Vasastan Stockholm – All our local tips

It is easy to overlook this beautiful venue for contemporary art and head straight to Moderna museet when in Stockholm. However, I really recommend you drop by Bonniers Konsthall if you are strolling through Vasastan, to check out the current exhibition or grab a snack in the cafe.

The building, which is an airy and bright glass construction located right off St Eriksplan, is a pleasure to visit in itself. The artists exhibited at Bonniers Konsthall are generally young and upcoming and the foundation awards scholarships every year to new talents. I really like the edge and diversity of the exhibitions and was introduced to this place by my artsy mum.
If you have your own laptop and want to use the broadband, the café has a wireless connection.

They offer good coffee, some salads, soups and pastries as well as brunch at the weekends. It is run by the Maria Bonnier Dahlin foundation, established in 1985 by Jeanette Bonnier in memory of her daughter.

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Bonniers konsthall | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Entrance fee SEK 60
Torsgatan 19 | Vasastan
Wed – Fri 12:00 – 19:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 17:00

After another summer season in Corsica, Campoloro is back to town!

OK, I need to make something straight right away: I love cooking, but the French cuisine isn’t something I would die for! But then, there’s Canpoloro.

Campoloro is a tiny restaurant that serves superb Corsican food for good prices. It is so small that you can actually see the chef preparing your meal in the open kitchen just in front of the main dining room. This proximity between the chef and the customers allows both to frequently engage on conversations about specific dishes. The fact that the person preparing your food is doing it just in front of your eyes in a small space with very friendly waiters creates an overall home feeling with really good food.

Two more things: 1st, don’t do like me; this is a tiny restaurant, so try to book in advance. 2nd, don’t wait too long to go there, as the chef moves back to Corsica during summer (May – September) to run his Mediterranean restaurant.

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Campoloro | Restaurants (Corsican) | Main dish SEK 189.00
Döbelnsgatan 71 | Vasastan | +466128109
Tue -Thu 11:00 – 14:00 & 17:00 – 22:00, Fri – Sat 17:00 – 22:00

In a town where sushi bars can be found in every corner, it is hard to define which one is the best. But Ki-Mama certainly places itself among the top ones side-by-side with others such as Roppongi or Hattori Sushi Devil.

This spot drags sushi lovers from all over town willing to take a typical cold winter walk between the Odenplan subway station all the way up to Observatoriegatan to get there. In fact, many Japanese also do the same as it is common to find some here.

Ki-Mama is a small place with very simple decoration except for the giant cool whale on one of the walls. The sushi price is similar to many other sushi-bars, but expect to get very fresh fish divided into nicely sized pieces. Besides sushi and miso soup (served with mussels) there are also warm dishes such as the excellent yakiniku and eby-gyoza. Worth trying!

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Ki-Mama | Restaurants (Japanese) | Sushi SEK 100.00
Observatoriegatan 13 | Vasastan | +468333482
Mon – Fri 11:30 – 21:00, Sun 15:00 – 21:00

This is THE spot for Chinese/vegetarian food. It’s so delicious I don’t know where to start. Fresh vegetables, organic tofu, soy products and mushrooms, especially the shiitake mushrooms are divine! The restaurant has a really fresh, clean and professional feeling to it.

I take everyone I know here, this place is a pearl! Last time I took my mom and she absolutely loved it.

You should definitely eat Chinese style, which means ordering different dishes and then sharing them. The dishes are pretty large so three persons can easily split two dishes, which means it’s both cheap and a big taste-experience!

They don’t use eggs or dairy products, though often different kinds of nuts. The service is wonderful and you’re welcome to peek into the kitchen. If you have any questions at all, they have the answers. Once I came there with a friend who was allergic to all kind of nuts, they were really careful and sweet, and the food ended up being delicious as usual.

Be sure to call and book a table the day before, it’s a popular spot and the restaurant is pretty small.

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Lao Wai | Restaurants (Vegetarian) | Meal SEK 165.00
Luntmakargatan 74 | Vasastan | +4686737800
Mon 11:00 – 14:00, Tue – Fri 11:00 – 14:00 & 17:30 -22:00, Sat 17:30 – 22:00

Rörstrandsgatan is one of the nicest streets in Stockholm. There are several bars, cafés and restaurants here. So if you’re in this part of town, you will most surely find a place you like here.

One of my favourite places here is Systrarnas Lundbergs. If I’m meeting a friend in this area, we usually go here. Even if we’re just meeting for a drink, we most of the time find ourselves eating too because drinks can make you hungry and the food is good (especially the lamb) and price worthy. And it’s nice to not having to make your own dinner at home.

What almost always strikes me when I come here is that this seems to be one of the most popular places for women to meet their friends (or girlfriends) at. I won’t lie if I say that at least 80 % of the guests here are women. So it’s almost like a women’s only dinner party at Systrarna Lundbergs.

There is nothing too fancy about this place and I think that’s why I like it. It’s the perfect place to go for drinks and/or dinner on a weekday. You usually get a table, even if you sometimes have to wait a little, but not for very long. And the staff is nice and polite. They make you feel very welcome.

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Systrarna Lundbergs | Restaurants | Main meal SEK 100.00
Rörstrandsgatan 12 | Vasastan | +468305747
Mon – Thu 16:00 – 23:00, Fri 16:00 – 00:00, Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 16:00 – 22:00

Ten years ago Sara a friend of mine, introduced me to this incredible retro experience, but it wouldn’t have mattered if it’d been yesterday: at Valand nothing has changed since opening in 1954. Everything, from the Svenskt Tenn bracket lamps, the Italian stone floor and dark wood panels to the selection and presentation of cakes and sandwiches are authentic.

So forget about caffe lattes or paying for your coffee with a credit card – at Valand you’ll quickly get reminded of how recent the North American/Italian coffee is to Stockholm’s café scene. Apparently, the only thing that has changed since the fifties is the opening hours; back in the days Valand used to be a busy hotspot open ’til 11 in the evenings.

When television replaced the cinema, the local four theatres closed down and Valand became increasingly empty. Now it is a fairly quiet café where mostly local teens or odd visitors go. Valand is a true original and a great place if one wants to find a quiet spot for a little while or if you simply feel like indulging in nostalgia.

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Valand | Coffee & tea | SEK 25
Surbrunnsgatan 48 | Vasastan
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 19:00, Sat 09:00 – 17:00

Vurma is mostly a café but also a bakery. Because of the second, it is possible to combine the great ingredient combinations they have with various kinds of freshly baked breads. I also love the excellent pasta/quinoa salad choice they have. In fact both of these selections are almost unlimited as customers are free to pick the ingredients according to their wishes.

This spot is also very popular among vegans as Vurma offers a wide variety of alternatives for them. But maybe the strongest point of Vurma is the environment. It has a mix of kitsch and cozy with warm wallpapers, plenty of colors on the tables and dishes and many small tasteful details.

The clientele is loyal and friendly and even though it is usually crowded, Vurma still manages to hold a relaxed mood where time passes slowly. Even though Vurma can be found in Gästrikegatan and Polhemsgatan (closed in Hornstull for the moment), it still manages to keep its very local feeling!

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Vurma | Coffee & tea | Sandwich SEK 50.00
Gästrikegatan 2 | Vasastan | +468306230
10:00 – 18:00 daily

Paradise for chocolate lovers. This place hardly needs any further description. Because that is what this place really is. Paradise for chocolate lovers. When I leave this place I always feel very good about myself because I have treated myself to something so good.

It’s pretty small with just a few tables in a bright and modern setting. But you don’t come here for the setting. You come here for the sweets and treats. I have never eaten anything here that has been unsatisfactory. And neither has my friends that have accompanied me.

Even the coffee is delicious. If you order a regular coffee you will get coffee that give you enough caffeine to keep you awake for at least a couple of days. Which is great because it is so good.

It’s not all chocolate here, they have excellent croissants, cardamom buns and cinnamon buns too. They also serve sandwiches and a few light dishes. If you don’t want chocolate for some reason.

To make the place even better, they have rights to serve alcohol too. So if the chocolate treat isn’t enough you can add a glass of wine or cava. Wine and chocolate is a perfect combination any day of the week.

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Xoko | Coffee & tea | Cakes SEK 44.00
Rörstrandsgatan 15 | Vasastan | +468318487
Tue – Fri 07:30 – 19:30, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 17:00