Berns Hotel
Stockholm, Sweden[view map]
Local restaurants
Hotellet on Linnégatan (+46 (0)8 442 8900) has a bar, terrace and club. Its mezzanine restaurant does Mediterranean cuisine, and the rooftop has sunloungers. Minimalist in style, and candlelit at night. Cosy Café Tranan on Karlbergsv (+46 (0)8 272 8100), with its checked tablecloths, provides Swedish favourites. Conducive to romance by night, with its peerless views, Eriks on Stadsgården (+46 (0)8 641 7090) is a unique structure in the sky with two restaurants: Eriks Grillbar is bistro-style; Eriks Gondolen is more formal, serving French/Swedish dishes. Stylish Fredsgatan 12 on Fredsgatan (+46 248 052) serves Swedish and international cuisine, and is ideal for lunch. Sturehof on Stureplan (+46 (0)8 440 5730) is a great seafood restaurant with lobster and oyster specialities; there are three floors of which Obaren on the top floor is probably the best.
Local bars
The best restaurants in Stockholm often come with bar and nightclub attached. Hotellet on Linnégatan (+46 (0)8 442 8900) has a bar, terrace and club. Café Tranan on Karlbergsv has a traditional bar downstairs which is as popular as the eatery itself. Brasserie Godot on Grev Turegatan is a stylish restaurant and bar with excellent mojitos and a hip crowd.
Local cafes
The best coffee is found in Tintarella di Luna on Drottninggatan, an authentic Italian café that does great paninis. If you’re craving afternoon tea, we suggest the Diplomat Tea House on Strandvägen, for scones with jam and marmalade and sandwiches with the crusts cut off.
Nightlife
The Berns Hotel has a hip club with live music and some of the world’s finest DJs; it’s a magnet for the in crowd. If you’re still up past 04h and crave a bit of dancing, it might be time to try and get past the bouncers at Spy Bar on Birger Jarlsgatan – cheesy but it can be a fun night out.
Worth getting out of bed for
Go for a sauna and massage, or hire a private Turkish bath at the Sturebadet (www.sturebadet.se). Head to the beach. In winter, go skiing in Flottsbro, or skating in Kungsträdgården Park.
Viewpoint The best and most self-indulgent place from which to view the city is the restaurant Eriks Gondolen on Stadsgården.
Arts and culture The Moderna Museet has a superb collection of Swedish and international art. More than 16, 000 paintings and sculptures are housed in the National Museum on Södra Blasieholmshamnen. The open-air museum Skansen on Djurgården recalls the Sweden of bygone days, with flora and fauna, farms, manor-houses and craftspeople at work. The Vasamuseet: the Vasa is the world’s only surviving 17th-century ship (www.vasamuseet.se).
Something for nothing Watch the changing of the guard (12h15, or 13h15 on Sundays) daily in the Outer Courtyard of the beautiful Royal Palace. Play in the snow in winter!
Shopping Biblioteksgatan, near Stureplan, has a concentration of upmarket shops. On Hornsgatan are irresistible interior design and art shops. Södermalm has many secondhand and antiques shops, as well as one-off boutiques and skater shops. For handicrafts and knick-knacks, visit the old town of Gamla Stan. Don’t leave without visiting Östermalmshallen Market on Humlegårdsgatan, open until 18h Monday–Thursday; 18h30 Friday; 16h Saturday and 14h Sunday. In a characterful building next to the flower market, it’s a huge delicatessen selling every type of top-quality food you can think of, with bars and restaurants to stop off in.
And… Get a boat out to the archipelago of Vaxholm in summer and have a champagne picnic (ask the hotel to pack you one). Or sail to the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (two hours from the central port) and visit the pretty beaches and harbour at Sandhamn, on the island of Sandön.