Shopping

Every time I go to Grandpa I get a homey feeling that is a bit unusual when entering design clothing stores. This mainly arises from the cozy home-like retro decoration as well as the extremely friendly personnel which I have consistently encountered here over the years.

Grandpa is mainly a fashion store that has a very good mix of Swedish and other International brands like April 77, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, Whyred, Uniforms for the dedicated among others. But besides the clothes one can also find furniture, decoration (such as porcelain tigers), gadgets, and movies.

There’s often a DJ playing music and on the last Thursday of each month the Södermalm’s store is opened until 9pm (SoFo Night) and wine is offered to their customers. In the Fridhemsplan’s store there is both a café as well as a bigger furniture section, including new and second-hand products.

This place is like a sanctuary to me! I go there to buy great flour for baking bread (they have manitoba cream!), the best dark chocolates, presents for friends, fresh deli products and things you never thought about but that soon you can’t live without.

Even though I tend to use the term supermarket, my friends usually explain to me that Fine Food is actually a deli store. They are right. This deli store started in Hammarby Sjöstad by a couple of chefs that believe that the best food shouldn’t only be available to the best restaurants but also to individuals. It gained so many followers that come from all over town, that it has now expanded to another area of Hammarby Sjöstad as well as to Kungsholmen.

And if you are in the South of of Södermalm on a sunny day and feel like having a already made meal just take the free boat that runs continuously over to Sjöstaden and either take a sandwich or a warm meal and enjoy your lunch next to the water. But if it’s too cold for that just sit inside in the newly open Fine Kitchen that is now serving great food for fine prices.

“These cheeses are extremely good! Where did you buy them?” Lots of people were asking me that, not so long ago, in a party I helped organizing. And they don’t even know the full story: they are terribly cheap too!

When you look into Wijnjas from the street it feels like you are entering a garage. Before you take the chance to enter this basement store, you’ll see piles of cheese boxes at the entrance, but inside lies one of the best selection of cheeses in Stockholm at giveaway prices.

At Wijnjas you can find excellent appenzeller, gorgonzola and brie de Meaux and even if you are not a cheese lover or just want to go for something new, the very knowledgeable personnel in the store will help you choose the best cheese for a party, dinner or just a glass of wine.

Loppis, our Swedish second hand markets, have grown so much in the last five years. Every small village, or on weekends in larger cities, holds at least one “Loppis”. While driving around the country, you can stop at any sign saying “Loppis” to find a bargain or a typical Swedish designer teacup. A perfect present to bring home.

But there is one place in Stockholm where these Loppis are bigger, greater and cheaper, and it’s in Sundbyberg. A northern suburb of Stockholm, although it feels like a small town in itself. Take the blue subway line towards Hjulsta and get off at Sundbyberg. From the subway station, you are five minutes away from at least five second hand markets.

The websites for the second hand markets are only in Swedish, but I still recommend you visit them and use Google Translate as opening times vary from time to time. The best ones from the top:

Marknadsplats, Sturegatan 35, Sundbyberg

Myrornas, Sturegatan 38, Sundbyberg

Stadsmissionen, Sturegatan 24, Sundbyberg

Gammalt som Nytt, Esplanaden 11, Sundbyberg

Garaget Norr, Vattugatan 16, Sundbyberg

In each major area or hub of Stockholm city, you’ll be able to find different indoor ‘markets’ where you can go to buy high quality meats, fresh produce, dried herbs and etc. Perhaps the most famous of them and quite popular for the tourists and locals alike is Ostermalmshallen. However, in this post I’ll be talking about the lesser known, ever-busy Hötorgshallen located right in the city center.

Along with the meat and seafood vendors you can find different restaurants, fine chocolates as well as a Finnish food store all in Hötorgshallen. It’s definitely one of the most diverse halls in Stockholm city. What’s special about Hötorgshallen and all other ‘halls’ in Stockholm is that every vendor has very high standards for the freshness and quality of what they sell or serve, so you are sure to be getting the very best without having to pay a very high price!