Stockholm, Sweden

Where to Eat and Drink

• Our first dinner was a drive from city center, but well worth it– Portal – I told the hotel I wanted a cozy, neighborhood spot and that fit the bill.  We were the only Americans in the restaurant (which has been there for 60 years!) and the food while traditional, was interesting and delicious. My son’s only complain was that the portions were too small.
• The second night we treated ourselves (!!!!!) to a 16 course meal at Michelin star Ekstedt, which is was a short walk form our hotel, in a very bougie neighborhood. While it looks very unassuming from the street, once you walk into the cozy front door, you feel as if you were in someone’s home. You take the first two courses in the entry room, the next two courses in the kitchen and the final courses at your table. While 16 courses may seem like a lot, it goes by quickly and you do leave with feeling perfectly satisfied. All food is made by fire– birchwood and smoke and the combinations of foods are remarkable. Another cool fact, every single ingredient comes from Sweden with the exception of a few fish/scallops from Norway and their sourdough starter has been alive and well for 14 years!
• A fun lunch and experience was walking around the Östermalms Saluhall – where there is something for everyone (even pasta which my children were craving). The atmosphere during the holidays was so festive and really just a treat to witness! You can’t go wrong eating at any of the places in the food hall, but a local favorite for Swedish fare is Lisa Elmquist

What to Do

• We had a history walking tour via Viator of the Old City, where the Royal Palace is- interesting, but not necessary. It was so cold, we actually enticed Adam, (our guide) to go in and get a hot toddy or tea to warm up– which we did and he gave us a great history of the city.
• We went to the VASA museum, which has an original Viking ship circa 17th century, it sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. It was truly unbelievable to see, very worth it!
• Our kids were on the hunt for vintage goods and our tour guide suggested going to the island of Södermalm — which is a hipster area. We found the BEST, mainly men’s vintage clothing shop, called Broadway & Sons – they ship to the US, but it’s worth the experience going– the owner, who is the son of the founder sources all the goods himself and the quality is amazing.
• Just down the road from Broadway & Sons is a great home decor shop, I could have literally bought everything in the shop, Brandstationen @brandstationen_store

Here area a list of shops — recommended by a Stockholm native, many of which we didn’t have time to peruse.

• Svensk Tenn @svenskttenn
• Nordiska Galleriet @nordiskagalleriet
• Malmstenbutken @malmstenab
• Konsthantverkarna @konsthantverkarna
• Garbo interiors @garbointeriors
• Mercanti @mercantidesign
• Sjostrom Antik @sjostrom_antik
• Domino Antik @dominostockholm
• Oscar and Clothilde @oscarclothilde
• Palmgrens @palmgrens1896

Inside Scoop

• Stockholm is very sophisticated. The food is incredible– the vibe of the city is sophisticated.
• If I were to do it over, I would have hired a guide to take us to the cool shops of Södermalm vs. the Old City- it was not easy area to navigate– we did have a list of vintage shops my daughter found on Tik Tok- but a lot were more of a miss than a hit!
• Swedish candy is a thing… so find a place (there are everywhere, even in grocery shops) and bring some home!

What to Pack

It was fun to dress up– I wore dresses to dinners and wore jeans and leather pants during the day with sweaters and a fur coat, (vintage, thanks to my mom) hat and mittens. It is COLD in the winter and we walked nonstop, so comfy boots is a must. I love my Penelope Chilvers boots for day and night.