29
JULY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
BARRIO
{Stockholm }
Dominatedby theRoyal Palace and criss-crossedby narrow, winding cobbled streets packedwith tourist
shops selling comedy vikinghats and assortedScandi tat, Stockholm’smedieval old townhasn’t always had
the coolest reputation. But Gamla Stanhas undergone something of a resurgence in recent years as the city’s
gastro island, a foodie’s paradise full of qualitybars, cafés and restaurants, aMichelin two-star among them.
Perfect places for refuellingbetween visits to some of themost famous attractions Stockholmhas tooffer.
FLY TO
STOCKHOLM
FOUR TIMES DAILY
Nobelmuseet
Stortorget2, +46853481800,
nobelmuseum.se
Amuseumon “the idea of ideas”: all
800-plusNobel Prizewinners todate
are represented among exhibits intended
to stimulate discussionon topics from
natural sciences to culture t, echnology
todesign. Leave feeling that little bit
brainier or yourmoney back.
Riddarholmen
Church
Riddarholmen, +46840261 30,
kungahuset.se
Gamla Stan is prickledwith tall
spires, the tallest of whichbelongs
toRiddarholmenChurch, a preserved
medieval monastery andone of
the oldest buildings in the city. Used
only for burial and commemorative
purposes today, it’s the resting place
ofmany Swedishmonarchs.
TheRoyal Palace
+46840261 30, royalpalaces.se
A taxpayer-funded600-room crash
pad for the royals at the heart of a
n’t
city inperpetual housing crisis is
ll
necessarily a source of pride to a
Stockholmers. But thiswork of
ne
austere baroque architecture–o
rope
of the biggest royal palaces inEu
n
– isworth a lookwhether you’re i
favour of themonarchy or not.
Chokladkoppen
Stortorget 18, +4682031 70,
chokladkoppen.se
et
Situatedonpicture-perfect Stortorg
overlooking theNobelmuseet,
sic
Chokladkoppen is aGamla Stan clas
me-
for “fika”, as Swedes call their anyti
of-the-day ritual of hot drinks, cake
and conversation. It canbe swollen
with tourists, but time your arrival
t
right and expect great coffee andho
n
chocolate and sweets from cinnamo
buns towhite chocolate cheesecake.
19Glas
StoraNygatan 19, +468723
19 19, 19glas.se
Thosewhobelieve beer is the
newwinewoulddowell to
visit 19Glas, a neighbourhood
bar-restaurant proving that
vinowill never be out of
vogue. Besides a cellar well-
stockedwithbottles from
around theworld, they’re also
renowned for their simple and
elegant organic food, and
eccentric cork-shaped stools.
The FlyingElk
Mälartorget 15, +468208583,
theflyingelk.se
Craft beer grows evermore popular in
Sweden, andThe Flying Elk– little sister
of Frantzén, its name derived from a
Jämtland folk tale– is the best place in
Gamla Stan to sample the latest and
finest rare brews, local and international
alike. BlendingBritish gastropub grub
with Swedish cuisine, expect homely
bites from schnitzel to fish and chips.
Fr
an
tz
én
LillaNygatan21, +468208580,
restaurantfrantzen.com
Serving around 20 guests per evening, Frantzén
wouldbe a tricky enoughplace to get a booking
evenwere it not one of just four restaurants in
Scandinavia toboast twoMichelin stars. The
Scandi-Asian food is fiercely inventive, withmany
of the ingredients grown in the restaurant’s own
gardens outside the city.
y
TheLoch&Qua
Tullhus2atSkeppsbrokajen,
e
+468225755, lochandquay.s
r
Best enjoyedduring the summe
when they lay out awaterfront
terrace, Scottish-Swedishbar-
restaurant The Loch&Quay is
one ofmany lining the eastern
nst
harbourside of Gamla Stan, agai
a backdropof brightly coloured
e
buildings. Enjoy views across th
bay towards Skeppsholmen and
Södermalmwhile youdine.
ILLUSTRATION:ANTOINECORBINEAU;WORDS:MALCOLM JACK
GamlaStan
