When it comes to the Nordics, Copenhagen is my favourite city, but Stockholm still has a lot to offer. It’s beautiful, clean, and easy to explore by foot (or e-scooter). I must have visited 30+ times now for work but always try to get out and explore when I have the chance. I like the way the city is spread across a chain of islands, meaning you are always close to the water. Everybody in Stockholm speaks perfect English (more clearer than a lot of people at home). Like the rest of the Nordics it is incredibly expensive.
📝 Getting a taxi from the airport to town is a fixed price of 695 SEK (around £55) or 320 SEK (around £25) for the train, so if you aren’t by yourself you might as well get a taxi.
📝 This is important – If you are using taxis only use Uber/Bolt, or Stockholm Taxis. DO NOT use any other taxi company. Always look for the Stockholm Taxis logo. All the other taxi companies rip you off massively. I’m not even sure how it’s legal.
📝 Stockholm has a lot of cool cocktail bars. Here are a few to checkout; A Bar Called Gemma, Pharmarium, Tjoget.
📝 Try not to think about the price too much and worry about it when you get home. It is what it is.
📝 As stereotypical as it is, meatballs with mash potato and lingon berries is my favourite dish and I always try and eat it at least once when I’m over.
📝 Like the rest of the Nordics they also have great hot dogs. Even the ones at 7-Eleven are above average.
📝 Also if you are travelling by boat I recommend using ferryhopper.com to book your tickets.
1. Sturehof
This buzzing restaurant is the place to come for seafood. It’s open every day of the week from 11:00 to 02:00 in the morning. It’s a large space with a number of different areas; the outside bar at the front, the O-bar in the back, as well as the large restaurant area. Sturehof has a very classy feel to it without being stuffy at all. As well as seafood they also do all the Swedish classics very well.
2. Tennstopet
As you can tell by now I’ve got a thing for traditional Swedish restaurants that serve all the classics. Tennstopet ticks that box. Having served hungry and thirsty customers for more than 150 years (initially at a different location), Tennstopet is still going strong. The menu changes with the season but a lot of the classics, such as the meatballs remain all through the year. They also have a number of tables outside if you are visiting in summer.
3. Bruno’s Korvbar
A great hotdog stand with three locations across the city. The most popular item here is their Kabanoss; long thin, beef and pork sausages seasoned with pepper and a lot of garlic, cut in half and stuffed into a hollowed out toasted bread roll with sauerkraut, chilli, ketchup and mustard. Unreal.
4. Gunter’s
One of the first things I do whenever I get to the Nordics is grab a hotdog. Denmark, Norway and Sweden make some of the best hotdogs in the world. Neighbourhood favourite, Günter’s, serves twenty-four varieties of sausage, including Argentinian chorizo, German wurst, and the most popular, Kabanoss (the one in the photo). They break two of these foot-long sausages in half and put them in a crusty white roll with a mixture of sauces and relish. Incredible.
5. Operabaren
The restaurant/bar within the Royal Opera House has been serving opera goers since 1905. The decor has been perfectly preserved. On one side you have a sit-down restaurant, and on the other, a slightly more casual bar area you can grab a stool and still order the same beautiful dishes. Well worth a visit for the classics.
6. Babette
A cool neighborhood Italian restaurant that serving some of the best pizzas in town as well as a menu of daily changing small plates.
7. Prinsen
A Stockholm institution since 1897. The menu is traditionally Swedish. Most people come to Prinsen for the meatballs but a couple of other favourites is their Biff Rydberg (beef and potatoes) and Wallenbergare (warm salad of shrimp and vegetables). The beautiful interior reminds you of times gone by. The service is great too.
8. Lillesbrors Bageri
It’s a shame they don’t have any indoor seating in a country your hands are already freezing in October, but definitely one of the top bakeries in Stockholm. If available try the Krämbullen (cream bun) for Autumn only (finishes on 6 November). It’s basically a doughnut stuffed with cardamom cream. Basically a Swedish tasting cream doughnut. So good. The cinnamon croissant and classic cardamom bun are great here too.
9. Kvarnen
Kvarnen (est 1908) is known as Stockholm’s oldest beer halls, but people are also here for the food. Expect all the traditional Swedish fare such as meatballs, herring and black pudding, served with great draft beers. I love the checkered floors and bar here.
10. Restaurang AG
Currently ranked 9th best steaks restaurant in the world. The steak is so good it’ll make a vegetarian reconsider. We went for the 50-day aged ex-Swedish dairy cow t-bone which had serious marbling and serious flavour. We asked for medium rare. It came rare but we had no complains. It comes with a baked potato, grilled tomatoes & bernaise as well as bread & lard to start. They make a serious dirty martini too.
11. Främmat
A French-inspired restaurant near Tennstopet. I tried the red prawns on grilled corn & bernaise, crispy chicken skin with roe (which seems to be one of the most popular items), octopus pasta and chocolate flan. All the food was great. The place has a really cool vibe too.
12. Premium Grill
You can’t beat a good Swedish hotdog stand. Bruno’s and Gunter’s might be the most well known in the city but don’t sleep on Premium Grill. The owner is half Sicilian, half Cypriot. The hot dog stand has been in his family for over seventy years with his father being the being the original owner. Like the top hotdog stands in the city they have their own sausages made specifically for them – I counted about fifteen different sausages on the menu. I was recommend to try the sremska (a Serbian sausage) which came in a crusty bread roll with majonnäsgurka (a special type of house mayo) & sauerkraut. On top of that they also do an incredible smash burger which was one of the best burgers I’ve had in a good while. The fires were on point too. I also had to try the tunnbrödsrulle – a flatbread filled with kabanoss sausage, mayo, mashed potato, fried onions, raw onions, shrimp salad, tomato and lettuce. It sounds pretty ridiculous but it tastes amazing.
13. Flippin’ Burgers
Stockholm has a lot of good burger spots but this is my favourite. Try the Cricket Burger with cream cheese, jalapeños, caramelised and pickled red onions which is a tribute to the famous burger at Cherry Cricket in Denver (a great dive bar serving great burgers if you’re ever in Denver). They now have two locations in the city.
14. 800 Grader Pizza Södermalm
Super thin and crispy bases. This location in Södermalm just sell NY-style pizza by the slice but their original location in Odenplan make more of a Neapolitan-style whole pie. I know there’s a lot of average NY-style pizza spots popping-up in Europe these days but this spot is legit. Well worth adding to your Stockholm hit-list.
15. Stora Bageriet
A modern bakery located in the former building of a 300-year-old bakery. I love a Swedish bakery, and the good ones, like this, do the classics very well, but they all tend to play it safe compared to the more experimental Copenhagen bakeries. Try the Giffel (like a cinnamon bun), cardamom bun and croissant.
16. Nystekt Stromming
A famous fried fish stand on the waterfront. Despite offering traditional Swedish street food, it’s actually run by Egyptians. This is the spot to come to try herring in multiple variations.
17. Brisket & Friends
Go for some legit Texas-style bbq in Stockholm. As soon as I saw the chef plating up I knew this place was going to be good. All the meats were ok point. The sides were authentic too – no fries here: Great beers on tap. Thanks for the hospitality Ludvig.
18. Pelikan
Another Swedish beer hall serving classic Swedish dishes. Great to go in a group.
19. Nyhetsgrillen
Another great grillen run by a very friendly Syrian man called Jan for the past twenty years. They also have a little inside area if it’s too cold to eat outside. The tunnbrödsrulle is really popular here.
20. Tjoget
The restaurant is split into two areas; a cocktail bar at the front and a dining room at the back. Both incredibly cool. The cocktail bar has been known to make it’s way onto the 50 Best Bars list. I highly recommend the ‘friends with benefits’. I’d describe the food as Middle-Eastern influenced small plates. All the dishes were really nice. A great spot for dinner and/or drinks.
21. La Neta
Stockholm’s answer to Hija de Sanchez. La Neta are serving up some pretty legit tacos for a Nordic country. The bistec was probably my favourite. The corn tortillas were fresh and lightly toasted. I didn’t rate the Al Pastor that much – I don’t like it when I’m not seeing it spinning round and carved in front of me, or when it comes in little chunks instead of thinly sliced ribbons. It’s around £10 for 5 tacos in a country that’s known for higher prices than the UK, which shows how fucked we are in London paying £4-£5 a taco.
22. Socker Sucker
Another great bakery, famous for their croissant cubes.
23. Ekstedt
A Michelin-starred restaurant offering new Nordic cuisine cooked with ancient Nordic techniques from celebrity chef Niklas Ekstedt. Everything is cooked on open fire. If you are lucky they will give you a tour of the kitchen during the meal. You’ll need to book quite far ahead of time. It’s an amazing experience and well worth splashing out for. The service is amazing too.
24. Amida Kolgrill
The spot to come for Turkish kebabs and a favourite of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. All the kebabs i’ve tried here have been great. They currently have two locations with a third on the way.
25. Max Burgers
Stockholm is not a late city. A lot of restaurants close as early at 21:00. Max Burgers (the Swedish version of McDonald’s that’s actually more popular than McDonald’s here) is however, open until 03:00, so always a good option when you arrive in the city late and need a quick bite. Max is not only Sweden’s favourite hamburger restaurant chain, it’s also one of the first. Max opened its first store in 1968 high-up in the northern part of Sweden then expanded south. McDonald’s didn’t arrive until 1973. This was the Frisco Cheese & Jalapeño. The beef is a little burger van vibe but it undoubtedly hits the spot. Decent bun. The fries are crispy and Max original sauce is a must. As far as fast-food chains go, Max ranks highly for me. Respect to the Swedes.
James Dimitri 