Loke's Bar in Stockholm

Does the name Lennart "Hoa-Hoa" Dahlgren ring a bell? Well, it didn't for me but this former Olympic weightlifting champion is a household name in his home country of Sweden. Mr. Dahlgren also owns a fantastic neighborhood restaurant, Loke's Bar, in Stockholm's hipster Sodermalm neighborhood. The clientele is mostly local and dinner service is packed on a nightly basis. We stumbled upon the cozy place as it was just a stone's throw from the apartment we were air bnb-ing in. Apparently Hoa-Hoa is a dog lover (Loke is a real-life schnauzer) which was evident in the canine friendly restaurant. We enjoyed dinner there on two occasions and both times, we found dogs sitting under the tables, waiting patiently for a stray Swedish meatball.

The food here is traditional Scandinavian fare: potatoes, meatballs, lingonberry sauce, reindeer toast...

If you find yourself hungry in Sodermalm, stop by Loke's and smaklig måltid! (Bon appetit)

Junibacken: Children's Museum in Stockholm

When in Stockholm, you might skip over the children's museum in favor of something a bit more grown-up. You'd be mistaken. Junibacken was one of my favorite sites in Stockholm. Perhaps it has to do with my Peter Pan syndrome or affinity for Pippi Longstocking but nevertheless, I highly recommend Junibacken for people of all ages. As I walked up to the entrance, I couldn't help but be amazed by the orderly line of strollers outside. No one seemed too concerned about theft and they were organized in a perfect row. Inside, the museum was filled with gleeful young children and fatigued parents yet I felt no shame in being there. An admission ticket includes a ride on the "story train," an enjoyable experience into a Swedish literary wonderland. It's a magical journey through orchards, snowy villages, and larger than life scenes.

The other highlight of the museum is the replica of Pippi Longstocking's house. Head on over to the museum and transport yourself back in time, if only for a day.  

Junibacken is located at Galärvarvsvägen 8, 115 21 Stockholm, Sweden

Urban Deli in Stockholm

I have mixed feelings about Urban Deli. Since our AirBnb apartment was nearby, we came here a few times and found it to be hit-or-miss. Urban Deli is a bright and airy restaurant-cum-grocery store in the hipster Södermalm neighborhood. One of my favorite things to do in a new country is explore local grocery stores and UD didn't disappoint in that arena. On our first night in Stockholm, we were too tired to eat in a restaurant and Urban Deli's expansive grocery section was the perfect solution. They offer top quality products and an array of items from all over the world. I became obsessed with Pastoret yogurt (produced in Spain) and made several nightly trips to refill my supply. Flavors are divine and include lime or rooibos & apricot. I also went to town on Swedish lingonberry ice cream and other dairy treats.  Can I just say that milk tastes even better when it's called mjölk? Strange but true.

 My goodies back at the apartment

The restaurant side of Urban Deli was a bit of a letdown. Our first two times eating there were enjoyable. (One guy working there was so kind with our questions about directions that he tore a map of Stockholm out of a magazine, ran back to the kitchen and came back having taped it together and drawn directions)  Our last visit, the people serving us were unprofessional across the board. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took us 25 minutes to get a menu, and other items requested were never brought to the table.


I can highly recommend the grocery store for unique finds. Visit the restaurant or bar at your own risk.

The Greenhouse at Rosendals Trädgård in Stockholm

I'd heard about Rosendals Trädgård while looking up places to visit in Stockholm and added it to my list.  It was just the place to visit after checking out the awesome children's museum, also located on the island of Djurgården. It's a leisurely walk to the back of the island and is worth a visit for the beautiful grounds, though the food was a bit disappointing. We arrived in the afternoon and the buffet was pretty picked-over, so we ended up having tea rather than our intended lunch. You can't go wrong with a kanebullar and the prospect of drinking lingonberry juice was just too good to pass up. (Verdict: tastes just like cranberry.) The interior of the greenhouse was the perfect place to enjoy our snack as the fall sunlight seeped through the huge windows.

Afterwards, we enjoyed walking around and checking out the fall leaves and we were rewarded with a deer sighting as we walked through the island's woods. The magnificent nature all around Stockholm reminded me of my own hometown.

Pom & Flora Cafe in Stockholm

My favorite food spot in Stockholm happened to be just down the street from our apartment. Pom and Flora Cafe is the most darling brunch/lunch hangout in Stockholm's Södermalm neighborhood.  We first stopped in on a weekend morning and the owner was so sweet, taking time during the busy brunch rush to help us out, item by item, with a translation of the Swedish menu. Each brunch came with a "bread basket" of homemade biscuits (made on site) and hearty breads sourced from local bakeries. We also got homemade ginger-orange marmalade, yogurt with berries, nuts & seeds, a meat & cheese plate, lattes, and fresh-squeezed juice.  Everything was delicious.  The restaurant is small and fills up quickly with neighborhood residents, children, and babies. We felt right at home.

When leaving, the owner suggested we come back to try the lunch. On our last day, we did just that and enjoyed tasty chicken curry sandwiches, a tuna-sesame-humus salad, and a unique bread salad with mozzarella and pesto that featured three different types of pickled tomatoes. 

The owner mentioned that the cafe has been open for about nine months and she created it because she didn't think Stockholm had a place of its kind. (She was influenced by the idea of the "Le Pain Quotidien" cafes.) I don't know exactly when I'll be in Stockholm again, but I'll make sure my first meal is at Pom & Flora.

Pom and Flora Cafe is located at Bondegatan 64 in Stockholm