THREE PERFECT DAYS - Stockholm

THREE PERFECT DAYS
STOCKHOLM
Not for nothing is this Nordic beauty the unoffi cial capital
of Scandinavia: Stockholm is a growing center of great food, cu� ing-edge design
and postcard scenes of storybook bridges, canals and architecture.
78 AUGUST 2011 • HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
BY CHANEY KWAK • PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICHOLAS PITT

MIRROR IMAGE
Opposite, boats moored
at Skeppsholmen; above, a
guard at the Royal Palace

’HOLMWARD BOUND From left, the Grand Hôtel; preparing for dinner at Matbaren; one of the whimsical sculptures at Le Paradis Fantastique
LEGEND HAS IT that Vikings founded Stockholm after filling a hollowed-out log with
gold, laying it in the water and le� ing it guide them ashore. The tale is dubious, but the message
is clear: This city is golden. The 14 islands that make up Stockholm were once known to
the rest of the world as the Venice of the North. And although classic Swedish humility prevents
locals from saying so, Stockholm gives that other canal city a run for its money in many
regards, especially in the culinary department. Forget frozen meatballs and bland potatoes;
as Nordic cuisine fi nally receives the a� ention it deserves, Stockholm’s foodie scene is coming
of age. Today, visitors to Stockholm will fi nd a cool capital fi lled with rich history, cosmopoli-
tan glamour and stunning beauty. With an unparalleled standard of living
and cu� ing-edge style, this Nordic archipelago has proven itself worthy of
its uncharacteristically immodest self-applied title: “The Capital of Scandinavia.”
80 AUGUST 2011 • HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
THREE PERFECT DAYS
STOCKHOLM
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DAY ONE | You wake up to the sound of birdsong at Hotel
Skeppsholmen, an understated boutique inn appointed with
a collection of recognizably Scandinavian furniture and
off ering sweeping views of the shimmering Lake Mälaren.
Skeppsholmen, a small, verdant islet located at the gateway
to the Baltic Sea, was once mainly used for military purposes,
but has since become a li� le oasis away from the bustle of
the museum-do� ed city. A� er a Swedish breakfast of yogurt,
cheese and bread on the hotel’s waterfront terrace, you go for
a stroll. Långa Raden leads from the sparkling waterfront to
Le Paradis Fantastique, a whimsical sculpture garden where
bright, corpulent fi gures by Niki de Saint Phalle frolic among
Jean Tinguely’s Dadaist kinetic machines. A walk around the
outdoor exhibition whets your appetite for more modern art.
Ascend the hill to Moderna Museet, an expansive space
of light and air, where you pass the time browsing paintings
in a world-class collection including works by Picasso,
Matisse and Dalí. You take a seat at the café, a platform of
hardwood and glass, for a light lunch of baked salmon and
spring salad. The view across the bay is rich in more
ways than one: The promenade of Strandvägen
boasts some of the most expensive addresses in
all of Scandinavia.
Cross a couple of bridges over to Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s
medieval old town, located on a neighboring
island. The orange- and vanilla-colored 17th-century
buildings harken back to Stockholm’s heyday, when
the Baltic Sea was eff ectively a Swedish pond. From
the harbor, a statue of “King Charming,” Gustav III,
faces the steep boulevard of Slo� sbacken. You walk
up the hill, following the same path that Princess
Victoria’s wedding procession took in 2010, passing
the Baroque Royal Palace, which crowns the old city,
and head to Stortorget, with its postcard-pre� y shops
and cafés.
Exploring the rolling cobblestone lanes that crisscross
the island, you stumble upon Mårten Trotzigs
Gränd, a trompe l’oeil of an alley that tapers down
to 3 feet wide, playing with your perception of distance.
When you emerge on the other side, you’re a
bit disoriented. A glance up at the brick-and-copper
clock tower of the iconic Storkyrkan, the 700-year-old
cathedral where the Swedish Reformation began, in
1520, helps you get your bearings.
The old name for Stockholm, “Staden mellan
broarna,” means “City Between Bridges.” You cross
one footbridge, then another, then another, working
your way east until you arrive at the Grand Hôtel
on Blasieholmshamnen, which has accommodated
every Nobel Prize winner since 1901. Sink into a plush
velvet armchair at the Cadier Bar, and order a cocktail
from Henrik Jensen, who clinched the 2011 Swedish
Bartender of the Year trophy with his “Raspberry
Lemonade,” made with elderfl ower liquor and lemon
82 AUGUST 2011 • HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
THREE PERFECT DAYS
STOCKHOLM
vodka. Sipping the drink, you scope the place for any stray
Nobel laureates. They prove elusive.
For dinner, try the on-site Michelin-starred Matbaren, a
casual “food bar.” Walk up in jeans (the dress code is casual,
reservations are optional) and secure a seat at the horseshoeshaped
counter in a modest wood-paneled room. Chef Mathias
Dahlgren creates small-plate interpretations of Swedish cooking,
like sashimi of salmon and reindeer. It says a lot about the
eatery that your neighbor is a restaurateur himself. You take his
recommendation and order the perch steeped in an emulsion
of forest mushrooms.
A� er all that, you’ll need a drink. Head to Riche, an old-school
bar that has withstood the caprice of trend-conscious Stockholmers.
It has two sections: one elegant and mellow, peopled
by 40-something patrons, and the other full of slick-haired
bright young things who wear aviator sunglasses at night. You
opt for the la� er, and watch the locals shed their cool reserve
as champagne mist fi lls the air. You stay well into the night.
This is, a� er all, the land of the Midnight Sun.
Drottninggatan
Centralbron
Munkbrolede n
Hamngatan
Strömgatan
4
7
Kungsträdgärdsgatan
5
Myntgatan
Stora Nygatan
6
8
9
Ske psbron
Strandvägen
Skeppsholmsbron
Saltsjön
Slupskjulsvägen
3
S venskundsvägen
DAY ONE
(1) Hotel Skeppsholmen Gröna gången 1; Tel: 8-407-23-00
(2) Le Paradis Fantastique Långa Raden
(3) Moderna Museet Skeppsholmen; Tel: 8-5195-5200
(4) Gamla Stan Västerlånggatan and Österlånggatan
(5) Royal Palace Slottsbacken 1; Tel: 8-402-61-23
(6) Mårten Trotzigs Gränd Västerlånggatan
(7) Storkyrkan Trangsund 1; Tel: 8-723-30-16
(8) Grand Hôtel South Blasieholmshamnen 8;
Tel: 8-679-35-00
(9) Riche Birger Jarlsgatan 4; Tel: 8-545-035-60
1
2

SWEDE DISH Clockwise from above, Gröna Lund; turbot
with vegetables from 1900; St. George statue in Gamla Stan;
shrimp sandwich at Hotel Skeppsholmen

HANG TIME An exhibit at the Moderna Museet
DAY TWO | After breakfast, you head out to Haga
Park, a lush English garden do� ed with King Gustav
III’s architectural whimsies. Ferries ply the intricate
channels of the archipelago, but you hop on one of the
city’s ubiquitous blue public bikes, which can be rented
for three days for about $20, and reach the park in a half
hour. Once there, you take a well-deserved break at the
main a� raction, Koppartälten, three bright blue circus
tents made out of copper that, depending on your point
of view, demonstrate King Charming’s humor or folly.
Decide for yourself a� er a spin through the museum
inside, which chronicles the park’s history.
Ride back to Norrmalmstorg, drop off the bike,
and catch one of Tram 7’s vintage streetcars out to
Djurgården. This idyllic island once served as a royal
hunting ground, though you won’t see any wolves
or elks anymore. Instead, the island is now home to
Gröna Lund, a vintage theme park, as well as Vasa, an
oak ba� leship from 1628 restored to its original glory.
You enter Skansen, an open-air museum and zoo, and
rest your feet at a restaurant called Gubbhyllan. Homey
Swedish comfort food like meatloaf and lingonberry
get rave reviews, but the bu� ered knäckebrød—crisp
rye bread essential in every traditional meal—steals the
show. A� er lunch, immerse yourself in pastoral Sweden
at Skansen, a 75-acre sanctuary with 150 houses from
the 19th-century countryside. Today, it stands as a nostalgic
time capsule of a bygone Sweden, complete with
costumed cra� smen, a� racting tourists and locals alike.
84 AUGUST 2011 • HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
Norra Länken
1
Sankt Eriksgatan
2
Odengatan
Torsgatan
Klarastrandsleden
Birger Jarlsgatan
8
7
Kungsgatan
Centralbron
5 6
Lidingövägen
Valhallavägen
Strandvägen
DAY TWO
(1) Haga Park Haga Norra; Tel: 8-508-285-00
(2) Koppartälten Haga Park, Solna; Tel: 8-27-70-02
(3) Skansen Djurgårdsslätten 49-51; Tel: 8-442-80-00
(4) Gubbhyllan Djurgårdsslätten 49-51; Tel: 8-66-44-200
(5)Sturekatten Riddargatan 4; Tel: 8-611-16-12
(6) Saluhallen Östermalmstorg; Tel: 8-553-404-40
(7) 1900 Regeringsgatan 66; Tel: 8-20-60-10
(8) Hotel Rival Mariatorget 3; Tel: 8-545-789-00
3 4

DAMMSUGARE: PHOTO BY ANDERS DAHNIELSON
THREE PERFECT DAYS
STOCKHOLM
DANCING QUEENS (AND KINGS)
Getting down, traditional-style, in
Skansen, an open-air museum and zoo
THE DARK SIDE OF
A QUIET TOWN
On the trail of the girl with the dragon tattoo
Beneath Sweden’s calm facade, menace lurks in
every corner—or so Stieg Larsson’s Millennium
Series might have you believe. Larsson’s crime
novels, which have sold over 60 million copies
worldwide, imagine a darker side of Stockholm.
You probably won’t be roped into a world of
intrigue during your visit, but you can still trace the footsteps of Lisbeth Salander,
the fi erce girl with the dragon tattoo. Pay tribute to the avenging heroine at her
luxury pad (Fiskargatan 9), sip coff ee amidst budding writers at Mellqvist Kaff ebar
(shown) (Hornsgatan 78), where the late Larsson was a regular, or join other
Larsson fans at Bellmansgatan 1, where the writer’s alter ego Mikael Blomkvist
lives, for a guided tour of the sights made famous by the books and their fi lm
adaptations. Finally, lone wolf sleuths can pick up a Millennium city map from
the Stockholm City Museum at Slussen for a DIY tour of “sinister” Stockholm.
BODY CAKES
AND WAYWARD
MONKS
If you think Swedes have no
sense of humor, just look at
some of the fun, singsongy
names they give their dishes.
Skomakarlåda “Shoemaker’s
Box” is actually a slice of beef,
which arguably can look like
the sole of a shoe, paired with
mashed potatoes, gravy and
chopped bacon.
Janssons frestelse “Jansson’s
Temptation,” an anchovy
and potato casserole, is an
essential ingredient of any
respectable smorgasbord.
Dammsugare The practice
of making it out of leftover
breadcrumbs earned this
green and brown marzipan
pastry (shown above) the
name “Vacuum Cleaner.”
Kroppkaka The “Body Cake,”
a snowball-shaped potato
dumpling fi lled with meat, is
comfort food that does the
body good.
Raggmunk Though the
dish has nothing to do with
fl irting or religion, this potato
pancake served with lingonberries
is a homonym for “a
monk who picks up women.”
Flygande Jacob In honor of
its inventor, a certain Ove
Jacobosson who worked in
aviation, this chicken, peanut
and banana casserole carries
the name “Flying Jacob.”
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM • AUGUST 2011 85

BEND IN THE ROAD Getting lost in Gamla
Stan, Stockholm’s medieval old town
EMERALD JEWELS
This page, Temple Bar, the
street; opposite, horses
at Powerscourt estate;
statue of thinker (and
alum) Oliver Goldsmith
at Trinity College

A spu� ering cable car takes you down the hill. It’s time for
fi ka, the revered ritual of a� ernoon coff ee and cake. Walk to
Ostermalm, Stockholm’s ritziest district, and climb the well-trod
stairs to Sturekatten, a cozy cake shop tucked inside a turn-ofthe-century
bourgeois home. From the sumptuous selection
of pastries, you pick out kanelbulle, the classic cinnamon bun.
Revived by the heavy dose of sugar and caff eine, you bounce
out to Nybrogatan’s smorgasbord of shops, which range from
luxury jewelers to stylish furniture shops like Svenskt Tenn,
located inside a former theater. There, you stand among the bold
fabrics arrayed onstage, gazing out at the rows of unclu� ered
Swedish design. Steps away, the food market of Saluhallen tests
your willpower with moose pâté and open sandwiches heaped
with shrimp. But don’t spoil your appetite yet.
Hop over to 1900, a restaurant and nightclub run by Niklas
Ekstedt, a culinary wunderkind with a successful TV cooking
show. You start with nässelsoppa (ne� le soup with mussels),
followed by sillinläggningar (pickled herring). Having been to
IKEA, you recognize kö� bullar, meatballs, although this version
involves cucumber sauce and almond mashed potatoes.
Stockholm’s spotless subway takes you to Hotel Rival at
the Mariatorget stop. This cinema-turned-hotel is owned by
Benny Andersson (of ABBA fame). But don’t expect “Dancing
Queen” playing on loop. This is a tasteful boutique hotel that
doubles as a popular performance venue. Smartly dressed
designers and fi lmmakers surround you, although their gregariousness
isn’t apparent until you strike up a conversation.
Cecilia Zilliacus
VIOLINIST
When I came back to Stockholm after
living abroad, I was struck by how gorgeous
everything is here. Stockholm
has so many places where you have
360 degrees of beautiful scenery, like
Stadsgårdsleden, where you see the
old town and the water.
THREE PERFECT DAYS
STOCKHOLM
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM THOSE IN THE KNOW
ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER JAMES FIELD
Jon Åström Gröndahl
OWNER, WOODSTOCKHOLM
FURNITURE SHOP
Mosebacke Torg, one of the prettiest
squares in Stockholm, is my
favorite place. It is pristine, but you
have a lot of culture as well.
Unwind with the aptly titled Shy Cocktail—vodka, honey,
ginger and fresh mint—before retiring to your room upstairs,
where a larger-than-life still of Greta Garbo casts her cool
gaze from the wall.
DAY THREE | At breakfast, you sip your black coff ee at Mellqvist
Kaff ebar, a spartan wood-and-tile neighborhood joint
made famous by Stieg Larsson’s Nordic noir novels. You are on
Hornsgaten, a busy thoroughfare that scratches Södermalm’s
trendy veneer to reveal its working-class roots. Dive bars and
budget eateries abound, but so do chic secondhand stores.
Designer Filippa K runs a used clothing shop here, ETC, that
sells only her designs; Herr Judit is a carefully curated men’s
vintage boutique; and Stadsmission is like a Salvation Army
styled by a Vogue editor.
Next, venture to the most bustling part of Södermalm. SoFo,
or South of Folkungagatan, has become a mecca for international
trendse� ers. The best way to experience SoFo is to simply
amble and explore the intersections where sophisticated Swedish
style and bohemian sensibilities cross. A� er all, the home
of H&M taught us that chic doesn’t always mean extravagant.
The shops on Asögatan satisfy your appetite for Swedish
furniture, while vintage stores clustered around Bondegatan
and Södermannagatan are good bets for quirky souvenirs like
a Pippi Longstocking lunch box.
Stop off at Nytorget Urban Deli, a grocery/restaurant with
an open kitchen that sends out bistro favorites with a Nordic
Marianne Köhler
Skoglund
OWNER, AN IDEAL WORLD
VINTAGE STORE
I love the Täby Galopp fl ea market. It’s
a bit out of town, but you fi nd all kinds
of stuff , from ceramics to shoes. In fact,
I buy a lot of stuff for my store there.
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM • AUGUST 2011 87

KING CHARMING’S DOMAIN From left, Erik’s Gondolen restaurant; Koppartalten, one of three copper circus tents erected by an eccentric king
1
3
Mälaren
2
Söder Mälarstrand
Hornsgatan
Rosenlundsgatan
4
Sankt Paulsgatan
Ringvägen
Centralbron
5 6
DAY THREE
(1) Mellqvist Kaff ebar Hornsgatan 78; Tel: 8-30-23-80
(2) ETC Hornsgatan 64; Tel: 8-84-20-00
(3) Herr Judit Hornsgatan 65; Tel: 8-658-30-37
(4) Stadsmission Hornsgatan 58; Tel: 8-642-93-35
(5) SoFo South of Folkungagatan, Södermalm
(6) Nytorget Urban Deli Nytorget 4; Tel: 8-599-091-80
(7) Fotografi ska Stadsgårdshamnen 22; Tel: 8-509-005-00
(8) Katarinahissen Katarinavägen 1; Tel: 8-743-13-95
(9) Erik’s Gondolen Stadsgården 6; Tel: 8-641-70-90
88 AUGUST 2011 • HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
THREE PERFECT DAYS
STOCKHOLM
Söderleden
Skeppsbron
8 9
Saltsjön
Stadsgårdsleden
Folkungagatan
7
Renstiemas Gata
twist, like asparagus served with herring. You u� er “dagens
lunch,” referring to the reasonably priced daily special that
pops up on every chalkboard menu. Soon you fi nd a chèvre
gratin topped with arugula in front of you.
A� er shopping and eating, you’re longing for some fi ne
art. You take a brisk walk to the waterfront and enter a
converted brick warehouse to explore Fotografi ska, which
opened in 2010 and quickly became a heavyweight in the
European cultural landscape. Inside, you explore three
fl oors of exhibition space showcasing photography exhibits,
like a retrospective of Robert Mapplethorpe featuring
over 200 prints.
When you leave the darkroom-like museum, the refreshing
sea wind adds an extra spring to your step. Stroll
along the waterfront to Slussen, the transportation hub
where Lake Mälaren greets the Baltic Sea. There, hop on
the Katarinahissen, a 125-foot antique elevator, and fi nd
yourself at Erik’s Gondolen, a renowned restaurant.
Se� le at the bar, a glass je� y ju� ing into the air, where
young professionals rub shoulders with middle-aged
couples rekindling romance. You order a Per’s, champagne
mixed with triple sec and fresh strawberries. Down below,
a spectacular vista of the city unfolds like a sequence of
postcards from your past three days: the lush dollop of
Skeppsholmen, fairy tale Old Town and rustic Djurgården
afl oat on pristine waters. The se� ing sun tints the Nordic
skies pink like your drink. “Skål,” you say, and toast the
golden archipelago.
Berlin-based writer CHANEY KWAK has a mild crush on the letter Å.