The Stockholmtown Blog

Images: Johanna Nilsson
A small urban foodhall has just opened in SoFo on Södermalm island. The new food hall has a really interesting concept. Its a restaurant, bar and foodhall all in one.

My colleague Johanna just loved the place because the entire food hall is one open space and you could sit there for a long time sipping on a glass of red and see people walking in and out of the Nytorget Urban Deli.


These kind of mini foodhall/ delis seems to be a new trend in Stockholm. Last week I enjoyed a lunch in Hammarby Sjöstad area in Stockholm at Fine Food deli and restaurant. Really nice

The Central station is getting bigger, airier and lighter. It will be easier for you to go between different floors, different platforms and different methods of transport. The station will also house a wider range of stores, cafes, restaurants and services, including pharmacies, grocery stores and delicatessens. Everything you need when you are travelling.

The people at the central station promises todo everything they can to make life as easy and trouble-free as possible for all of you coming to the station while the renovation is taking place. There may be times when it is quite messy, with temporary footpaths and cordoned-off areas. To keep disruptions to a minimum, we are also going to be working at night.

Stockholm’s Central Station was opened in July 1871. Back then, 518 passengers travelled on ten trains to and from the station. Now, almost 140 years later, more than 200,000 passengers travel on more than 1,000 trains every day. This is why we are renovating and expanding Central Station to meet tomorrow’s travel needs. We are going to keep the characteristics of the historic building, while creating a travel centre of the future.

So please be patient and allow yourselves a little more time for your journey. And you can look forward to your station being even better when it is finished. www.jernhusen.se

Read more about the building projects in Stockholm here

One of the top interior design bloggers in Norway, Emmeline, have been in Stockholm this weekend and blogs about all the interior design shops she loves....

• Here is what she is writing about interior design stores (in norwegian)
• Here is about her trip to Stockholm

The Vasamuseum in Stockholm was awarded The best tourism experience in Sweden in The Trip Global Award ceremony in Stockholm. Skansen in Stockholm was one of the second prize winners and Millennium Tour in Stockholm was also among the nominated. Read more here.

The Swedish Crown Princess Victoria is getting married during 2010. Why not make your visit a royal one by staying at the many castles and palaces in the Stockholm area. Here we have listed the ones with a personal interior and cool design to it.

Rosersbergs Palace is actually owned by the Royal Family and is the only Royal Palace in Sweden which offers accommodation.  
A colourful and pleasant environment and design is also available at these Castles: Häringe Slott, Ulfsunda Slott and Görvälns Slott, where the rooms are all decorated individually and set in a beautiful surroundings outside the city area. For golf lovers we recommend the Golf course Bro Hof Castle and a stay at a manor house nearby. Bro Hof is one of the best golf courses in Sweden and offers a top class experience.

There is more to Sweden than Swedish Massage. Stockholm - the capital of Sweden offers several hotels specialized in wellness.

• The newly opened Clarion Sign Hotel hosts the renowned Selma City Spa (image), where you can enjoy a swim on the roof viewing The City Hall, where the Nobel Prize banquette takes place.
• Together with Raison d'Etre, one of the world's leading spa development and management consultancies, Grand Hôtel will offer guests unparalleled spa experiences during the autumn of 2009. Located in the Burmanska Palace wing of the hotel, Raison d'Etre spa will offer a truly innovative classical concept. Spread over two floors, the 1400m² spa will feature eight treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art and functional training fitness centre.

Archipelago spas:

• For a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian spa the yasuragi spa is the ultimate choice. And with the combination of Turkish style the Blue Hamam is a recommendation.  

Wellness is just so much more than just spa experiences

• Stockholm have two exclusive champagne bars; The Brut Bar at Restaurant Prinsen and the Bollinger Bar at Hotel Stureplan
• Oysters are sensual and exclusive. Try the Oysterbar at Pontus!
• Sit down and enjoy a wide selection of wines by glass at the Prime Winebar (image)
• Stockholm has two restaurants specialized in desserts; Xoko in Vasastan and the Dessert room at Cloud Nine.
• Why not use a private shoppingexpert while here in Stockholm. Smart City Shopping.
• Light therapy in a cosy atmosphere at Iglo 

Image: Hammarby sjöstad area
Hammarby Sjöstad is an exciting new district in Stockholm where the City has imposed tough environmental requirements on buildings, technical installations and the traffic environment, from day one. The new district will now get its first hotel - Hammarby Sjöstad Park Inn hotel with some 177 rooms. RBG Bar & Grill will tempt guests with gourmet burgers, light bites, a choice of soups, local dishes, salads and signature dishes from the grill.

The Hammarby Sjöstad area is a popular district and has already several restaurants, nice strolling areas by the lake etcetera.

The New Park Inn hotel

Bildcollage: Room & Serve
Rica Hotel on Kungsgatan is nothing less but a departmentstore-hotel! The hotel has a direct entrance to the trendy lifestyle department store PUB, which makes it a perfect place to stay for trendy concious shoppers. The hotel itself now has an interior to match, and with a nice view over the market at Hötorget square, Hötorgshallen food hall and the blue Concert Hall (Konserthuset) in Stockholm.

Sothing serenity is something you will discover in the archipelago when the summer is over. For a weekend the Stockholm archipelago will be lit up by bonfires on floats, torchlight processions and fireworks - over land and sea. Its all to celebrate the cosy darker winter period, and the celebration takes place this upcomming weekend, October 17-18. Restaurants in the archipelago will serve special menus, so keep an eye out and enjoy autumn at some of the archipelago islands. More information, in swedish only at Visit Skärgården

If you cant make it this weekend, then make a mark in the calender on December 18-20 when the open air museum Skansen celebrate Midwinter solstice celebration with fire and ice as theme. There will be ice sculptors and fire artists working on the Solliden square, and performances and music composed for the occasion on the Solliden stage

The people behind Lux Stockholm (one of the gourmet restaurants) are opening a new restaurant on November 6, 2009. They are also collaborating with the young and promising swedish designer Jens Fager plus the renowned gallery Gallery Pascale in Stockholm.

B.A.R (Blasieholmen Aquarium and Restaurant) will be an "Ocean Grill restaurant" focusing on top class quality in a "leisure environment" at "the best price in the city". The idea is that you choose your lobster or sea food from the aquarium and can then choose from a side order menu. They will also offer an "a-la-carte menu" with seafood and meat, a bar etc. Check out their english website

B.A.R opens on Blasieholmsgatan just behind Grand Hotel and Nationalmuseum. They will be able to seat some 120 people. B.A.R. is the third restaurant, directed by the two award-winning chefs and gastronomic visionars Henrik Norström and Peter Johansson.


Jens Fager has designed exclusive objects for Lux Stockholm. 25 plates (illustration above) and large bowls etcetera. A few of the objects will be for sale at Gallery Pascale 

Just a couple of days ago I heard that Stockholm is getting a Culture House for Children named Palatset (the palace) during 2011. The former National Archives at Riddarholmen in Stockholm is transformed into a culture palace for all Sweden’s children.  

Palatset (the Palace) will become Sweden’s national stage for children’s culture. The Palace is large – eight floors and 5000 square meters filled with the greatest culture and most exciting experiences for anyone from six to fifteen to a hundred years old.

"Whats new?" is I think the most frequented asked question we get at the pressdepartment at Stockholm Visitors Board. So I thought I would share some areas off the beaten track in stockholm.

Götgatsbacken, Södermalm - We talk a lot about the SoFo-area, but Götgatsbacken-hill is the gateway to it. Here you will find young and trendy shopping with swedish labels like Monki, Weekdays and David&Martin but also American Apparel. The Creperie Fyra Knop is a "hidden favorite"

Hornsgatan, Södermalm - is the main road through the island of Södermalm. Its dusty, long and full of cars, but also great for vintage shopping. Here is where you will find the Filippa K Second hand store and Judits second hand + Herr Judits which are two great places to find vintage. Herr means Mister by the way. Mobili is a good furniture second hand store.

Birkastan, Vasastan - A cluster of great shops and restaurants. Among them the dessert shop Xoko, but also Black market with avant garde fashion and the fashion designer Carin Wester.

Odengatan, Vasastan - Continue from Birkastan on Odengatan. here you will find some great antique shops along the side streets Västmannagatan etc. Further between Sveavägen and Birgerjarlsgatan you will also find great places for brunch and lunch such as Deville, Sibiriens Soppkök and Ramen Ki-Mama and bars such as Storstad.