
#WhenIn Stockholm
Stockholm is an old and very beautiful Scandinavian city with a uniquely idyllic and calm feel to it. There is much to take in, and from Skeppsholmen, our amazing gem of an island in the middle of the city, we experienced a wonderful tranquility with stunning views, crisp air, and just amazing Swedish food…
Where to stay:
Hotel Skeppsholmen is located on the peaceful and lush island of Skeppsholmen, connected to the city via the charming bridge Skeppsholmsbron. The buildings, which date back to 1699, have been charmingly decorated in adept Scandinavian fashion (and you can tell that the rooms were designed with attention to detail and good old Scandinavian common sense). The hotel is right on the waterfront and has great views, very delicious food, and exceptional service (the staff seems very warm and comfortable with each other, which creates a homey, yet attentive and professional, atmosphere).



How to get around:
Walk, Uber, or take DriveNow around. Stockholm is a very beautiful city and should definitely be experienced by foot, but if those feet get tired, you’re in luck because Stockholm has some of the best UberX cars I’ve ever ridden (at least we hit the jackpot with super comfortable, high-end cars — it seems the nice Mercedes taxis are also allowed to take on Uber rides). Train tickets to and from the airport are rather expensive on the other hand, so it makes sense to take a DriveNow into town (you’ll have to download the app and set up a profile of course).



Where to eat:
Breakfast:
Restaurant Långa Raden at Hotel Skeppsholmen serves an absolutely fantastic breakfast with a truly delicious selection of breads, eggs & bacon, organic juices, and freshly brewed coffee and tea. Here, I reeeally look forward to breakfast each morning, and I never quite want to leave the breakfast table.

Greasy Spoon in Södermalm makes really great Eggs Benedicts and many other breakfast plates. The wait can be long, as many locals come here for breakfast and brunch, but you can always write your name down and then go for a walk in the neighborhood (and see Katarina Church on the hill for example) while you wait.
Lunch:
Restaurang Ebenist in Gamla Stan serves some tasty Swedish meatballs, a mean duck confit, and an interesting reindeer tartare. Their food is very good, and they have an interesting wine cellar as well.

Dinner:
Restaurang Kryp In in Gamla Stan is a great restaurant, tucked away in one of Gamla Stan’s charming little alleys. The atmosphere is very cozy, the food is really tasty, and the staff is super attentive.

Restaurant Långa Raden at Hotel Skeppsholmen is so superior with their breakfast, so we had to try their dinner as well. Of course, the food is great, the service is great, everything is great. Even their middle-of-the-night room service menu is great — jeez, these people…


What to eat:
Swedish köttbullar. I was, in fact, arduously hunting down the best Swedish meatballs in town and ordered it as often as I could (all in the name of research).

Reindeer is quite the thing in Stockholm (and I kinda had to make an effort to ignore images of Rudolph while eating it the first few times), but it helps that reindeer roastbeef (a slightly gamy but not nearly as much as I imagined) is some of the most tender meat to eat, and it is really delicious with red wine sauce and chanterelles.

Fjällrödingfilé (crispy arctic char fillet) is something the Swedish do very well. It is a salmon-looking fish that tastes extremely good, especially with boiled baby potatoes, cream sauce, and greens.

What to do:
Walk around in Gamla Stan and admire the charming old houses and colorful alleys. Despite the occasional tourist groups walking around, these streets and alleys remain surprisingly quiet and idyllic.



What not to do:
Don’t spend too much time on Drottninggatan, the main shopping street in Stockholm. It looks like so many other main shopping streets in the world, featuring the same brands and the same types of stores. Instead, lose yourself in the lovely alleys in Gamla Stan, walk around in. Södermalm or along the water, or better yet, spend a lovely afternoon in Skeppsholmen and have some Swedish meatballs.

