Bar Hopping in Gamla Stan!

Photo: ©Erik Nissen Johansen, Pharmarium

I remember 20 years ago (yes, I am that old) when Stockholmers generally avoided visiting bars & restaurants in Gamla Stan ("the old town"). They were considered for the most part to be too touristy and not of the best quality. The difference today is pretty astounding... not only are some of Stockholm's best restaurants (Frantzén, Fem Små Hus, Kryp In, Djuret, Den Gyldene Freden among many others) located in this historic part of the city, so are many of the city's best cocktail bars! More good news when it comes to adult beverages is that cocktail culture has really made inroads in Stockholm over the past decade. Gone are the days when a gin & tonic was the most creative thing you could order in a Stockholm bar. Here are some of the best cocktail bars in Gamla Stan:

• Pharmarium- named "best bar" in Stockholm recently by the newspaper Dagens Nyheter. Located in the same building as Stockholm's first apothecary, the cocktails have ingredients that were often used historically for medicinal purposes. Click here to read about my visit here. Location. 
• Tweed- winner of the "best bar" award last year. Cozy, like a London gentleman's club with Chesterfield armchairs and tartan clad walls. Located in the Victory Hotel, which also contains The Burgundy wine bar and newly opened Bottles.
• Mister French- a great restaurant, it also has an equally great cocktail bar with an interior design reminiscent of the Great Gatsby. With its location on the harbor waterfront, it is especially a must-visit during the summer months when they open a great outdoor lounge and bar. My visit.
• Corner Club- same owner as the (Michelin 2 star) restaurant Frantzén across the street, this bar has a nice atmosphere and always a great cocktail menu. Location.
• Le Bar- if Tweed resembles a London gentleman's club, then Le Bar will take you back to turn of the century Paris with its red velvet, gold fringe and chandeliers. Finer dining option in their main restaurant, Le Rouge, otherwise they also have a great bar menu (French dishes, of course!). Location. My report... way back in 2010. 
• Gondolen- although not exactly in Gamla Stan, it is located on the edge and does overlook the old town. Besides the fantastic views, it also has one of Stockholm's classic cocktail bars. My recent visit.

Art deco bar at Mr French.

The above cocktail bars are of the fancier variety. There are also several great pubs and other bars in Gamla Stan to choose from:

• Wirströms- Irish pub and sports bar with live music and a great selection of beers (including both Swedish & international craft beers). Location.
• Ardbeg Embassy- besides being a Swedish restaurant, it is also a pub/bar where you can try 24 Swedish microbrewery beers and around 230 single malt whiskeys. Location.
• Stampen- famous Stockholm pub with live jazz music and eclectic interiors. Location.
• Torget- popular, cozy gay bar... and one of the oldest gay bars in Stockholm. Location. 
• The Liffey- another popular Irish pub and sports bar with live music in the old town! Location.

A fuzzy picture taken at Tweed.

This is all good news if you are staying at the Rival Hotel... Gamla Stan is just a 10 minute walk from the hotel so you don't have to worry about drinking and driving if you want to go bar hopping there. If you are travelling by yourself and want company on your evening of bar hopping, then you might want to try the Stockholm Pub Crawl... a guided crawl of a few pubs in Gamla Stan and Södermalm.

Gamla Stan in the summertime.

Bar Hopping in Gamla Stan!

Posted by zlatin

Photo: ©Erik Nissen Johansen, Pharmarium

I remember 20 years ago (yes, I am that old) when Stockholmers generally avoided visiting bars & restaurants in Gamla Stan ("the old town"). They were considered for the most part to be too touristy and not of the best quality. The difference today is pretty astounding... not only are some of Stockholm's best restaurants (Frantzén, Fem Små Hus, Kryp In, Djuret, Den Gyldene Freden among many others) located in this historic part of the city, so are many of the city's best cocktail bars! More good news when it comes to adult beverages is that cocktail culture has really made inroads in Stockholm over the past decade. Gone are the days when a gin & tonic was the most creative thing you could order in a Stockholm bar. Here are some of the best cocktail bars in Gamla Stan:

• Pharmarium- named "best bar" in Stockholm recently by the newspaper Dagens Nyheter. Located in the same building as Stockholm's first apothecary, the cocktails have ingredients that were often used historically for medicinal purposes. Click here to read about my visit here. Location. 
• Tweed- winner of the "best bar" award last year. Cozy, like a London gentleman's club with Chesterfield armchairs and tartan clad walls. Located in the Victory Hotel, which also contains The Burgundy wine bar and newly opened Bottles.
• Mister French- a great restaurant, it also has an equally great cocktail bar with an interior design reminiscent of the Great Gatsby. With its location on the harbor waterfront, it is especially a must-visit during the summer months when they open a great outdoor lounge and bar. My visit.
• Corner Club- same owner as the (Michelin 2 star) restaurant Frantzén across the street, this bar has a nice atmosphere and always a great cocktail menu. Location.
• Le Bar- if Tweed resembles a London gentleman's club, then Le Bar will take you back to turn of the century Paris with its red velvet, gold fringe and chandeliers. Finer dining option in their main restaurant, Le Rouge, otherwise they also have a great bar menu (French dishes, of course!). Location. My report... way back in 2010. 
• Gondolen- although not exactly in Gamla Stan, it is located on the edge and does overlook the old town. Besides the fantastic views, it also has one of Stockholm's classic cocktail bars. My recent visit.

Art deco bar at Mr French.

The above cocktail bars are of the fancier variety. There are also several great pubs and other bars in Gamla Stan to choose from:

• Wirströms- Irish pub and sports bar with live music and a great selection of beers (including both Swedish & international craft beers). Location.
• Ardbeg Embassy- besides being a Swedish restaurant, it is also a pub/bar where you can try 24 Swedish microbrewery beers and around 230 single malt whiskeys. Location.
• Stampen- famous Stockholm pub with live jazz music and eclectic interiors. Location.
• Torget- popular, cozy gay bar... and one of the oldest gay bars in Stockholm. Location. 
• The Liffey- another popular Irish pub and sports bar with live music in the old town! Location.

A fuzzy picture taken at Tweed.

This is all good news if you are staying at the Rival Hotel... Gamla Stan is just a 10 minute walk from the hotel so you don't have to worry about drinking and driving if you want to go bar hopping there. If you are travelling by yourself and want company on your evening of bar hopping, then you might want to try the Stockholm Pub Crawl... a guided crawl of a few pubs in Gamla Stan and Södermalm.

Gamla Stan in the summertime.

The Swedish History Museum - Historiska Museet

Historiska Museet (The Swedish History Museum) is a great and interesting museum but, unfortunately, is often overlooked in favor of more famous Stockholm museums like the Vasa Museum and Skansen. A little strange when you consider that Vikings (featured prominently in the museum) are one of the things, historically, that Sweden is most famous for. Last month I was invited to a special showing of the different exhibitions at Historiska, so it is the perfect opportunity for an update (last time I wrote about the museum was waaay back in 2010 in one of my first posts).

One of several Viking runestones at the museum.

The museum is probably best known for "The Gold Room", an amazing collection of silver and gold artifacts and jewellery from the Middle Ages, Viking period and even earlier. Many of the objects have been found by farmers, buried in their fields. Hoards hidden for one reason or another. The amount is impressive... the Gold Room contains a total of 52 kilograms of gold and 200 kilograms of silver. One my favorite items is the bejeweled Elizabeth reliquary.

Gold!

The Vikings' presence in the museum is not limited to the gold they left behind... there is also an impressive, permanent exhibition at the museum dedicated to our famous ancestors. Here you can learn about Viking culture, history and everyday life. Hopefully you will come away with a better understanding of the Vikings. To start off with, "viking" was actually a profession not a people and while they are most famous for terrorizing Europe, they were more successful as traders and colonizers. Many of the artifacts here come from Birka, the old Viking trading town located just outside Stockholm (and a great place to visit during the summer).

Section of the Viking exhibition,,,

When you consider that the Viking period only stretched for a little more than 250 years, then you understand that Swedish history is more than just the Vikings! The museum has one exhibition which gives a great overview of the history of Sweden from the 11th century until today. Another exhibition that I particularly like looks at medieval art with the majority of objects coming from churches (from Sweden's Catholic past- relics, crucifixes, madonnas and altar pieces).

Medieval art.

Historiska is located in the Östermalm neighborhood. To get there from the Rival Hotel, take the subway to Karlaplan (red line, in the direction of Ropsten). But if you are on the island of Djurgården, visiting the Vasa Museum or Skansen... it is just a short walk to Historiska from there across the Djurgårds Bridge. And if you are interested in history, don't miss the Vasa, Royal Palace, Medieval Museum and Army Museum.

The Swedish History Museum - Historiska Museet

Posted by zlatin

Historiska Museet (The Swedish History Museum) is a great and interesting museum but, unfortunately, is often overlooked in favor of more famous Stockholm museums like the Vasa Museum and Skansen. A little strange when you consider that Vikings (featured prominently in the museum) are one of the things, historically, that Sweden is most famous for. Last month I was invited to a special showing of the different exhibitions at Historiska, so it is the perfect opportunity for an update (last time I wrote about the museum was waaay back in 2010 in one of my first posts).

One of several Viking runestones at the museum.

The museum is probably best known for "The Gold Room", an amazing collection of silver and gold artifacts and jewellery from the Middle Ages, Viking period and even earlier. Many of the objects have been found by farmers, buried in their fields. Hoards hidden for one reason or another. The amount is impressive... the Gold Room contains a total of 52 kilograms of gold and 200 kilograms of silver. One my favorite items is the bejeweled Elizabeth reliquary.

Gold!

The Vikings' presence in the museum is not limited to the gold they left behind... there is also an impressive, permanent exhibition at the museum dedicated to our famous ancestors. Here you can learn about Viking culture, history and everyday life. Hopefully you will come away with a better understanding of the Vikings. To start off with, "viking" was actually a profession not a people and while they are most famous for terrorizing Europe, they were more successful as traders and colonizers. Many of the artifacts here come from Birka, the old Viking trading town located just outside Stockholm (and a great place to visit during the summer).

Section of the Viking exhibition,,,

When you consider that the Viking period only stretched for a little more than 250 years, then you understand that Swedish history is more than just the Vikings! The museum has one exhibition which gives a great overview of the history of Sweden from the 11th century until today. Another exhibition that I particularly like looks at medieval art with the majority of objects coming from churches (from Sweden's Catholic past- relics, crucifixes, madonnas and altar pieces).

Medieval art.

Historiska is located in the Östermalm neighborhood. To get there from the Rival Hotel, take the subway to Karlaplan (red line, in the direction of Ropsten). But if you are on the island of Djurgården, visiting the Vasa Museum or Skansen... it is just a short walk to Historiska from there across the Djurgårds Bridge. And if you are interested in history, don't miss the Vasa, Royal Palace, Medieval Museum and Army Museum.

Restaurant at Fotografiska

The photography museum Fotografiska has been one of my favorite museums in Stockholm since they opened in 2010. Not only for their great exhibitions (Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Henri Cartier-Bresson and David LaChapelle just to name a few of the recent larger ones), but also for the location and space. Since they opened, they have had a café on the third floor of the museum with fantastic views over Stockholm harbor. I have always loved ending my museum visits here with a glass of wine while thinking that it would be a great place for a restaurant.

Well, they have now made it in to a restaurant! And not just any restaurant... under head chef Paul Svensson (past chef at Michelin star restaurants Bon Lloc and F12) it has garnered plenty of attention, rave reviews and was just recently namned by the newspaper DN as the best restaurant in Stockholm in the mid-price category. I was there earlier this week for dinner with my work colleagues. In fact, we were there when they found out that they had won the above mentioned award.

Chefs celebrating their award as best mid-priced restaurant.

The restaurant's concept is to bring fruits and vegetables to the forefront. The menu is split into three categories: cold, warm and sweet (all fruits and/or vegetables, though not necessarily 100% vegetarian). Each of these dishes cost 125 SEK and you can order and mix the dishes how you please. Each evening they have one meat and one fish dish available to order as well. When we were there we had the choice of duck or cod.

The beet dish...

We started with red beets from the Tanus region of France with ramson capers and an oyster emulsion, followed by Amandine potatoes with smoked sour cream and bleak roe. I chose the duck for my main dish as well as roasted celery root with porcini mushrooms and walnuts. We ended our meal with a gooey chocolate cake with caramelized rye and lingon berries. It was all delicious! But to be honest, I think we ordered too much food (as a group). If I were to go there with a friend I would order a few cold and warm vegetable dishes to share between us as well as a meat/fish each.

...and the Amadine potatoe dish.

This is a great way to combine some culture (museum visit) with an evening out. In fact, this has become somewhat of a trend... museums that house good restaurants as well. The Museum of Spirits and, in some part, Moderna Museet being two others on trend. They do still have the café area in case you just want to eat something light with a coffee or drink. Make sure you don't miss the museum which is open every evening until 11pm. Fotografiska is located on the waterfront of the island Södermalm, just a 15-20 minute walk from the Rival Hotel.

Current exhibition: Herb Ritts.

The view from the restaurant during the day.

Restaurant at Fotografiska

Posted by zlatin

The photography museum Fotografiska has been one of my favorite museums in Stockholm since they opened in 2010. Not only for their great exhibitions (Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Henri Cartier-Bresson and David LaChapelle just to name a few of the recent larger ones), but also for the location and space. Since they opened, they have had a café on the third floor of the museum with fantastic views over Stockholm harbor. I have always loved ending my museum visits here with a glass of wine while thinking that it would be a great place for a restaurant.

Well, they have now made it in to a restaurant! And not just any restaurant... under head chef Paul Svensson (past chef at Michelin star restaurants Bon Lloc and F12) it has garnered plenty of attention, rave reviews and was just recently namned by the newspaper DN as the best restaurant in Stockholm in the mid-price category. I was there earlier this week for dinner with my work colleagues. In fact, we were there when they found out that they had won the above mentioned award.

Chefs celebrating their award as best mid-priced restaurant.

The restaurant's concept is to bring fruits and vegetables to the forefront. The menu is split into three categories: cold, warm and sweet (all fruits and/or vegetables, though not necessarily 100% vegetarian). Each of these dishes cost 125 SEK and you can order and mix the dishes how you please. Each evening they have one meat and one fish dish available to order as well. When we were there we had the choice of duck or cod.

The beet dish...

We started with red beets from the Tanus region of France with ramson capers and an oyster emulsion, followed by Amandine potatoes with smoked sour cream and bleak roe. I chose the duck for my main dish as well as roasted celery root with porcini mushrooms and walnuts. We ended our meal with a gooey chocolate cake with caramelized rye and lingon berries. It was all delicious! But to be honest, I think we ordered too much food (as a group). If I were to go there with a friend I would order a few cold and warm vegetable dishes to share between us as well as a meat/fish each.

...and the Amadine potatoe dish.

This is a great way to combine some culture (museum visit) with an evening out. In fact, this has become somewhat of a trend... museums that house good restaurants as well. The Museum of Spirits and, in some part, Moderna Museet being two others on trend. They do still have the café area in case you just want to eat something light with a coffee or drink. Make sure you don't miss the museum which is open every evening until 11pm. Fotografiska is located on the waterfront of the island Södermalm, just a 15-20 minute walk from the Rival Hotel.

Current exhibition: Herb Ritts.

The view from the restaurant during the day.

Gulddraken Awards for Best Restaurants in Stockholm 2015

(Nominee) Mathias Dahlgren Matbaren.
Photo by: Tuukka Ervasti/imagebank.sweden.se

It is that time of the year when several prestigious restaurant guides/awards are announced... like the White Guide, Michelin Guide and Top 50 Restaurants. First up, however, is Gulddraken (the Golden Dragon) which is an annual prize awarded by the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter. The awards are split up into different categories, like luxury, middle, budget. I do love the idea that these awards aren't only for the high-end gourmet restaurants. The winners this year, in each category, are:

• Luxury- Oaxen Krog. This Michelin star restaurant nabbed the award for the second year in a row. Congratulations! The other well deserving nominees were Gastrologik, Ekstedt, Esperanto and Mathias Dahlgren Matbaren. 
• Mid-Price- Fotografiska. This new restaurant, located within the photography museum, has been garnering lots of attention, including this award. Ironically enough, I happened to be eating at the restaurant when the winners were announced (more on that in a coming article). The other nominees were Café Facille, Lilla Ego, Nook and Oaxen Slip.
• Budget- Katarina Ölkafé. It's great that restaurants that don't empty your wallet are given some recognition! The other nominees were Forno Auto, Kalf & Hansen, Phil's Burger and Snack Bar.
• Bar- Pharmarium. A personal favorite in the constellation of Stockholm watering holes. Though it was tough competition with the other nominees... Shibumi, Erlands, Tweed and Metropol Palais. 

Congratulations to all of the winners as well as all of the nominees! Several of the above linked websites are only in Swedish... especially for the budget and bar categories as they cater mainly to Stockholmers. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, stop by and talk to me and I can help you with translating and directions. Click here for past winners of the Gulddraken as well as other guides/awards. 

Gulddraken Awards for Best Restaurants in Stockholm 2015

Posted by zlatin

(Nominee) Mathias Dahlgren Matbaren.
Photo by: Tuukka Ervasti/imagebank.sweden.se

It is that time of the year when several prestigious restaurant guides/awards are announced... like the White Guide, Michelin Guide and Top 50 Restaurants. First up, however, is Gulddraken (the Golden Dragon) which is an annual prize awarded by the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter. The awards are split up into different categories, like luxury, middle, budget. I do love the idea that these awards aren't only for the high-end gourmet restaurants. The winners this year, in each category, are:

• Luxury- Oaxen Krog. This Michelin star restaurant nabbed the award for the second year in a row. Congratulations! The other well deserving nominees were Gastrologik, Ekstedt, Esperanto and Mathias Dahlgren Matbaren. 
• Mid-Price- Fotografiska. This new restaurant, located within the photography museum, has been garnering lots of attention, including this award. Ironically enough, I happened to be eating at the restaurant when the winners were announced (more on that in a coming article). The other nominees were Café Facille, Lilla Ego, Nook and Oaxen Slip.
• Budget- Katarina Ölkafé. It's great that restaurants that don't empty your wallet are given some recognition! The other nominees were Forno Auto, Kalf & Hansen, Phil's Burger and Snack Bar.
• Bar- Pharmarium. A personal favorite in the constellation of Stockholm watering holes. Though it was tough competition with the other nominees... Shibumi, Erlands, Tweed and Metropol Palais. 

Congratulations to all of the winners as well as all of the nominees! Several of the above linked websites are only in Swedish... especially for the budget and bar categories as they cater mainly to Stockholmers. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, stop by and talk to me and I can help you with translating and directions. Click here for past winners of the Gulddraken as well as other guides/awards. 

Winter Inspiration!

Mariatorget Square in front of the Rival Hotel.

I am back from my vacation! I thought I would start back on my blog with some inspirational pictures of a snowy Stockholm... in case you are visiting us this winter season. According to the newspapers and weathermen, it is supposed to be colder than normal this winter (after a warmer than normal December). Though we do know that this is not an exact science! Hopefully this means that we will have snow for a few more weeks. But keep your eye on the weather websites to get accurate forecasts for Stockholm.

Stockholm offers many fun winter activities to try out when visiting the city... everything from skiing and ice skating to sauna with ice-hole swimming. Click here for more information. Strömma offers a great Stockholm Winter boat tour which takes you a bit out in the Stockholm archipelago. Otherwise, one of my favorite things to do is to take a long walk and enjoy how beautiful the city is when covered in snow (like on the island of Djurgården). Just be careful! It can get slippery on the sidewalks.

Winter Inspiration!

Posted by zlatin

Mariatorget Square in front of the Rival Hotel.

I am back from my vacation! I thought I would start back on my blog with some inspirational pictures of a snowy Stockholm... in case you are visiting us this winter season. According to the newspapers and weathermen, it is supposed to be colder than normal this winter (after a warmer than normal December). Though we do know that this is not an exact science! Hopefully this means that we will have snow for a few more weeks. But keep your eye on the weather websites to get accurate forecasts for Stockholm.

Stockholm offers many fun winter activities to try out when visiting the city... everything from skiing and ice skating to sauna with ice-hole swimming. Click here for more information. Strömma offers a great Stockholm Winter boat tour which takes you a bit out in the Stockholm archipelago. Otherwise, one of my favorite things to do is to take a long walk and enjoy how beautiful the city is when covered in snow (like on the island of Djurgården). Just be careful! It can get slippery on the sidewalks.