Featured
Sweden
Stockholm
We had the best time visiting the capital city of Sweden and we lucked out with sunny weather even though we visited in April. The city was clean and easy to get around. We stayed on a quiet street in Stockholm's fashionable Östermalm district which was walking distance from everything. We were surprised to find out that the city of Stockholm is set on 14 islands and has more than 50 bridges connecting the city. With the ocean around every corner you feel connected with nature everywhere in the city.
To Do -
Explore the Old Town of Gamla Stan
The small and bustling Old Town of Stockholm is one of the best preserved medieval areas in Europe. When Sweden was ounded in 1252 this area was the epicenter of the country. Crammed onto a small island in the middle of the city, the Gamla Stan or “Old Town” is one of Stockholm’s best attractions.
With colorful old buildings, ancient architecture, and tiny cobbled alleyways Gamla Stan is the perfect place to explore. Bring your camera and get lost as you wander around.
Make sure to find the narrowest street in Stockholm which is located in the Old Town. Mårten Trotzigs gränd street is a mere 35 inches wide and is covered in graffiti.
There are a lot of stylish bistros, bars, and restaurants which can be found around every corner. Come for lunch, dinner or both!
Gamla Stan was our favorite area in Stockholm. We loved spending hours moseying around the streets and taking postcard perfect photos of the beautiful cobblestone streets and colorful facades.
Discover Stockholm’s Subway Art
One of the coolest things we did in Stockholm was spending an afternoon exploring the incredible Subway Art. We looked up some of the stations online and planned our own route. We visited 8 different stations in a couple hours.
T-Centralen Station
Mörby Station
Colorful Metro Cars
Over 90 of the 100 subway stations in Stockholm have all be decorated with sculptures, mosaics, paintings, and art installations by over 150 artists. It is said to be the largest art exhibition in the world stretching over 110 kilometers.
Solna Station
Some of our favorite stations were : T-Centralen, Mörby, Solna, Stadion, Tekniska Hogskolan & Odenplan.
Stadion Station
Hallonbergen Station Escalator
Tip: If you are riding the Subway to explore the art we recommend buying a 75-minute ticket. It’s only $5 and provides you with unlimited travel on the Subway lines for 75 minutes which allows you to hop on and off different subway lines at will. We went during the middle of the day on a weekday and it wasn’t very crowded.
ayaaaaaaOdenplan Station
Tekniska Hogskolan Station
Visit the Vasa Museum
We had the best experience at the Vasa Museum. One of the most unique museums we’ve ever been to. The museum showcases a massive 226 foot warship that sunk 400 years ago. It was salvaged and taken out of the water in 1961. Thousands of artifacts were found inside and now it is the only ship of it’s kind left in the world.
We were blown away at how well preserved the ship was after 333 years on the ocean floor. It is almost completely intact and there are hundreds of intricate carved figures on the stern of the ship. We took the tour that comes free with your admission and learned how the ship sank, where the cannons were placed, and how life functioned on the boat. In the museum you can also see some of the tools, utensils, pots, clothing, weapons and other objects that were left behind when the ship sank.
A replica of the ship with the real ship behind.
We also learned out how technical and difficult it was to salvage a ship of this size. The ship is 4 stories tall and nothing of this size had ever been excavated before. Considering the ship was submerged for over 300 years they had to be very careful exposing the wooden pieces to drying out and cracking. They built massive rooms that continuously sprayed parts of the ship in water and wood sealers for up to two years before they were finished. The story of how this ship sunk is very entertaining, we wont give any spoilers away here as this is a place you must visit!
Ride around the city on Electric Scooters
One of the best things of Stockholm for us was the addition of the brand new public electric scooters! Great for sightseeing and easy to ride’ they are a perfect way to explore Stockholm; a city that is already extremely bike friendly. The bike lanes are wide and simple to follow. We loved picking up a couple scooters and cruising around the city. So much fun!
Being outside on the electric scooters allowed us to take in amazing view from all over the city.
To Eat -
Lisa Elmqvist inside Östermalms Foodhall
We are still dreaming of the seafood we ate at Lisa Elmqvist. It was some of the freshest seafood we have ever had. Just look at the color of that salmon in the photo below. This restaurant is located in the Östermalms Foodhall which is filled with other restauaunts and stalls selling incredible food, making it a must stop place for food in Stockholm.
We ordered their Gravad Lax which is traditional Swedish dish of dill-cured salmon that is served with a mustard sauce. This was the best salmon either of us have ever had, yes it was that good.
We also ordered local oysters and their famous shrimp salad toast which were both delicious. We accompanied our seafood with a couple of cold local beers as well.
We loved the informality of eating at a foodhall. It was lunchtime and the market was busy and full of customers. We enjoyed people watching and being a part of local culture while eating some incredible local seafood.
Aifur Krog & Bar
A medieval Viking experience in the middle of the Old Town. This place is a bit touristy but we had heard great things about it even from the locals. The staff is dressed in Viking outfits and are in character all night. When you walk in the door, they announce you like a lord and lady to the entire restaurant and then seat you at a long farm table. It’s lively and everyone is having a good time sipping on honey mead and pretending they’ve stepped back in time. Old fashioned Viking style music is played by minstrels and the staff makes sure you’re having fun.
Venison dish with lingonberries,
Beside the cool Viking style atmosphere the food was really tasty! The menu stays true to the Viking theme and offers local rustic seafood and game dishes. We ordered the homemade mead which came in these amazing goblets. For dinner we ordered the mussels and venison. The mussels were locally sourced and really well done, we ate them all! The venison was perfectly cooked and served with these slightly tart local lingonberries. We loved the old fashioned utensils they gave you too. We had a lot of fun and would definitely recommend this place for a fun dinning experience. Make sure to make a reservation so you don’t miss out.
Homemade mead
Famous Local Mussels
Ölstugan Tullen Hornstull
We came here for the sour beer and stayed for the meatballs. Ölstugan has a really good craft beer selection and a high-end traditional pub food menu. We tried the Swedish meatballs and they were delicious! The atmosphere was super local and the service was great. We tried several funky beers and left full and happy.
Östermalms Korvspecialist
This tiny food stall can be found outside of Östermalms Food Hall. It has been selling homemade sausage sandwiches for 40 years. We ordered the kabanos that comes with 2 Polish smoked pork sausages. The sandwich starts out with a piece of French bread that is hollowed out and then smeared with spicy tomato sauce. Then the sausages are stuffed inside and the whole thing topped with a large scoop of sauerkraut and a squeeze of mustard. DELICIOUS!
To Drink -
Omnipollo
Jeffs #1 thing he wanted to do in Stockholm was drink some Omnipollo beers. This brewery is from Sweden and is famous for their super unique beer flavors. When we visited they were pouring a lemon sour beer that had a frozen lemon slushy on the top. (Pictured below). This idea was revolutionary! We have never had a beer like this before. Jeff was in absolute heaven here and we spent the afternoon tasting all the different beers they had to offer. This is Jeff’s favorite brewery and not very many of their beers get sent to America, so if you are in Stockholm, stop by Omnipollo and stock up!
Lemon sour beer with a frozen slushy on top
Beside their legendary beer they also have a wood fire pizza oven and whip some some delicious pizzas for you to snack on while sipping on your beer.
Oliver Twist
A really fun local pub. This place isn’t fancy but it has a giant beer selection. We were able to try a lot of Swedish and European beers here that we cannot get in the U.S. They also had a couple kegs of casked beer which doesn’t use any gas and needs to be hand pumped out of the keg into your glass. This is a very rare way to serve beer these days so it was a fun experience.
Eken
We stumbled across this bar while we were riding our electric scooters across the bridge to Gamla Stan. The sun was about to set and we noticed this bar which had giant windows with incredible views of downtown Stockholm. It seemed like a great spot to stop for a drink. We love finding hidden gems like this. We sipped a couple cocktails and watched the sun set on the famous Stockholm buildings in the distance before we hopped back on our scooters and headed to dinner.
Tritonia Ölverkstad
Another hidden gem, this time in the heart of Gamla Stan. This tiny little brew pub was cozy and filled with locals. They had some great sour beers on tap and even a better variety of craft beers in bottles. If you haven’t noticed by now, we are always hunting down various beers in Europe that we will never see in America. Finding these spots is always fun and an incredible beer is a great reward! The bartender was very knowledgeable and recommended some great Swedish beers! Definitely worth stopping here for a pint while exploring the Old Town.
Picture taken off Tritonia Ölverkstad’s website.
We We Stayed -
Story Hotel
We stayed at the Story hotel in Riddargatan and loved it. It was super modern, hip, and had the best location. We were walking distance from everything. The breakfast in the morning was delicious and it was a bonus having a fun bar on site too.
We had the best time exploring Stockholm and can’t wait to come back again one day.
Cheers,
Jeff & Angela
Dining at Fäviken
When we got married last September Ang’s sister and her husband gifted us the most incredible thing, dinner at Fäviken. We have admired this restaurant from afar ever since we watched it’s episode on Chef’s Table. This tiny restaurant in Sweden is extremely remote and considered one of the best restaurants in the world. Jeff has always said if he could eat at any restaurant in the world it would be Fäviken. So you can imagine our shock when we opened up this amazing gift! We were so excited we started looking up reservations right away and couldn’t believe our luck when we realized the next round of reservations was opening up the very next day at midnight, Sweden time. As soon as the reservations went live we were ready. We saw that there was for dinner for two and a double room available on Thursday April 6th. The reservations were filling up fast so we had to make a decision fast. We decided to go for it! Once we had our reservations, we planned a trip to Europe and made our way to Sweden near the Arctic Circle for the dinner of a lifetime.
Arriving to Fäviken
We made it! After flying from Stockholm to the tiny airport in Åre-Östersund and a two hour taxi ride we finally arrived. As we pulled onto the beautiful property of Fäviken the long journey seemed to escape us and we realized this experience was now a reality. From our arrival the service was incredible, they want you to relax and induldge. The friendly host who ended up being the sommelier during dinner took care of us the entire night. Our every need was taken care of and we were able to just enjoy the moment. As you can see in the photos we arrived on a beautifully sunny day. The chefs were all outside basking in the sunlight and looked delighted to feel sun warm their skin. They all said it was the first sunny day they have had in weeks, everything in this moment seemed to be perfect and everybody was in high spirits.
This beautiful red farm-style building contains the restaurant, kitchen, guest rooms, and sauna. The huge window into the kitchen allows you to peek inside and see the chefs at work preparing dinner. Everyone who works; the chefs, hosts, servers, and sommeliers play multiple roles throughout the day so you get a chance to interact with everyone. The staff was super attentive and friendly the entire time. We felt like they all genuinely wanted us to have an incredible time and tried to get to know us personally which made the whole experience that much better.
Checking in
We got a quick tour of the property and then were shown our room.
We loved being able to stay on the property. The farm-style decor and design in the barn was cozy and rustic. It was also nice being able to sleep steps away from the restaurant. Since Fäviken is located near the Arctic Circle they endure some really insane winters. The place is adored with furs and blankets everywhere which made us wish we could come back during the snowy season.
Once we got settled into our room we headed to the sauna to unwind before dinner. There was local moose sausage, charcuterie, cider, beer, and wine for us to enjoy while warming our bones. We loved sitting inside the hot sauna and looking out to the Swedish wilderness beyond.
Dinner is Served
After the sauna we got ready for dinner. When we entered the restaurant we greeted and escorted to two seats near the fire. We were asked if we wanted the wine pairing along with dinner, which we clearly answered YES! Immediately we were poured a glass of champagne to start what would be the most incredible meal of our lives.
Everyone started to arrive and the bottom floor of the restaurant filled up with the 15 guests who would be dining. Some sat at a long farm table and others on couches and small chairs around the room. Then it began. Every course was timed perfectly. All the dishes were delivered simultaneously and then the hostess or chef would clap their hands twice to get everyone’s attention. They would then describe the dish and explain the best way to eat it.
The courses just kept coming. One after another the most intricate and exciting dishes we’ve ever tasted were served. Things like eggs covered in ash, bone marrow pudding, giant clams, local porridge and scallops cooked over juniper branches. Every ingredient is locally sourced to the extreme and most ingredients come from right here on the farm.
After about 10 smaller appetizer courses we were moved into the upper dining room for the remainder of the meal. The dark lighting and ambiance in the dining room made the perfect setting for the meal. The inside of this building has to be one of the most beautiful spaces we have ever been in. The dark lit interior pops to life with massive warm toned spot lights that illuminate very focused areas.
Our favorite dish of the night was the King Crab with almost burnt cream. (Pictured below) It was simple and perfectly executed. One of the best bites of food we’ve ever had.
Another highlights was the butter which has hand churned and sat on a hot stone. It was smeared over homemade bread and melted in your mouth. We couldn’t get enough.
After the first 15 courses things started to slow down a bit. We sipped on wine and chatted with the staff. Wine was poured freely throughout the evening and we had extra glasses of the orange natural wine that came with the giant clam dish. Ben, our sommelier was wonderful. He was super knowledgeable about all the different wines and poured us some amazing glasses.
We also loved how interactive the chefs were with the guests. They all served us at different times, cooked in front of us, and explained the dishes. It was incredible to see the teamwork between the entire staff throughout the night. It was a flawlessly executed dinner!
After the 30th course we were escorted back downstairs to our seats by the fire.
After Dinner Delights
Seated back by the fire we were feeling full and happy. We just had just finished the most incredible meal and had drank plenty of wine. What was next? Was there more? The answer is YES! After we got comfortable the staff brought out a wooden box filled with homemade treats like nougats, caramels, candies, and dried fruit. We were offered more wine, coffee and were able to try some homemade egg-nog style cocktails. Rich, creamy, and radically different, they were an insanely fun treat. Then we were brought a box of Chef Magnus’ homemade snuff which has been lightly fermented in bitters barrels. It’s a traditional after-meals here in Sweden. We both were ready to try anything and the snuff was a fun, unexpected end to the meal.
After sitting around the fire inside the restaurant we asked if we could take a tour of the root cellar and kitchen. The head chef personally took us outside in the dark to the root cellar. We climbed through the little wooden door and stepped into the tiny room. Different sized jars adored the shelves labeled with different vegetables and things inside. The root cellar helps preserve ingredients over the winter months by using natural fermentation processes. After that we headed into the butcher room and saw the hanging meats and walked through the kitchen. We loved getting a behind the scenes peek at where this magical food is created.
After our tour we headed into the teepee where a bonfire had been lit. We sat with other guests, sipped on lingonberry Negronis, puffed on fancy cigars and told stories around the fire. The perfect ending to a perfect evening. After the fire went out we stumbled upstairs to our room, fell onto our beds, and slept with full bellies under warm fur blankets.
Breakfast
When we woke up the next morning we hustled back down to the dining room for breakfast. The coffee was delicious and basically everything served at breakfast was made on the farm. We had more of the delicious butter, homemade local jams on homemade breads, and farm fresh eggs. The presentation was gorgeous and was a great final experience before we had to leave.
Goodbye & Thank You
After less than 24 hours our time at Faviken came to an end. We packed our bags and were given a goodie bag with some treats for the journey home.
We just heard that Chef Magnus is leaving Faviken and that this winter (2019) will be his final season. We feel extremely lucky that we were able to come to Faviken and have this once in a lifetime experience. Thank you Faviken for making us feel right at home and sharing your incredible food with us.
