Tips for Going Out in Stockholm

Some cozy places that we have discovered or that were recommended to us

What in Germany has a legal effect since January 1st 2008 is in Sweden a part of the daily life since long ago: the smoking ban in bars, restaurants and discotheques. This is the reason why some entrance areas are more atractively arranged, as here, also the outside area belongs to the common area of the guests. Some small flambeaus, flowerpots, etc. are only some of the decorations visible outside the restaurants and pubs.

In the winter time, it is very common that the locals offer a blanket to their guests so that they can put it over their shoulders before going outside the door to smoke. Often, the blankets are ready to take in a shelf close to the entrance. In the following text I will describe some specially nice locals that I would like to recommend.

Glenn Miller Jazz-Café

A small local with maybe ten tables and the walls are papered with some framed pictures of all kinds of jazz artists. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays, some regular jazz sessions take place here, but also on other days, the musicians spontaneously come together in order to show what they can.

As the café is very popular, it can happen that all tables are already reserved. In this case it is worth the efort of either coming later again, reserve a table for another day or do ask the friendly owner for a recomendation for another local. Some drums without cymbal (to be brought by oneself) are always available. The address is: Brunnsgatan 21a. How to get there: Subway station Östermalmstorg or bus line 46 up to the station Malmskillnadsgatan.

KGB Bar & Restaurant

Cozy and spacious bar with a big counter area not far from the Glenn Miller Café; Get back to the good old sowjet times. On three levels there are two bars and one discotheque in which every evening some DJs play, additionally, there are comfortable seats on the upper floor and a huge shelf in which there are Russian literature classics and books about the Sowjet Union.

Moreover, some old uniforms are in use, the wall decoration reminds on the socialism and even in the toilet some Russian sentences resound form the loudspeakers that somehow sound conspirative. The address is: Malmskillnadsgatan 45. How to get there: see Glenn Miller Café.

Soldaten Svejk

It is located at the southern island Södermalm where there are bars from the most different culture areas. The Soldaten Svejk is a traditionally accommodated, czech bar with approximately 20 sorts of draft beer. One does not find any German beer on the card, but therefore there are a lot of new sorts to try. Simply a nice station that should be visited in order to have a beer during a pub crawl through the trendy Neighbourhood SoFo (means: South of Folkungagatan - based on the district of London Soho). The address is: Östgötagatan 35. To get there: subway station Medborgarplatsen.

Very close to this place, at the Folkungagatan, there is also a big Irish Pub that sells the cheapest draft beer of the area. For an equivalence of 2,50 euro, one gets there half a litre of Pils from a brand I did not now until then. But it was good. On a big screen TV international footbal was shown and the atmosphere was good thanks to the music and the international guests.

Skeppsbar / Zum Franziskaner

Located at the edge of the oldtown Gamla Stan, Skeppsbar is a successful mixture of bar and discoteque. In the upper part there is a long bar where cocktails and snacks are prepared and one can take one of the comfortable seats, either at the counter or in the niches at the windows. Later, the club in the cellar of the bar opens, and those who do not know that such a club is in the basement will wonder where all people that just passed are gone to.

Upstairs, it hardly gets more crowded, while in the cellar the bass pumps and a completely new World opens to one. The discotheque is rather a location for younger people, although the atmosphere is nicely arranged with mirrorballs and blacklight. The address is: Skeppsbron 44. How to get there: subway station Slussen.

Right beside, in the same building there is the restaurant Zum Franziskaner, one of the oldest in Stockholm. The foundation of this restaurant is backdated up to the year 1200. Here, one gets big portions of Swedish and German food at reasonable prices.

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Author: Ingo Schmidt; Copyright: Patrick Wagner, www.tourist-guide.biz