Eat, Shop and Chill in Stockholm, Sweden!

Eat at Gondolen Restaurant

I was recently in Sweden for a short but very sweet visit. One of my close friends was getting married. I, of course, gave my undivided attention to the wedding but also made time to engage in a very important activity, SHOPPING! Below is my short list of top places to eat, shop and just plain chill while you are in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sweden offers so much variety when it comes to fine dining but Gondolen restaurant has got to be the go to spot when it comes to a sophisticated ambience and richly textured yet fresh French/Swedish cuisine. Operated and owned by Erik Lauersted [famous restauranter/ business tycoon in Sweden], the key selling point, besides the good food and friendly English speaking staff, is the breathtaking view of Stockholm, observed 11 stories high where the restaurant hangs suspended. Check on it.

Hang out at Sture: Want to know where Swedish's finest hang out? Head to Sture Plan. Located in central Stockholm, this public square is littered with expensive restaurants, bars, clubs and is where the "in crowd," from young business executives to Swedish royalty can be spotted.

Go Shopping at Nordiska Kompaniet [NK]

Stockholm is a shopper's paradise. From the Spanish retail chain like Zara to Sweden's retail chain H&M, there is something for everyone's pocket book. Stockholm also has most European major fashion designer brands and retail outlets. Two key areas you want to touch include Drottninggatan which is a long pedestrian mall lined with shops; and the Sergel Torgs area. Look for a specific street called Hamngatan. At Hamngatan, you can find many neat boutiques, shops and department stores such as NK. The T-Centrum Gallerian [it's like a mall] is also located in the Hamngatan area. Check them out and shop till you drop, or run out of money!

I checked out so many stores and places but I would recommend you start with NK. NK is like Saks Fifth in New York or Harrod's in London, although I think it lacks as much sass as Harrod's in terms of layout and design. The stores below all have their retail outlets but all of them can also be found in NK. For the jeans, you should go to the retail outlets, the experience is more enriching. Shopping hours in Stockholm is Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm, Saturday 9am-2pm. On Sunday, most stores are closed but you can find those that exceed the hours stated above and also open on Sundays.

For Men's Shirts, go to Eaton

Ladies if your BF/brother/uncle/father/friend hates ironing or is always traveling 24/7, or both, consider suprising him/them with one of the classic, sophisticated and elegant wrinkle free shirts from Eaton. Eaton is a swedish brand with international reputation for making perfect shirts from their 100% wrinkle free cotton. Their shirts also run long and can be custom made to fit just in case the men in your life are 6ft and above. In case you don't make it to Sweden anytime soon, Eaton can also be found all over Europe and the USA. Check the Eaton link above for store locations.

Women's Clothes: NK is the place to shop. Shop for over 150 Swedish and non-Swedish brand names such as Gucci, Prada, YSL and more. You can also purchase accessories and beauty items at NK.

Men & Women's Jeans: NK or the T-Centrum Galleria are great places to begin scouting for the perfect jeans. I, however, highly suggest you go directly to the brand's flagship/retail stores for your jeans. In the jeans category, it appears the Swedish fashion-forward prefer Swedish brands. Swedish brands like Acne, Filipa K and Gul Bla are commonly seen all over the streets of Stockholm. The BIG problem, however, is that a lot of these brands forgot about the hipi/curvilicious women. They are made only for women that are straight like a board up and down, not good! Trust me. I tried so many of them and I ain't fat! The one that works best and accomodated my curves was Acne. I still had the Victoria Beckham slim look but more balanced thanks to more room in the hips and thigh area. Shoes: The Italian shoe line Scorett and the Swedish shoe retail store Nilson,which offers diverse selections, are a start. You can also head to NK or T-Centrum Galleria for more variety.

Cosmetics & Beauty Products: Cow Parfymeri is a great choice. The store sells quality eco-friendly makeup/skincare and perfume products from America and Europe I loved their makeup line Laura Mercier, tres parfait! Laura Mercier is a Dallas, Texas based company and needless to say is sold in stores in the USA and worldwide. By the way, if you are scouting strictly for Swedish brands, a good famous swedish makeup brand is FACE. Think M.A.C. but with more eco-friendly driven products.


Alright, that's my short list for now until my next visit where I will do more than shopping! By the way a quick Swedish word to know is "REA." Gosh you are so smart! Yes, it means SALE! Enjoy your visit.

[Photo credit for restaurant: Elias Hantzakos]