Our weekend in { STOCKHOLM }:

Villa Dagmar sits in Östermalm, one of Stockholm’s most elegant neighbourhoods. It is the ideal place to stay for a weekend in Stockholm. You’re just around the corner from the famous Östermalms food hall, a five-minute walk to the waterfront and near plenty of independent shops and galleries. It’s a great base: central enough to walk most places, but with a quiet, sophisticated feel.

The hotel has a clean, Scandi-chic look with soft lighting, warm colours plus lots of wood and marble. Rooms are spacious and comfortable with a soft Scandinavian palette and details like herringbone floors and custom lighting. Everything’s been done with care, but it never feels over-designed.

The highlight is the indoor courtyard, covered by a glass ceiling that brings in loads of natural light. This is where the restaurant is: green plants, patterned floors and a relaxed open space that work well for a slow breakfast or for dinner. The food is Mediterranean-inspired with a Nordic twist.

Photos: hotelvilladagmar.com

The Lydmar Hotel combines contemporary style, genuinely friendly service and one of the best locations we found in Stockholm. It sits right on the waterfront at Blasieholmen, between the Nationalmuseum and Grand Hôtel, with Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace just a few minutes’ walk away. The interiors mix contemporary furniture with books, art, patterned rugs and more eclectic pieces, so it feels more chilled and homely than a classic five star stay. Photography is a big part of the Lydmar look. The hotel has staged more than 60 photographic exhibitions since it opened, and the changing displays in the lobby give the public spaces their own distinctive character.

There are just 46 rooms, ranging from Classic Kings to much larger rooms and suites, with views towards the street, park, Royal Palace or harbour. We had one overlooking the water, which was particularly lovely first thing in the morning. Rooms are spacious by city-hotel standards, with big beds, individual furniture and plenty of character rather than the uniform look you get in a larger hotel.

Downstairs, The Dining Room is colourful and relaxed and works equally well for breakfast or dinner. In summer, however, we particularly liked being outside. The terrace looks across the water towards the Royal Palace and Gamla Stan and is a great place to stop for a drink after a day exploring. There is also a seasonal summer set-up, including the Villa Minuty pop-up when we visited, where rosé and light dishes felt just right on a sunny Stockholm afternoon.

Guests can use the excellent fitness facilities at the neighbouring Grand Hôtel free of charge, with a gym, pool, treatments and chic Swedish interiors.

Down by the water in Hornstull, Slipen is set in a converted ship repair workshop with big windows and an natutical feel. It was the first dinner we had during our weekend in Stockholm, having read about it in several magazines. It has concrete floors, exposed beams and a boat hanging from the celing. The menu focuses on seasonal ingredients and modern Swedish cooking, with lots of fish, pickles and local produce. The vibe is relaxed and local. It’s casual but well put-together.

Matbaren is celebrated Swedish chef Mathias Dahlgren’s modern bistro and is inside Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel. Until recently it had a Michelin star and on our most recent visit, our second, it lived up to this standard. It strikes a nice balance between top-level cooking and a relaxed, open atmosphere. The space is smart but unfussy, with bar-style seating and an open kitchen that brings you right into the action. The menu is built around medium-sized dishes using seasonal ingredients, so you can order several to share rather than following a set menu. The hot dog with yellow pea hummus, coriander and amba was a playful but surprisingly refined take on a classic, while a tempura-fried courgette flower came with creamy feta, smoky romesco and dried olives. We also loved the Chinese five-spice pork bun: soft, rich and full of flavour, with hoisin and a grilled soy emulsion cutting through the pork. There is a serious wine offering behind the relaxed format, with access to one of Sweden’s most extensive cellars.

Östermalms Foodhall is a classic lunch spot in Stockholm, just opposite Villa Dagmar. Inside a beautiful red-brick hall, you’ll find a mix of long-standing stalls selling fresh seafood, charcuterie, bread, cakes and prepared dishes. It’s a good mix of tradition and new ideas, and there’s seating dotted throughout where you can stop for something simple and fresh. Lisa Elmqvist does great fish and shellfish. Or grab a quick open sandwich and a cinnamon bun if you’re pressed for time.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Djurgården, Skroten Café & Skeppshandel is a laid-back waterside spot with lots of charm. We popped in for lunch after visitng the nearby ABBA Museum. Housed in an old boat workshop, the café has kept much of its original character: wooden beams, marine details, and shelves lined with nautical antiques and vintage finds. The atmosphere is relaxed and unpolished in the best way, with a mix of locals, cyclists and curious visitors stopping in. The menu is simple and homey: open sandwiches, homemade pastries, hearty soups and fresh seafood when it’s in season. On a sunny day, grab a seat outside by the jetty and watch the boats drift past.

Hantverket means ‘craft’ in Swedish, which is a good description of what chef Stefan Ekengren and his team do here. The cooking takes its starting point from Swedish and European home cooking, including husmanskost – traditional everyday Swedish food – but presents it in a much more contemporary way. It is smart enough for a special dinner but still relaxed and lively, and was a good place for us to try modern Swedish cooking without committing to a long tasting menu.

Ekengren is famously obsessed with potatoes – he has even written a cookbook devoted to them – so the dish not to miss is the Hasselback potato topped with bleak roe and soured cream. It takes something very familiar and Swedish and turns it into one of those dishes you immediately want another mouthful of! The rest of the menu follows the same approach, with recognisable ingredients, strong flavours and beautifully put-together plates.

Bar Agrikultur is a tiny neighbourhood restaurant and bar on Skånegatan, close to Nytorget in Södermalm. It has just 24 seats and an intimate, buzzy atmosphere. It started life as the little sister to Agrikultur, the acclaimed restaurant that has since closed, and has kept the focus on seasonal Swedish produce, small plates and interesting drinks. The room is informal, with closely packed tables, stools at the bar and a wonderfully quirky mix of paintings, antlers and other hunting references.

The menu changes with the seasons and is designed for sharing: dishes might include point cabbage with caramelised buttermilk, lingonberry and roasted buckwheat, alongside meat, fish and vegetable plates using ingredients from Swedish producers. They also distil their own gin, flavoured with different herbs, fruits and oils, so it is as good a place to come for a drink and a couple of plates as it is for a full dinner. The restaurant now takes bookings but keeps some seats for walk-ins, useful if you are exploring Södermalm without a fixed plan.

Pom & Flora is a cute Stockholm café that serves breakfast all day and now has three Stockholm locations, including the one we tried in Södermalm. The look is simple and Scandi, with wood panelling, curved-back chairs and an unfussy interior where the food provides most of the colour. The menu covers scrambled eggs, rye bread, yoghurt and açaí bowls, porridge with some interesting twists on classic dishes like ‘Eggs 2.0’: toasted bread, scrambled eggs, ham, spinach, Parmesan and kale dukkah. The banana bread is another favourite if you want something sweeter. It is popular and operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so there can be a queue at busy times, especially at weekends.

Stora Bageriet is a lovely bakery and café in Östermalm, set in Stockholm’s oldest surviving industrial building, where bread was baked for the military for more than 300 years. The space still has plenty of character, with high ceilings, tiled floors and an open, slightly industrial feel, while outside there’s a pretty courtyard terrace that’s particularly nice in summer. The counter is piled with sourdough loaves, croissants, buns and pastries, and you can also stop for breakfast or a light lunch. Best of all is timing your arrival as the fresh cinnamon buns come out of the oven!

The rooftop at the Bank Hotel, known as Le Hibou, is one of the best places in Stockholm for a drink with a view. It’s a smart, comfortable space with big glass doors that open out onto a terrace overlooking the city’s rooftops. You can settle in for a cocktail or a glass of wine and watch the light change over the buildings. It’s a relaxed, grown-up spot with just the right amount of buzz.

Sitting on top of the Radisson Collection Strand Hotel at Nybrokajen 9, Bar Charles is a stylish rooftop with panoramic views across Stockholm’s rooftops and waterfront. The terrace has a smart, contemporary feel and is especially good on a sunny summer afternoon or for drinks before dinner. Cocktails are a big part of the experience, alongside wine and a small selection of bites. It’s more polished than some of Stockholm’s laid-back rooftop bars, with a smart-casual dress code, but still feels relaxed enough to linger over a couple of drinks. Tables are mainly first come, first served, so it’s worth arriving reasonably early when the weather is good.

Set on scenic Strandvägen with views over the water, Svenskt Tenn is one of Stockholm’s most iconic design stores. It’s known for its bold, colourful prints and timeless furniture. Inside, the space feels more like a gallery than a shop. It has beautifully styled rooms filled with patterned textiles, glassware, lighting and statement home accessories. It’s a great place to pick up something unique or just to wander through for a dose of interiors inspiration. Even if you’re not shopping, it’s worth a visit for the design alone!

Acne Studios’ flagship store on Norrmalmstorg is set in a grand 19th-century building that has been restored to blend its original neoclassical features with the brand’s clean, modern aesthetic. Inside, you’ll find high ceilings, marble floors, and sculptural display tables.

Tambur is a beautifully curated interiors store on Folkungagatan in Södermalm, with a calm, contemporary Scandinavian look. Colourful hand-painted Italian ceramics sit alongside elegant tableware, glass, textiles, lighting, rugs and furniture from a carefully chosen mix of Scandinavian and European designers. These include patterned Nicola Fasano ceramics and colourful French Sabre cutlery, mixed with more understated pieces in linen, wool and natural wood. It is a great Stockholm stop if you are interested in interiors and contemporary design.

Grandpa is one of Södermalm’s best-known independent stores, with a relaxed mix of Scandinavian fashion, accessories and lifestyle pieces (below left). The original Stockholm shop opened in 2003 with the idea of being more of a meeting place than a conventional boutique, and it still has that friendly, unforced feel. The selection is carefully edited, mixing men’s and women’s clothing with shoes, bags and smaller design pieces, with a strong focus on good-quality brands, timeless style and sustainability rather than fast-moving trends.

Next door to Grandpa is SNS, a store that started life in Stockholm in 1999 as Sneakersnstuff, founded by two friends with a shared obsession for trainers. It has since grown into an international name in streetwear and sneaker culture. Its Stockholm store brings together limited-edition trainers, collaborations and clothing from brands including adidas, New Balance, Nike and Salomon. There is also a café serving coffee, pastries and light bites, plus a small terrace outside, which is a lovely spot to sit with a coffee on a sunny Stockholm morning.

Papercut is a bit out of the way but worth the detour if, like David, you are a lover of magazines, books and good design. It has a carefully curated mix covering fashion, interiors, architecture, art, photography, music and film, alongside stationery and small design pieces that make good gifts (below right)

Sara Clausin is an independent fashion boutique on Bondegatan specialising in a tightly edited collection of designer clothes rather than the big-name brands you find everywhere else. The shop itself feels personal and intimate, with vintage sofas among the rails and a strong emphasis on individual service. The clothes are hand-picked from a mix of established and less obvious designers.

The English Bookshop is a lovely little independent bookshop, packed from floor to ceiling with books in English. It first opened in Gamla Stan before moving to its current home in a quirky old building in Södermalm. There is an excellent selection across fiction, crime, classics, non-fiction and children’s books.

Pet Sounds is one of Södermalm’s classic record shops and a great stop if you love vinyl, music and independent stores with real character. It has been part of Stockholm’s music scene for decades, with shelves packed with new releases, reissues and second-hand records spanning everything from rock and soul to jazz, electronic and more niche finds. It is owned by friends of ours who live in Stockholm, so there is a personal connection as well as a reason to recommend it!

There are plenty of museums to keep you busy during a long weekend in Stockholm. One that is definitely worth a visit is the Vasa Museum. This is home to a 17th-century warship that sank on its first voyage and was recovered almost fully intact over 300 years later. The ship itself is huge and incredibly well-preserved, and the museum wraps around it so you can get a full sense of the scale. The story of how it was built, sank, and eventually raised is fascinating. Well worth spending a couple of hours visiting.

For a more light-hearted and fun visit, The ABBA Museum follows the bands’ story from their early days through to Eurovision and beyond. It has loads of original costumes, videos and recordings. There are also interactive elements like karaoke booths and dance floors too, if you feel in the mood!

Kungliga Slottet, Stockholm’s Royal Palace, sits right on the edge of Gamla Stan and is one of the city’s grandest landmarks. The current Baroque palace dates mainly from the 18th century and remains an official royal residence, although much of it is open to visitors. Inside, you can explore the State Apartments, reception rooms, royal collections and the Treasury, while outside, the broad façades and waterside setting make it worth seeing even if you don’t go in. Time your visit well, and you can also catch the changing of the guard in the palace courtyard, which adds a little ceremony to a wander through Gamla Stan.

Moderna Museet, on the island of Skeppsholmen, is Stockholm’s main museum for modern and contemporary art. The museum has a permanent collection and some excellent temporary exhibitions, such as the one we caught: Brassaï – The Secret Signs of Paris exhibition, with more than 160 black-and-white photographs capturing Paris at night. There is also a café and restaurant with huge windows that look out across the water towards Djurgården and Strandvägen. One of the most fun additions is Stockholm Slides by Carsten Höller, two huge spiral slides running from the museum roof down the outside of the building. You collect a mat, climb up and slide all the way down — not what you normally expect from a museum visit, but great fun!

Fotografiska is Stockholm’s contemporary photography museum, housed in a striking red-brick building that once served as a customs house. Set along the waterfront in Södermalm, it’s known for its rotating exhibitions that showcase both established and emerging photographers. A fun way to get there is to take the boat that leaves the main harbour.

Photo: stockholm.fotografiska.com/en

On the top floor, you’ll find a restaurant that offers panoramic views over the water and back toward the city’s skyline. The space is open and airy, with large windows, warm wood accents and a relaxed, stylish atmosphere. The menu focuses on seasonal, largely plantbased dishes, with options for sustainably sourced fish and meat. It’s a great spot for a leisurely lunch after seeing an exhibition.

Gamla Stan is the old town area of Stockholm on its own small island and is a short bike ride from the city centre. Here, you’ll find the Royal Palace, narrow cobbled streets, colourful historic buildings and lots of traditional Swedish charm.

Södermalm sits just south of the city centre and has a more laid-back, creative feel than some of the more polished parts of town. You can easily bike here from central Stockholm. There are plenty of cycle paths and the ride over the bridges gives you some great views. Once you’re in Södermalm, Nytorget is a good spot to head for. This areas one of Stockholm’s most relaxed and cool neighbourhood spots. It has plenty of cafés (See Pom & Flora in Cafés), vintage shops and boutiques (see Shop).

A private Golden Hour Photo Walk with Julien, a professional photographer who knows Stockholm incredibly well, is a great way to see the city while also picking up some useful photography tips. The three-hour walk starts at City Hall and takes in waterfront views, church towers, cobbled streets and some less obvious corners along the way. Julien adjusts the tour to your level, whether you are using a proper camera or just your phone, and gives practical advice on composition, angles, perspective, leading lines and how to make the most of the softer evening light.

A quick boat ride from the city, Fjäderholmarna is a small and perfectly formed island that makes for an enjoyable half day trip as part of your weekend in Stockholm. Pop into Hantverksboden for handmade ceramics and Swedish homeware. In the Art Village you can see silversmithing at The Forge and glass blowing at Garage by the Sea.

Stop at Röda Villan for a coffee or a light lunch in their garden, which overlooks the water. There are lots of spots to sit and take in the view, and it’s surrounded by pine trees and small beaches (below right). The Harbor Bar at Fjäderholmarnas Krog is a great spot for a drink, with an outdoor deck overlooking the water.