the rest of the year, they have a special where two people travel for 280 SEK. Basically a 2-for-1 special. Keep in mind that it is only economical if you are maximum two persons. Taxis have fixed rates between the airport and Stockholm. For example, Taxi Stockholm costs 520 SEK for a car that seats up to 4 persons. When taking the Arlanda Express, remember to buy your ticket before getting on board at the ticket booth, by using one of the ticket machines on the platform or online at their website. Buying a ticket on board the train costs 50 SEK extra! You will need a credit/debit card with a pin number in order to use the ticket machines. The Central train station is directly above the T-Centralen subway station which connects you to the rest of the city. The Rival Hotel is just three stations away on the red line at the Mariatorget station.

Ticket machine found on the platform