The CSH Travel Guide: Stockholm

So here’s my (winter) travel guide to Stockholm – a sort of alternative guide to the city, off the tourist-trail – featuring design shops, art galleries, independent boutiques and of course, some of the best coffee shops in the city.

We went last weekend, myself for the Stockholm Furniture Fair, and O joined in for the ride. It snowed relentlessly for the whole weekend, but that didn’t stop us enjoying ourselves and exploring the city. The last time I went to Stockholm was in the summer, about five years ago, when the sun was shining and the sky was blue. This time it couldn’t have been more different, but the city was still as beautiful as ever, with snow-topped roofs and softly glowing candles in all the shops and cafes.

Below I’ve listed Places to See, Places to Shop and Places to Eat, all highlighted on a handy map made with Jauntful. See the printable, pocket-sized map here.

PLACES TO SEE

The little red houses, Master Pers Grand, Sodermalm.

We trekked a little past all the shops and cafes to what seemed like remotest Sweden, but was in fact, central Sodermalm. Here they still have some of the traditional red houses (you can see more in the open-air museum Skansen), they have electricity but no running water. This cute window caught my eye.

Walk along the water and the Fotografiska Museum, Stadsgårdshamnen 22

A brisk walk along the riverside brought us to the photography museum. They have some of the best photography exhibitions I’ve seen there, when we went there was a great exhibition of Herb Ritts work. Don’t forget to stop and have a drink at their cafe; it has some of the best views across the water to the rest of the city.

 

Moderna Museet, Exercisplan 4

A must-visit art gallery, they have a great design shop too.

Gamla Stan

Wander around the old town and soak up the atmosphere, spotting the house-shaped post boxes along the way. There’s small design shops selling contemporary design as well as traditional crafts. I recommend Iris Hantverk and E.Torndahl for homeware.

     

PLACES TO SHOP

Grandpa, Södermannagatan 21

A lovely boutique selling womenswear and menswear, along with quirky homeware and some vintage goods in the basement.

House of Rym, Hornsgatan 73

I was so excited to visit this shop, we ended up going 5 minutes before it closed, cue me walking around like a madwoman, wanting to buy everything! They sell lovely patterned cups and saucers, beautiful prints, posters and notebooks as well as cosy blankets.

Acne Studios, Norrmalmstorg 2

A must-visit to this cooler-than-cool store, even just to browse and look at the gorgeous staff.

Nitty Gritty, Krukmakargatan 26

A very cool boutique, there’s one store for menswear and one for womenswear, they sell Isabel Marant and Byredo perfume, while the mens store has a hair salon.

PLACES TO EAT

Il Caffe, Södermannagatan 23

A great cafe for very good coffee and a traditional cinnamon bun. There’s a florist attached as well as a Fabrique bakery.

Pom & Flora, Bondegatan 64

This was by far the best breakfast we had in Stockholm, let alone anywhere else. There’s a set formula with meats and cheeses, breads and scones, yoghurt and granola, fresh orange juice and tea or coffee, plus boiled eggs, grapefruit salad or avocado if you wish.

Snickarbacken 7, Snickarbacken 7

This is both a concept shop, selling clothing and homeware, and a great place for tea and coffee. It’s really cosy, with candles on every table. The perfect place to warm up.

Drop Coffee, Wollmar Yxkullsgatan 10

This is where you go if you really know your thing about coffee or if you want to. This is serious coffee.

Pelikan restaurant, Blekingegatan 40

We had a lovely dinner here on the second night, it’s situated in a old wood panelled hall and serves fairly traditional Swedish food. We had salmon with almond and dill potatoes, and meatballs, it was really good, a hell of a lot better than IKEA!

And that’s it! Hope you enjoyed my snowy guide to Stockholm!

all images my own