It’s a great experience to be shown around a city by a local. The first thing Jimmy Guo, an editor and stylist at Bon magazine (and my guide), did was take me to Wienercaféet for a delicious Swedish smörgåsbord featuring prawns and pickles, topped off with a cinnamon bun and a strong Swedish coffee, which I cannot recommend highly enough.
Winercaféet is on Biblioteksgatan, where high-street brands such as Cos and Urban Outfitters rub shoulders with luxury brands such as Prada and Louis Vuitton. Soon after, I found myself intoxicated by the beautiful bottles and amazing scents at Byredo, a luxury Swedish perfume maker.
Around the corner at Antikt, Gammalt & Nytt – a delightfully kitsch vintage shop – I picked up a pair of sunglasses that fit right in with my style. Next up was the Acne shop on Norrmalmstorg. In 1973, when the building was used as a bank, it was the scene of a robbery that became a hostage situation. The hostages became attached to their captors, giving rise to the term “Stockholm syndrome”. I bought two beautiful scarves on sale, then headed to the NK department store – Sweden’s answer to Selfridges.
I think a country’s food says a lot about its culture, so I made for the food hall on the lower ground floor, where the latest health trends – lots of raw food and freshly squeezed juices – were in evidence. Stockholm has really picked up on and perfected international cuisines in the past few years.
Dinner at Prinsen, a traditional Swedish restaurant – with the best pickled herring, meatballs and wallenbergare (a typical Stockholm dish of ground veal) in town – was delightful. Make sure you pay a visit, especially if you haven’t tried herring.
A karaoke session at K Karaoke with Jimmy’s friends topped the day off. It was so much fun and the music, including Abba and The Cardigans, brought everyone together. It’s incredible to think that so many talented songwriters, including Max Martin and Shellback, are Swedish.
Day two
After a continental buffet breakfast at the Story Hotel, where I stayed for the weekend, we headed out into the freezing cold to grab a Swedish “fika” – the local term for meeting up to share coffee and cake – at Café Linné. The next stop? The Utopian Bodies at Liljevalchs art gallery, which was the best exhibition I have seen this year. It was fascinating: each room has a certain message about the politics of fashion, not just a collection of the best designers.
One room was covered in cream roses, made out of paper, coupled with white and cream coloured garments. I would definitely recommend it, even to people who are not that into the world of high fashion.
In the evening we made our way from Östermalm to Södermalm – often referred to as Stockholm’s answer to Brooklyn – where we had dinner and drinks at Bleck, a great little restaurant set in the park Blecktornsparken. On my hunt for all things Swedish, I picked the most Swedish-sounding starter – cured elk. It had a strong and delicate flavour, much like a beef carpaccio. Jimmy opted for smoked trout with roe on top. We then shared a main of mussels and fries. I left feeling as if I’d tried a perfect modern take on traditional Swedish food. Sweden has this image of being expensive, but I think it’s wrong: being from London I think it’s about the same. Two courses, with two glasses of wine ended up at £40, which is about what you’d expect to pay where I’m from.
The night continued with drinks at Riche, a Stockholm establishment where you’ll find a mixed crowd of all ages. I have to say that this place is truly amazing and its interior is out of this world. After a couple of glasses of wine, Jimmy’s friends picked us up to go to Under Bron, a club that reminded me of the best kind of warehouse rave – except that it also has a restaurant that opens at midnight.
Day three
My third and last day in Stockholm started with a walk to the Moderna Museet, home to one of Europe’s top collections of modern art, located on Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm. The walk here is beautiful, passing the royal palace and the Royal Dramatic theatre before reaching the bridge to the island of Skeppsholmen. The one thing you notice at the Moderna Museet is the number of families bringing their children to see such an amazing collection of art, which I don’t think happens often enough in London.
I ended the day with the local’s favourite hangover cure: steak tartar. Jimmy and I went back to Riche to sample theirs. It comes with horseradish and delicious chips and, best of all, it very much did the job in terms of bringing me back to life.
So, can I say anything more to recommend Stockholm? Yes: I’m already checking my weekend schedules in order to figure out just how soon I can visit again.
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