Södermalm – Local tips (bars & cafes)

What the interior decorators were on when they started designing Bauer is probably something we don’t want to know.

“Should we make it look like a children’s room with big colourful cartoons? Or like a fancy living-room with a lot of white and stucco in the ceiling? Or why not a shed with photos from someone’s holiday? I know, let’s combine all these three ideas! Yeah, great idea!” And therefore, Bauer is a big white room with stucco, colourful cartoons and a wooden panel. In some strange way it actually works.

Bauer is one of the few places that has a big lounge area where you can sit down without having to order food. It’s spacious with a lot of seats to hang out at for a couple of hours.

If you want something to eat with your drink they have a bar menu with some tapas and a few bigger dishes. The tapas are quite small, they are more about taste than being full, according to the waiter. So if you’re hungry make sure you order at least two to three because they do taste really good. Or go for one of the main dishes on the bar menu.

The prices are more on a Stureplan-level than Södermalm-level. Which means that it is quite expensive for being in this part of the city. But the setting is good, the food is good and the people friendly so it is definitely worth a visit.

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Bauer | Bars, Restaurants (Spanish) | Glass of wine SEK 82.00
Götgatan 15 | Södermalm | +4686400820
Mon – Fri 16:00 – 01:00, Sat 13:00 – 01:00, Sun 18:00 – 00:00

I have to be honest. The only reason I went inside Berlin STHLM the first time was because I was going with a few friends to my favourite bar Snotty (see the Snotty article) and it was just too packed. Berlin is just on the other side of the street and we thought “hey, why not try it out?” That turned out to be a lucky move.

Berlin STHLM is tiny (just like Snotty). It works both as a bar and as a restaurant even if there are just a handful of tables where you can sit down. On the menu are a few full dishes but most people just get one or a couple of very cool tapas with their beer. On the menu they are called “gaffelbitar”, meaning fork bites but they are a tad bigger than that and they can definitely fill you up if you order a few. There is also a regular menu with items from 105-145 SEK, like dijon burger, gratinated green muscles or Swedish “lapskojs” (mashed potatoes with some salty meat in it, here it comes with reindeer) served with fried egg and beetroot. They also have some really good beers, wines and cocktails.

One of the owners has worked in Berlin and wanted to create the same kind of mish-mash of people of different style and age hanging out together. He succeeded!

You can not reserve a table and there is no phone number to the restaurant so just drop by.

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Berlin STHLM | Bars, Restaurants (Unique tapas) | Gaffelbit (tapas) SEK 35.00
Skånegatan 71 | Södermalm
17:00 – 01:00 daily

This is one of my favourite places to dance for sure! They have many different clubs and they’re usually for free if you come before 22:00. They also have lots of concerts, check their homepage for dates!

One night that was particularly wonderful was during Debaser Medis “Berlin night” where one of my favourite artists Apparat performed. It was an excellent night, packed with different electronic music which made us dance for at least 6 hours.

The first floor has two rooms. The larger room gives me a feeling of prom-night or something. The ceiling is really high, the stage is large and the floor spacious. There’s lots of room to dance, though it does get pretty packed during the night. Losing your friends in the crowd is not unusual, which is okay, you always find someone else to chat or dance with.

The smaller room is more chilled out with a bar, seats and you can order food. They also have a nice bar and a small cinema on the second floor.

Bring earplugs!

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Debaser Medis | Bars, Cinemas, Music, Snacks | Entrance SEK 100.00
Medborgarplatsen 8 | Södermalm | +4686947900
Fri – Sat 17:00 – 03:00 (concerts 19:00) | Check their website

This is my favourite café, newly opened and perfectly situated next to small shops and nice parks in the south of Stockholm. I introduce everyone I know to this new pearl.

The interior is very welcoming and inspiring with wallpaper tricking your eye, making you think the place is packed with shelves of books; a very creative and fun atmosphere.

The tiles covering the floor are very beautiful and contribute to the creativity as well. Dostojevskij’s red cushions and chandelier meets Middle Eastern patterns and colours! I love the imaginary bookshelves and the corner with that light green armchair that is placed there just for you, waiting patiently for your books and your thoughts.

But what I love the most is the laidback service and cosy, homely feeling. The people working here are really sweet, their sandwiches delicious and their caffe lattes a piece of art.

If you only have time for one café during your stay in Stockholm – this is your café! I’m sure you’ll love it.

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Gildas rum | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Caffe latte SEK 32.00
Skånegatan 79 | Södermalm
Mon – Thu 08:00 – 23:00, Fri 08:00 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 20:00, Sun 09:00 – 21:00

Until recently this place was called Street and although changes have been made, the crowd is similar. Street was part of the new “Hornstull” with a weekend street market, fancy but cool restaurant and bar/club in the big garage looking local. Strand has taken over and reformed both the restaurant and the club, but sadly there is no market.

On the other hand they have worked a lot to make the club a great one. There are constantly cool things going on, like interesting bands and well known DJ:s. For the ones who have been to the club Ugglan over on the other side of Södermalm it comes as no surprise that it’s the same people who are behind Strand.

The Ugglan concept with boule courts in the basement and completely new bands playing in the tiniest of rooms is present, but since Strand is a much bigger place they can welcome bigger artists, both on stage and in the DJ-booth. For example internationally well known Peter, Bjorn And John had their release party here. More regular things is that P3, the young radio channel with all the new music, have their monthly bar here. And a thing called Cinemat, which is movie and soup is also here every month. Check the calendar (only in Swedish) for exact dates.

Strand still feels like a living room away from home with many sofas spread about and pingpong tables hidden in alcoves. You can’t help to feel relaxed.

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Hornstull Strand Etabl | Bars, Music, Restaurants (Crossover) | Entrance club SEK 60.00
Hornstulls Strand 4 | Södermalm | +4686586350
Tue 17:00 – 00:00, Wed – Fri 17:00 – 02:00, Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 16:00 – 22:00

Sometimes a bar is just a bar and that’s the only reason why you like hanging out there. Imperiet is one of these bars.

Imperiet is placed on the ground and second floor in Skrapan. Skrapan used to be the building where the tax authorities had their offices. Now it’s housing a shopping center and student flats.

The first floor is a café daytime and a bar at night. Upstairs there is a restaurant and a bar. Bars with this kind of lounge area are still quite rare in this part of the town so those chairs and tables are greatly appreciated. The colour setting is in the brownish to beige scale and quite discreet. Not overly trendy, but nice and pleasant.

Like the colours, most guests are not overly trendy either, but nice and pleasant. Could sound boring, but quite the opposite. It’s a laid back and friendly atmosphere here. Most people are around 30, some older, some younger. Not too trendy, but still a bit aware of the trends of today. And a few locals celebrities. The people at Imperiet seem to fit the place. An average bar with average people. But in a positive way. I never get the feeling that I’m not trendy enough here. They welcome everybody.

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Imperiet | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (International) | Beer SEK 50.00
Götgatan 78 | Södermalm | +4686606065
Restaurant: Mon – Wed 17:00 – 23:00, Thu – Sat 17:00 – 02:00
Kafé: Mon – Thu 11:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 03:00, Sun 11:00 – 01:00

Götgatsbacken – the hill of Götgatan between Slussen and Medborgarplatsen – is one of the busiest bar areas in Stockholm and any Friday or Saturday evening you have tons of people slipping in and out of bars, smoking on the footpath outside or just passing on there way for some more fun.

Out of all the places here Indigo is the most stylish with the coolest people. It is very tiny so you have to be here early if you want to sit, but this is not the kind of bar where I spend the whole evening. I go here for one or two drinks in between other places.The colourful and very unusual design and decoration works as an energy injection and so does the music – always new cool beats of indie, rock and electro. The only downside is that the music tend to be loud so it can be tricky to have any serious conversations for any amount of time.

And as for the cool people – yes, some “cred” celebrities can be spotted at times, last time I was there so was Pelle from the Hives and Moneybrother. If you like their type of music, this is also the place for you.

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Indigo Bar | Bars, Music | Draft beer SEK 44.00
Götgatan 19 | Södermalm | +4686435859
Mon – Fri 17:00 – 01:00, Sat 15:00 – 01:00

When again the autumn chill come crashing in over our lovely city many, many Swedes get on the first plane to Thailand. For those who lack the money or the time for that sort of trip, the restaurant Koh Phangan on Skånegatan has been able to act as a substitute for several years.

As soon as you set your foot in the door it’s like entering a new world – Southeast Asia. The interior – floors, tables, the bar – is all bamboo style. There is no other light than strings of tiny blues, greens and reds. The main area is filled with tropical plants and you can hear the sound of crickets. Choose if you want to have your dinner in a hut or a tuk tuk. And if there is a rain storm in the middle of your meal – don’t worry, you won’t get wet.

The food is authentic too. All the important dishes are here, like the coconut soup with chicken, Tom Ka Gai, and the spicy and sour shrimp soup, Tom Yam Koong. Dishes are marked “no hot”, “little hot” and “very hot” and at times the spiciest has made the hot weather in Thailand fade in comparison to the fire in your mouth.

Everybody who’s lived in Stockholm has been to Koh Phangan and marvelled over it ages ago. But the food is still great and for a first time visitor it’s an experience not to miss.

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Koh Phangan | Bars, Restaurants (Thai) | Pat Thai Pak SEK 139.00
Skånegatan 57 | Södermalm | +4686425040
Mon -Tue 11:00 – 00:00, Wed – Fri 11:00 – 01:00, Sat – Sun 14:00 – 01:00

Ljunggrens is divided in to two areas. One that is attached to the restaurant. To get to this part you use the glass door. And one that is attached to the shopping mall. To get to this you use the big wooden door. This caused me some confusion my first visits here. Now I’m proud to say that I know how to use each entry.

The shopping mall is Bruno gallerian on Götgatan and the bar is in the middle. It’s a weird and funny feeling to sit in a closed shopping mall and have a few drinks in the evening. But I like sitting on the big cushions they have and look at the dark shop-windows. It feels like you have broken in to the place and are not supposed to be there. Daytime this part works as a café. Still with the big cushions.

The other section is a more regular bar next to the restaurant. It’s a nice place with a good lounge area. It’s usually very crowded during the weekends, but it’s worth elbowing yourself to the bar, the drinks are great here.

Usually the bar in the shopping area is open until 1, but on a few odd occasions they have special events that leave the place open til 3. Check the local newspaper, or their website what’s going on the Saturday you’re visiting the place.

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Ljunggrens bar | Bars | Beer SEK 56.00
Götgatan 36 | Södermalm | +4686407565
Mon – Tue 17:00 – 00:00, Wed – Sat 17:00 – 01:00

Marie Laveau is both a restaurant, a bar and a club. Even though the restaurant is highly praised by the critics, it is because of the bar and the club that I usually go there.

Some time ago, the club stopped running during the weekdays as the neighbors complained about the noise. During working days there are always people here, but nothing compared with the crowded Fridays and Saturdays.

At the bar, where excellent drinks are made, the place is full of young alternative people with the typical laid-back and hip Södermalm style. The music played also has the same alternative vibe both at the bar as well as at the club in the basement.

The club typically has younger people but a similar atmosphere . It is dark, feels like a sauna in an urban environment, but it is well worth to go!

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Marie Laveau | Bars | Entrance fee on Weekends SEK 100
Hornsgatan 66 | Södermalm | +4686688500
Mon – Tue 17:00 – 01:00, Wed – Sat 17:00 – 03:00

Nada is one of many small bars in this neighbourhood but it might be the one with the best party vibe. Outside there is a sign saying BAR and a beautifully vaulted window. You see straight into the main area with the bar to the left, the DJ booth in the middle and the rest of the space crushed with people.

A small passageway leads into the next room called Göteborg (Swedens second biggest city). It’s equally packed here but there are a few more seats and tables. If you are here early and lucky enough to get a table you can have nice tapas with your beers.

The music has a lot to do with the mood of the place and Nada gets really good DJ’s even though they are still only paid with beer and food. They have “Live-Sundays” with live bands which gets a nice crowd. Other types of music that get played here is indie, electro and German madness.

The food is good but you come here more for a snack with drinks than a quiet meal. On the upside of the drinks is that you can get a glass of tasty cava for SEK 55, something quite rare in Stockholm. On the downside is that the draft beer doesn’t always taste so great – stick to the bottles.

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Nada Bar | Bars, Music | Bottle beer SEK 45.00
Åsögatan 140 | Södermalm | +4686429020
17:00 – 01:00 daily

Many visitors who come to Stockholm ask the same question. Where can we find a restaurant that serves Swedish food? It’s not easy, but now you need to look no further.

Pelikan is an establishment that has been around forever – or to be more exact for 104 years. 1904 when it opened it was named Port Arthur and the clients were all men mostly there to drink the allowed amount of hard liquor at the time – two white and one brown.

You can still order the very strong Swedish snaps at Pelikan but nowadays the place is more famous for the food and beer. The main restaurant area is a big “beer hall”-style room with high ceilings and lots of noice. The food is traditional Swedish stuff, which means lots of meat, fish and potatoe dishes and not so heavy on the vegetables. The most popular Swedish meatballs comes with mashed or boiled potatoes, creamy sauce and lingonberries – and it’s delicious (see pic). Pelikan is also a typical beer place, they got a few good ones on draft and even more on bottle, including some nice Chezch and great local beers from small breweries like Nils Oscar.

Most of the people who come here are the after work crowd of all ages. A couple of pints with colleges on the way home or a bite to eat is the thing. There is also a bar next door “Kristallen”, with a slightly younger crowd. It’s a cool place too but it lacks the history of Pelikan.

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Pelikan | Bars, Restaurants (Swedish) | meatballs SEK 162.00
Blekingegatan 40 | Södermalm | +46855609090
Sun – Thu 16:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 13:00 – 01:00

It is no surprise that Pet Sounds Bar is such a success among the indie crowd of Södermalm. The fairytale started with the record shop Pet Sounds on Skånegatan 53, an institution for music lovers in the times when everybody still bought their sounds in the shops instead of using Internet. Pet Sounds was (and still is) the place to come and just browse for the latest indie band or the odd copy of the classics. And you could always get great tips from the staff.

So when Pet Sounds decided to open a bar they already had a given crowd – and that crowd quickly turned out to be too big for the place, on Skånegatan 90, that they had chosen. It was not many months however before they found the perfect location. Not only is it just opposite the record shop but it was here that all the indie kids of the 90’s had their beer and music fix on what was then called Hannas.

The crowd now is a mix of new enthusiasts and the 10 year older regulars of Hannas. Upstairs is a bit more grownup, here you hang in the bar or eat at one of the restaurant tables. Downstairs is all about music. There is a small bar, a tiny stage and a DJ booth where everything and anything is played – as long as it’s good! The basement is also the place for book releases, private parties and other events. The Stockholm Spotted by Locals release party was held here in December 2008!

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Pet Sounds Bar | Bars, Music | Wine SEK 68.00
Skånegatan 80 | Södermalm | +4686438225
Tue 17:00 – 00:00, Wed – Sat 17:00 – 01:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

Ramblas, over in the Södermalm corner of Hornstull, used to be a so called “sunkhak”. It is kind of hard to translate, maybe dive bar would be the closest but generally people went there for the cheap beer and no other reason. No effort was put into decoration, sevice or anything else. But that was then.

Now you’ll be smart and reserve a table before you come here because it is very often full. The reason is that the prices are still good and the tapas are great – filling and tasty. Among my favourites are chorizo riojano, made hot in the oven with tomato and onion and the queso frito. The beer can still be had at 30 kr and a glass of wine is 46 kr, which is not bad at all in Sweden, and worth remembering if you are on a budget but still like to eat out.

The place is dark and cosy and all sorts of people come here – from the “poor” student who were here before when the beer was even cheaper to older couples and families. And if you forget to book ahead and are left without a table there are plenty of other good budget places just around the corner, like Indian Garden (check the Indian garden article) and Därmedpasta.

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Ramblas | Bars, Restaurants (Spanish tapas) | Patatas con aioli SEK 38.00
Långholmsgatan 3 | Södermalm | +4686692536
15:00 – 01:00 daily

I really do like this place. Mostly visiting the bar during the weekdays I had forgotten how crowded it gets during weekends. Crowded in a good way. When a place is this small it can get quite claustrophobic with a lot of people, but Snottys seems to manage that perfectly.

Located on Skånegatan, near Nytorget, it really is the kind bar you just pop in to if you’re in the neighbourhood. It is definitely the kind of bar I just slip down to in the middle of the week for a couple of drinks with my friends in the neighbourhood.

But the small and friendly atmosphere is not all to this place. The music here is so good too. They sometimes have their own dj in the bar and have decorated the walls with old album-covers, posters and magazine articles. So the music is serious business for these people.

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Snotty Sounds Bar | Bars, Music | Beer SEK 45.00
Skånegatan 90 | Södermalm
16:00 – 01:00 daily

Svejk has always been popular – and the reason? Czech beer, Czech food and almost Czech prices does the trick. They have several tasty beers on draft like Bernard, Primator and of course the classical Krusovice and Pilsner Urquell. And even though they have increased the prices to 56-57 it’s still a good deal since you get a full 0,5 liter instead of 0,4 like in most other places. And at Svejk they know how to pour it – it can take 10 minutes and has great foam on top. The food is tasty and you get big portions of meaty dishes like gulasch and schnitzel. And nothing on the menu is over 128 kr.

People of all ages, styles and nationalities also come here for the atmosphere with a dark bar area and a slightly more lit up dining room. If you don’t fill up a table with your group you might get to share – a great way to strike up conversations with new people.

The only downside is that you can’t reserve a table and between 18.00 and 20.00 there might be a 60-90 minute wait. My tip is to arrive at 17.00 when they open, many people do. There can even be a small line outside at 16.55 but everybody gets a table then. You can also pass by about an hour before you will get hungry, put your name on the list and then take a stroll until the table is ready for you.

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Soldaten Svejk | Bars, Restaurants | Draft beer SEK 56.00
Östgötagatan 35 | Södermalm | +4686413366
Mon – Thu 17:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 17:00 – 01:00, Sun 17:00 – 23:00

Fancy a drink with a vampire? This is one of the coolest bars in Stockholm, for sure! Pass the door, go down the stairs and enter a very different atmosphere set in a cave.

The drinks really make this place, most of them have vampire-names and are delicious as hell! You have to try a Milkshake drink, they’re like candy. My favourite is Vlad the Impaler and yeah, Monday is the day to come here since it’s much cheaper. There’s a new DJ playing records every night and if you’re not into alcohol it’s alright, all drinks can be ordered alcohol-free!

Sit down on a comfy, red sofa with your drink, red wine or beer and enjoy the atmosphere with candle lights and interesting ornaments. The toilet is also quite interesting…

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Vampire Lounge | Bars, Music, Snacks | Drink SEK 58.00
Östgötagatan 41 | Södermalm | +4686432240
Mon – Fri 17:00 – 01:00, Sat 19:00 – 01:00