A wine fan in Stockholm

Stockholm has one of the best-preserved historic city centers in the world. Stately buildings, beautiful architecture, and fantastic Scandinavian cuisine. But what about Sweden's wine culture?

One thing's for sure: bring a fat wallet or take out a second mortgage, because it's not cheap. Often, after a city break, I'm done with it after one day and don't feel the need to return anytime soon. I'd definitely like to visit Stockholm again in the summer, if only so you can enjoy a lovely stroll on Freya's rooftop terrace.

Sleeping place

After a 100-kilometer ice skating trip in Lulea (Swedish Lapland), we stayed in a beautiful and chic hotel. We felt we'd earned it. But of course, there's plenty to suit every budget.

The Radisson Hotel is a stately hotel in Gamla Stan (the old town) where everything is within walking distance. It has a great bar, a good wine list, even better cocktails, and fantastic beds you won't want to get out of. You're in Sweden, so naturally, the hotel has a sauna where you can sweat out the alcohol and get back to work.

Restaurants

Take out a second mortgage and enjoy a Michelin-starred meal at Ekstedt . They cook over an open fire, and the wine list is impressive, innovative, and the menu is fantastic.

Fancy a stroll at great heights? Freyja offers it, a sky bar on the 14th floor, with stunning views and a rooftop terrace in the summer. The wine list is extensive, spanning a whopping 30 pages and featuring every wine you could ever want to try. The cuisine is modern with a Scandinavian twist. Don't expect Swedish meatballs on the menu, but rather influences from Nordic cuisine. We enjoyed a delicious bottle of Pierre-Yves-Collin-Morey Saint Aubin. Oh, and before we forget, the owner of Freyja is one of Sweden's top sommeliers. Another reason to go.

Anyone want Swedish meatballs? If you really want to immerse yourself in typical Swedish cuisine, go to restaurant Tradition . I drank Swedish wine there, say what!? But we also had classic Swedish meatballs in sauce and a reindeer tartare. Good wine selection, with some nice wines by the glass, like a Swedish Solaris, which has a touch of acidity, of course, and was actually quite pleasant with the fantastic name Hipster Solaris. But also the Hipster Cabernet Cortis, which was greener than green. Nice to taste, not to drink. Give global warming a chance, and we'll see even more Swedish quality wine in the future. Perhaps buy a piece of land in southern Sweden?

The award for the best pizza of 2025 goes to Babette . This was a huge surprise. It has a bit of a Europizza vibe, but with Scandinavian prices. I had the best pizza ever, a tuna dish I still dream about, and amazing duck breast. I drank a glass of white and red from Sierra de Gredos (the new sound from Spain ), and another juicy and refreshing glass from Savoie. We also got to choose one bottle (ourselves), which was Ar.Pe.Pe from Valtellina. What a wine!

Wine shop

In Sweden, there's only one wine shop: System Bolaget. They have a monopoly on alcohol. So you can only buy bottles of wine (and other drinks) there, not online; only in-store.

Because they hold the exclusive rights, they're somewhat more innovative in terms of wine packaging than in the rest of Europe. They offer wines in cartons, cans, plastic bottles, and cardboard bottles, with the highlight being a canned Chablis that also proved to be perfectly drinkable.

There is a shelf with changing wines in every store, but the largest one in Stockholm sometimes has exclusive wines for relatively reasonable prices.

Coffee & breakfast

Cafe Schweizer is the place to be. It might seem like a tourist trap, and it's a bit like one, but it's actually quite charming. Super friendly people, delicious coffee, and a great breakfast. Especially if you have a sweet tooth, you'll be in heaven. The cakes are amazing! You'll leave feeling two kilos heavier, but with a big smile on your face.

Wine bars

You can go anywhere in Stockholm. Even if you're a fan of natural wine. Don't bother calling me. At Vineriet, we enjoyed a fantastic 2017 Chevrey-Chambertin from Claude Dugat. But you can also really indulge yourself at Tyge & Sessil and Grus Grus . It's great that you can also enjoy delicious food everywhere, so you can naturally linger longer.

No wine yet?

Are you completely done with it all? Stockholm has an incredible number of museums where you can easily spend a whole day. The most impressive? The Vasa Museum . This is the only place in the world where you can see an almost completely intact 17th-century ship that was once salvaged. The entire museum is built around the ship and, in my opinion, was one of the most impressive museums I've ever visited.