Tuesday 25 November 2014

Flo's Weekender: Stockholm

Stockholm is perfect for a weekend away. There are lots of wonderful things to see (such as the incredible Vasa Museum), but not so many that you feel under pressure. 

Just be careful you don't fly into Skavsta 'Stockolm' airport since it is NOT IN STOCKHOLM and could take many valuable hours away from your trip... 


Stockholm is lovely to stroll around and get into the Fika fix culture (who doesn't love coffee and cake?!). The old part is full of charming cobbled streets and historical buildings, and the newer bit around Sodermalm comes alive in the evening and is full of little speakeasies and bars.








We stayed in a Sodermalm Air BnB which was very reasonably priced and right next to fantastic cafes such as Il Caffe and Urban Deli. Il Caffe makes wonderful coffee and the most incredible Cardamon pastries that were so good I had to take a load home for everyone to try. 


Urban Deli



I never took a picture of the cardamon buns as they were so good I ate them within seconds but here is a picture of the cinnamon bun - also delicious!

In terms of where is best to eat, we found the Michelin starred place we tried - Matbaren - disappointing. Stockholm is already very expensive and so any where with a Michelin star is extortionate by my standards and although it was interesting, the food just wasn't up to the standard of other (cheaper) Michelin starred restaurants I have been to. 

We really enjoyed the more casual eateries we found, especially Meatballs for the People, where you can get all sorts of meatballs in different sauces with loganberries and other Swedish condiments. 








While we were there I also found a couple of shops I really loved. The first - Whyred - I stumbled upon by chance and found this beautiful cut-out dress that I fell in love with. They do men's and women's and have beautifully tailored and textured garments for what I would consider reasonable prices given the quality.





My dress!

The second shop is Grandpa in Sodermalm. Another men's and women's shop, this boutique showcases a lot of Swedish designers alongside quirky design pieces and stationery






If you are looking for more things to buy out there, there are of course lots of beautiful design shops, but a lot of the Swedish mainstream brands - & Other Stories, H&M and Monki - are the same price in London. Acne is however considerably cheaper so I stocked up on my favourite cut, and for guys, Eton shirts are quite a bit cheaper and such fantastic quality it is worth getting some, along with Sandqvist back packs. 

For a map with all my recommendations on it, click here, and for guide (consisting of my collection of articles, blog posts, recommendations etc) here.