A former industrial district in central Stockholm, Kungsholmen is now very much a residential borough chockablock with hip and happening eateries and drinking establishments frequented by both locals and tourists, thanks to the proliferation of hotels within the neighbourhood.
Keen to dip your culinary toes into its vibrant food and drinks scene? Then head on down to YLCS’s delectable picks to sample the diversity that makes Kungsholmen very much a vibrantly vital inclusion of this living city.
If leisurely indulging in the Swedish love of Fika is your thing, there is no better way to while your morning away than by sipping your coffee at snug Caffè Ugo espressobar at 6 Scheelegatan.
Recommended by White Guide 2017, the leading Nordic restaurant guide that is now expanding beyond the Scandinavian region, the café’s chatty barista is shrewdly adept at brewing the perfect cuppa – wonderfully aromatic, nicely strong and at just the right temperature for your pleasurable first sip; persuasively seducing you to sample its small but equally sumptuous selection of fresh pastries baked traditionally or with wickedly indulgent patisserie’s twists.
You will leave the place determined to return for breakfast the next day and lunch the day after!
But should you wish to combine Fika with work, the perfect place for this combo is Ilcaffé at 17 Bergsgatan.
Often jam packed with people ever so quietly absorbed on their notebooks within its trendy interior, the coffee shop also boasts a spacious picturesquely landscaped courtyard out back where many a business deal has been struck round a table balancing cups of premium French coffee office honchos gently quench down after hearty nibbles of sensibly sweet cinnamon buns.
An almost gastronomic institution in Kungsholmen that requires a table reservation to get in even on a Tuesday evening is Spisa hos Helena at 18 Scheelegatan.
This relaxed smart casual bistro gem has built its reputation on serving Swedish cuisine creatively crafted with high-quality ingredients and an abundance of Mediterranean influences; all beautifully paired with a list of red and white wines that retain their distinct bouquet of flavours after you have taken hearty bites of their signature grilled juicy beef, lamb and chicken, and of their succulent surfs of the seas.
And its hallmark as a fine restaurant is reflected in its sensitivity in tailoring their dishes to your dietary preferences, be it a slant towards veganism or a sleuth of food allergies, while staying ever so mindful of ensuring your yum experience; making it a great place for dining with diverse friends and family.
For a romantic candle-lit dinner for two, book the Tabbouli Libanesisk Bar & Kök at 39 Norra Agnegatan.
Your lovey-dovey desires are sensually enhanced by sharing its eclectic Tasting Menu of 16 Lebanese hot and cold plates of tasty nibbles with an equally herbed and spiced mixed grill platter; all authentically cooked with the freshest ingredients.
Let cupid jazz it up further by lending your ear to the sommelier on the best wines from Lebanon to go with the intoxicating layers of exotic aromatics seasoning the diversity of dishes the restaurant has already winsomely selected for you.
When you have cause to celebrate; be it a wedding anniversary, a well deserved job promotion or a 30th birthday; Stadshusrestauranger in the City Hall of Stockholm at 1 Hantverkargatan rises up beautifully to the occasion.
Responsible for all culinary activities in the City Hall; from banquets and gala events in the Blue Hall and the Golden Hall to the public restaurants Ragnars Skafferi and Stadshuskällaren; including the food at the yearly Nobel Banquet in Stockholm, this dining establishment crafts amazing genuinely traditional Swedish dishes, with its Chef of the Year-winner and Nobel Chef Andreas Hedlund creating its new Swedish contemporary food.
Bookings are essential even if you desire a couple’s tete-a-tete over new Nordic cuisine at Stadshuskällaren. More so if you wish to wine and dine on the menu served at this year’s Nobel Banquet!
And what better way is there to end an evening than a nightcap or two on your Friday or weekend out?
Well if it means knocking down some beers in a rustic joint playing Eritrean music in the background, then restaurant Jebena in Kungsklippan is just the place to chill out.
Frequented by African and Ethiopian residents in Stockholm for its Eritrean specialist eats, its relaxed atmosphere in the cave-like passageway to Rådhuset train station is personified by the friendly wait staff who are most happy to share its house beer special – an Eritrean brew that is to this day still partaken by royalty in Ethiopia.
For a more sophisticated setting and a wider selection of Swedish and American craft beers – along with a dazzling array of newly concocted cocktails, the standard hard liquors and a wide assortment of wines and bubblies – is more your thing, get out of the Rådhuset station and straight into the Tap Room at 31 Kungsholmsgatan.
Attached to the Clarion Hotel Amaranten, the cocktail bar is the new on-trend place to see and be seen. Always vibrant with people comfortable with its posh yet welcoming atmosphere, it draws the crowds with its great DJ-curated piped-in trendy music, rich tasty drinks and small helpings of seasonal bar food equally pumped up in flavour.
If you seek a happy marriage between what Jebena and Tap Room offer minus the music, merrily trip on down to Wijnjas Ost & Vinkällare at 3 Scheelegatan for conversation with close friends over a glass of wine or two.
Nestled within a cozy basement, the cellar serves up with a refine yet rustic spirit a wide collection of cheeses to accompany its impressive stock of wines, with wait staff ever so eager to suggest excellent pairings of vineyard vintages to its splendid range of cold cuts and pickles as well.
Photo credits: The respective eateries, YouTube, thatsup.se, thatsup.co and Wai Lin Coultas
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