Where to Eat and Stay in Stockholm

The Swedish capital is home to a heady mix of food halls, pop-ups, and Michelin-starred restaurants, with a smorgasbord of traditional and modern takes on national classics thrown in for good measure.

The same sense of change can be felt in the city’s hotels, with stately classics now being challenged by converted townhouses, sprightly boutiques, and edgy art openings. All of this means there’s never been a better time to visit. Here’s our set of picks on where to eat and stay in Stockholm to make your time here a truly memorable one.

Luxury in Stockholm

If there’s one Stockholm restaurant that’s a must for discerning foodies, it’s Ekstedt. Don’t expect a staid Michelin-starred perfection-fest - this is a place that’s refreshingly rough around the edges. Chef and owner Niklas Ekstedt is all about cooking raw ingredients over open fires in wood-fired ovens and fire pits fueled with local birch branches.

Menus are short but intense with dishes like seared langoustine, pine smoked mussels, halibut, and a dessert of baked almond cake. Reservations are completely essential for one of Europe’s most original dining experiences and one of the best restaurants in Stockholm.

The same sense of style and originality pervades Ett Hem – a red-brick townhouse in Larkstaden that blurs the line between high-end hotel and luxury B&B. There’s a library to borrow from, wine in the fridge, and cozy seating to snuggle up in.

The owners and staff encourage you to treat the elegantly furnished hotel like your home, and with only a dozen rooms, even the communal courtyard garden feels like your own private place in the city.

Time for Fika

If one of the things pulling you to Stockholm is the ABBA Museum (dedicated to the Swedish pop superstars), then you’ll probably want to stay at the Hotel Rival, owned by the group’s Benny Andersson. The location alone is great, set in a picturesque Sodermalm square only a short stroll from the old town.

A converted theater that retains countless nods to its previous incarnation, Hotel Rival is a boutique hotel with a clear sense of fun. There’s a great selection of bistros, bars, and lounge areas, while breakfast is served around the clock. In the bistro, you’ll find some great updates on Swedish classics including smoked reindeer carpaccio, shrimp and roe on toast, and Swedish bouillabaisse.

Make time to try the Swedish tradition of ‘fika’ – it’s about making time for yourself in the day to relax, enjoy a good cup of coffee, with cake or pastries as the essential components. Take your pick from the countless cafes in the city, although Café Pascal is highly recommended. Alternatively, try Green Rabbit – opened by three-Michelin-starred chef Mathias Dahlgren, it serves up incredible rye bread, specialty cakes, and pastries.

Gluten-Free Stockholm

Stockholm is extremely forward-thinking when it comes to catering for those with dietary restrictions. There are options aplenty, and restaurants are keen to create dishes suitable for all while keeping clear of cross-contamination. Look out for these key phrases and words on menus:

• Glutenfritt and glutenfria both mean “gluten-free”
• Glutenintolerans means “gluten intolerance”

The city’s bakeries may be minefields for many, but not Friends of Adam on Hornsulls Strand, which is completely wheat and gluten-free. There’s a really good range of cakes, pastries, and breads here to sample. There’s also a separate gluten-free kitchen at Under Kastanjen, which combines a breakfast spot, a bakery that’s ideal for wheat-free fika, and an evening bistro serving up delicious meatballs with lingonberries. They promise that almost everything they offer can be prepared without gluten or lactose.

All Aboard

Got your sea legs? For a completely different kind of stay with nautical novelty, check into the Malardrottningen boat hotel. Far more than just a gimmick, this is a long-established hotel, opened in 1982 on a boat built in 1924, which you’ll find in the harbor at Riddarholmen.

Cabins vary in size, but all provide a great view of Gamla Stan, the city’s Old Town, which is just a short walk away, giving the Malardrottingen bonus points for location. Stretch for The Owner’s Cabin and you’ll have oodles of space to enjoy, along with your own furnished balcony. The rooftop bar is ideal for sunny day drinks with a view to treasure.

If you’ve got the taste for the sea, bag a table at Wedholms Fisk, one of the city’s best seafood and shellfish restaurants. The treasures of the Baltic Sea are treated royally here, and there’s a real freshness to smoked fillet of char and herring with quail’s eggs. There are several entrée options for all the fish on their menu – monkfish, scallops, salmon, turbot, tiger prawns and sole. There’s also a shellfish menu in season, with a platter festooned with oysters, langoustines and more kept fresh with ice.

Nautical Nordic

Hotel J has a nautical feel – even though it’s back on dry land. The interior is snug, filled with open fires and candles. Grab a room with a balcony and the view is blissful. Its sister eatery, Restaurant J, performs a similar trick to the hotel, effortlessly melding Swedish style with American classics. Crab cakes come with amarillo mayonnaise, there’s a fine burger and moreish chicken wings, but also cured salmon, char with fennel, and braised ox cheek with smoked rosemary gravy.

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