View on our walk to dinner
We were curious to try the restaurant Esperanto (now permanently closed) for dinner while in Stockholm. Esperanto is a one Michelin star restaurant that specializes in a fusion of Japanese and Swedish cuisine.
Beautiful, snowy Stockholm
For our second day in Stockholm we ventured out into the snow to visit the Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art). We took another beautiful walk into the city center, passing typical winter scenes.
You know you’re close to the Moderna Museet when you stumble across the sculpture display: Le Paradis Fantastique. A touch of color in the snow!
Evening in Stockholm
In the winter, the days are short in Stockholm. I absolutely love it. The city lights up with a warm glow and you can’t help but feel cozy. After visiting the Vasa Museum, we headed to the Grand Hotel to eat at Matbaren by the chef Mathias Dahlgren. Matbaren was recommened by a Swedish colleague of mine. She told me it’s her favorite restaurant, so of course we had to try it!
Beautiful scenes on our walk to the Vasa Museum
Koen and I love visiting museums when we’re doing city trips, so we had to visit the Vasa Museum. To quote the museum’s site:
“The Vasa ship capsized and sank in Stockholm 1628. After 333 years on the sea bed the mighty warship was salvaged and the voyage could continue. Today Vasa is the world’s only preserved 17th century ship and the most visited museum in Scandinavia.”
Meatballs for the People
Of course for our first meal in Stockholm we wanted to eat Swedish meatballs! Where better than Meatballs for the People – a restaurant in Sodermalm dedicated to meatballs?
Fika at Drop Coffee
I don’t think I can describe fika better than the official Swedish website:
“Swedes prefer not to translate the word fika. They don’t want it to lose significance and become a mere coffee break. It is one of the first words you will learn when visiting Sweden, right after tack (thank you) and hej (hello).
Fika is much more than having a coffee. It is a social phenomenon, a legitimate reason to set aside a moment for quality time. Fika can happen at any time, morning as well as evening. It can be savoured at home, at work or in a café. It can be with colleagues, family, friends, or someone you are trying to get to know. It is a tradition observed frequently, preferably several times a day.
Accompanying sweets are crucial. Cinnamon buns, cakes, cookies, even open-faced sandwiches pass as acceptable fika fare. It comes as no surprise that Swedes are among the top consumers of coffee and sweets in the world – or that Swedes appreciate the good things in life.”
In snowy Stockholm!
I was in Stockholm for a few days – the city is so beautiful and the food is so delicious!! I stayed mostly in Östermalm and Gamla Stan (Old Town – which dates back to 1252!). Stockholm is very big, so I definitely need to go back for a longer period to explore!
An American in Antwerp 