GAMLA STAN

If Östermalm is the heart of Stockholm, Gamla Stan is its soul. Translating directly to ‘Old Town,’ Gamla Stan takes up the islands of Stadsholmen and Riddarholmen in between Östermalm and Södermalm. This happened to be the neighborhood where Emma and I rented a quaint little apartment off a bustling street and above a strip of bars that kept us on our toes daily. The sound of hundreds of beer bottles clamoring from the dumpster to the recycling truck at 7AM sharp on the weekends will forever be engrained in our minds, nonetheless reflecting how happening this part of town has become. While my memory of Gamla Stan will forever include their soft serves and tourist shops full of Viking memorabilia, the month we got to spend residing there this summer has expanded what I knew to be possible for the island community. Below you’ll find a travel guide to some of our favorite places to eat, drink, shop, and celebrate in Gamla Stan.

FOOD

Bistro Marie

A hip, cozy, and up-and-coming bistro that blends traditional Swedish cuisine with a French way of preparation. Their steak frites, halibut, and meatball dishes are impeccable, and they unsurprisingly have a great wine selection.

Restaurang Agaton

This is a delicious Italian restaurant with a menu full of traditional dishes and an ambiance created by an abundance of lit candles and red checkered tablecloths. Emma and I ordered hot chocolates for dessert and got major side-eye from a German family sitting next to us – I’ll add that it was well worth any social backlash.

Järnet Restaurant & Bar

Jarnet had the best bread & butter and natural wine I’ve ever had. The service, atmosphere, and food made this place exactly what you’d expect a Stockholm restaurant to be like. Fuss-free, captivating, and swanky all at the same time.

Restaurant Portofino

Our Mormor and Morfar took us here the first night we got to Stockholm. This is a pretty trendy spot from how the crowd seemed to be full of Scandinavian influencers, and rightfully so based on how good our meals were.

Nystekt Strömmingsvagnen

A must-see place when in Stockholm. This hole-in-the-wall spot serves up many different iterations of one of Sweden’s most famous dishes, fried strömming!

Café Järntorget

Last but certainly not least, our beloved Café Järntorget. This is where we would always stop as a family to get a soft serve with rainbow sprinkles on top whenever we’d stop in Stockholm after spending a few weeks of the summer with Mormor and Morfar. They’ve come a long way since then, and have expanded their offerings to include bubble waffle cones. I tried the Oreo and Emma the Nutella and it hit the spot.

DRINKS & NIGHTLIFE

The Liffey

You know a pub is authentic when there are signs everywhere announcing a ban on wearing jerseys or team colors inside the premise. That’s just what The Liffey is – a casual hangout place for a drink and some fries that happen to have karaoke on Friday nights.

Stampen

The history behind this place is remarkable. According to its website, the jazz and rhytmn’n’blues bar was converted throughout its lifetime from a church to a pawn shop to what it is now. The vibes are immaculate when at this place.

Any of the bars along Kornhamnstorg

The Temple Bar, The Secret Garden, and the Englen: a trio if I’ve ever seen one. We tried them all and can deduce that they each have their own distinct personality and perfect occasions to visit despite being on the same block. The Temple Bar is awesome for a casual drink and snack (the snacks bowl is killer!!). The Secret Garden is one of Stockholm’s best gay bars since 2014 and is so fun that it basically turns into a nightclub by dusk. And last but certainly not least, the Englen has great live music and a wide selection of ciders to choose from.

THINGS TO DO

• Pop into Hilda Hilda to see some of the cutest hand-crafted and designed textiles
• Walk around Stortorget, the oldest square in Stockholm and home to the famous pair of red and orange houses
• While in Stortorget walk over to Stockholm Stadsmission for great antique and designer finds – I got a vintage Hermès scarf there for only $80
• See the Royal Castle grounds and guards perform their traditional changing of the guard sequence
• You guessed it – ANOTHER BAR CRAWL! We did this with Fabio around Gamla Stan and it was so much fun.
• Window shop along the tourist-packed streets of Västerlånggatan and Prästgatan; you may end up walking out with a Viking hat and an ‘I ❤ Swedish Boys’ t-shirt
• Wander down the alleys – there’s so much beauty to be found

💘 Hanna