Some of my friends swear by this stuff called Berocca. It’s basically a tablet you dissolve in water and drink. It’s an orange flavor, and contains a hell of a lot of B vitamins, and about 500mg of vitamin C. It’s rumored that if you take one before you go to sleep after you’ve been drinking, and then another one in the morning, your hangover will be virtually non-existent.
Does this really work?
I haven’t been out to the clubs in a while, but I enjoyed Ambassadeur both times I went. My initial visit was for the Mirror’s Edge release party hosted by EA DICE, when they rented out the whole place, had custom décor adhered to the walls, and Lisa Miskovsky sang the official theme song, “Still Alive”. It was a great night, and there was an open bar enticing all the awesomely hard-working game developers I know.
About a week later I found myself back there again. It was a complicated night. Being a Friday, a group of co-workers found their way across the street from our office to Oxid (Birger Jarlsgatan 33 at Östermalmstorg) so I joined them for a quick glass of wine, before heading off solo to my usual hangout, TGI Friday’s Stureplan.
I was on my second or third Carlsberg when a friend’s boyfriend and his co-workers showed up. “We have a VIP table at Ambassadeur!”, he said. “You should come along! it’ll be great!!!!”.
Mirror's Edge @ Ambassadeur
So I sent my friend (his girlfriend) an SMS, and stumbled down Kungsgatan to Ambassadeur. Within an hour she showed up with some of our co-workers, all of them having left Oxid pissed drunk. What followed was a night which was completely chaotic and yet brilliantly memorable.
Champagne was drunk, when it really shouldn’t have been. I distinctly recall propping myself up in my seat, sipping a glass of water, and telling myself, “No, no, no, you can NOT pass out here!”. Apparently I was so drunk by this time that I didn’t see the half naked Slitz girls who were apparently on the tables dancing topless. How I missed this significant event, I’m not sure, but the guys were certain that it happened. They should know…
Then we all danced. I don’t know how this happened either, but we did, bless our souls. I’ve never done that before, so it’s very frightening to realize I reached that level of depravity. If it weren’t for the fact that drunk people can’t take decent photographs, there would be a bunch of embarrassing Facebook albums, and I’d spend years un-tagging myself. Never bring a sober person to a party – they’re only there to collect evidence.
Ambassadeur is a pretty fun place if you go with a group of crazy good friends. I think it only gets better if you’ve got a VIP table waiting for you, and your friends earn more money than you do.
Visit:
Kungsgatan 18 – near Östermalmstorg, but Hötorget is also do-able
Earlier this year I lost my job and started to rely more heavily on friends within my social circle for nightly entertainment. It’s always nice to see friends, but it’s a bit strange to never see them sober.
I admit that this period of time involved way too much alcohol consumption at establishments like Akkurat and Morfar Ginko, which was proven to me by the mornings when I’d find myself wondering how I got home. Several of my Facebook status updates were of the, “Was that four or five glasses of wine?” and “Did I take a taxi or catch the train?”, variety.
Vasa Eggen
I’ve had many “moments” in this city though, and not all of them were in the last few months. There’s a place called Metro (Götgatan 93 at Skanstull) where EA DICE used to host after work beers, and people were given 3 free drink tickets. One night I made it through 2 and a half drinks and ended up with my head in a waste bin in the tunnelbana station. That must have been when my tolerance was obscenely low (I’ve grown up a little)
Another time my best girl friend and I left a ladies night at Vasa Eggen (Birger Jarlsgatan 29 at Östermalmstorg) which was paid for by our company. We went down the street to TGI Friday’s and I could have sworn we walked in there saying, “I think it would be a really good idea if we order some water and sober up”.
Obviously this didn’t work out, because my friend working the bar that night said we both ordered Carlsbergs. The next morning we learned we had been sending our other female friend a stream of provocative SMS messages telling her how hawt she looked. She was too intoxicated from the after-work to realize what we were writing to her until the following afternoon, during our recovery stage. It’s kind of become a drinking tradition now…
Poker with winegums and bilar
Come to think of it, I actually didn’t drink that much last year for midsummer. I hung around the EA DICE office with a bunch of non-Swedes, and we had barbeque and an elegant sangria. Afterward a group of us played some poker with a pile of English winegums and Swedish bilar candy.
It was memorable but not in the “I’m going to go be sick” way, and I really think we should try hosting those kind of events more often… For the sake of my kidneys and liver! I’m sure they’d be thrilled at the change.
Caesar salad at Brasserie Tures
In my personal opinion the best chicken caesar salad in Stockholm can be found at Brasserie Tures in the Gallerian shopping center in the city center.
I’ve tried probably 40 different caesar salads throughout the city (it’s kind of my favorite type), and I continue to rely on Brasserie Tures for the zestiest dressing, and the most authentic ingredients. (Swedes, please understand that sweet corn is not found on a real caesar salad!!)
Refer to the above photograph for all the mouth watering goodness. Just a side note, but I find they don’t dress the salad enough, so I always ask for some extra dressing on the side. This salad will set you back about $17 USD or 138:- SEK. It’s not something you ought to eat on a daily basis, (unless you can afford to), so save up wisely and enjoy it as a special treat.
Visit:
Hamngatan 37 – inside The Gallerian near T-Centralen
View from Eken Bar
Sometimes the bars you find at international hotel chains can be surprisingly nice. A good hotel bar should attract both locals and tourists, and in Stockholm they typically include an attractive view of the city skyline.
Thanks in part to the scenery, Eken Bar at The Hilton, Slussen, has made it on my list of favored hotel bars. I’m pretty sure I ordered a Staropramen the last time I was there… seems to be my beer of choice…
Only a few steps away from Eken Bar is Erik’s Gondolen, which has an even better view over Slussen and the surrounding area. I typically visit mid-afternoon, and before the after work crowd hits the bar. The bar staff are very friendly and professional, and the Mojito and Grasshopper are my favorites. It isn’t necessary to take The Katarina Lift to the restaurant. There’s an entrance to the restaurant via the office building it’s attached to.
View from Erik's Gondolen
I actually use Erik’s Gondolen for it’s conveniently located restroom facilities. (Stockholm really doesn’t have the most convenient public toilet system).
The restaurant bathrooms are located outside the dining reception area, so if you’re in the Slussen area and have to pee, it’s a first-class option. Look as if you’re waiting for someone, glance at your phone, and then duck into a stall. On your way out hold your phone up to your ear and say something like, “Ahh I’ll come get you”. It works, I promise.
Visit:
Eken Bar – The Hilton Hotel, Guldgränd 8 at Slussen
Erik’s Gondolen – Stadtsgården 6 at Slussen
If you take the Götgatan exit at Slussen tunnelbana, you should exit the station and look immediately to your right. That is where you’ll find Bauer. I’ve only ever been there by myself, which is strange considering my game developer friends are also known to visit the place. I usually order a Cosmopolitan and take my drink close to the front so I can “people watch” along Götgatan.
For a different kind of people watching, you can try Vampire Lounge near Medborgarplatsen. One night after a few too many pints at Akkurat a friend decided to take me there for Monday drinks. It felt like I was entering Dracula’s posh little underground lair. If you’re looking for some great mixed drinks, it’s an excellent choice. I had a Lynchburg Lemonade and it was delicious.
If my memory serves me right, I left the place after a few too many and the trains had stopped running, so I had to take a taxi home (and spent the following day recovering)… but I do plan on returning again soon. I’ve realized that it weren’t for my friends saying, “Let’s go over here now”, I’d miss out on a lot of great places I’d surely never find on my own.
Visit:
Bauer – Götgatan 15 at Slussen
Vampire Lounge – Östgötagatan 41 at Medborgarplatsen
Just a brief distance away from the tunnelbana station at Slussen is a place of wonder and delight also known as Akkurat. With an incredibly wide and worldly selection of beers, you’re bound to find happiness at the bottom of your glass as the night draws to a close around 01.00
My game developer friends have taken an immense liking to the place, so I usually find myself standing around in the corner holding a Staropramen about twice a week. If the social circle isn’t at Akkurat, then they’re at Morfar Ginko, a few steps away from the tunnelbana station at Mariatorget.
Akkurat is good
I drink beer at Akkurat, and white wine at Morfar Ginko. Both are conveniently located so it isn’t too difficult to get home on the train, regardless of which line you live off. I like them both equally, but I seem to spend more time at Akkurat because the food is rather tasty for a “pub”. I order the nachos or the B.L.T. sandwich, and I definitely recommend them both.
Visit:
Akkurat – Hornsgatan 18 at Slussen
Morfar Ginko – Swedenborgsgatan 13 at Mariatorget
I used to work near Stureplan, so I would walk past TGI Friday’s at 08.30, and then return around 17.30 in order to forget about the last 9 hours of my life. For several months it was my nightly routine. I became so predictable that while I’d be shutting down my computer at the end of the day, one of my managers would say, “Have a nice time at TGIF tonight!”. Who knows how much money I spent at the bar there, but it was a nice place to unwind. My last job was beyond stressful, and didn’t pay enough for the effort and energy it demanded.
As I usually do, I befriended most of the bar staff, all of whom recognize me to this day, (on the rare occasion that I’m in the neighborhood). The kind folks at TGIF Stureplan remember when I sat at a table alone taking shots of vodka after my roommate and I lost our apartment, (essentially turning us into homeless expatriates). I’m sure they also remember vividly when my best friends and I showed up minutes after I got fired from my last job, and we drank… and drank… and I got free chips and salsa, and a complimentary sympathy shot. (I love my friends)
Some of you might say, “Well of course she likes TGIF! She’s American, and it’s an American bar and restaurant”, but that’s not really why I like the place. I don’t select a place based on the corporate nationality. I recommend TGIF Stureplan because it was the first bar in Stockholm where I became a “regular”. On a busy Friday night a staff member saved a booth for me and my friends (we didn’t even ask). Another night when I was broke and paying with change, I asked my bartender friend, “How much for a glass of cranberry juice?”.
“How much do you have?”, he asked.
“20 kroner”, I said, counting the coins in my pocket.
“Then the juice is 20 kroner”, he replied with a smile.
Personally my favorite nights to visit TGIF are Thursdays and Sundays, because it’s rather more quiet and the other bar patrons aren’t out mingling and trying to look good, (of course it’s still in Stureplan, so you get some of that anyways). The bartender who typically works in the afternoon is extremely nice, but the lunch menu can feel a bit stale, so I recommend eating lunch elsewhere and then popping in around 15.00 for a beer.
Visit:
Birger Jarlsgatan 16, outside the Stureplan tunnelbana exit at Östermalmstorg
There is another TGI Friday’s at Kungsträdgården, but I never developed an attachment to the place, however it does provide a lot more outdoor seating which is very desirable in the summer.
Staropramen
Recently I found myself out of work and searching through online job listings. I found a position that looked promising, but upon closer inspection I saw my prospective employer had added their mission statement to the advert, which read, “Our organization envisions communities free of the alcohol industry’s negative influence“. After a minute or two of careful consideration, I hit the back button in my browser and decided to apply myself elsewhere.
For starters they choose to focus only on the “negative” influences of alcohol, and being a delightfully positive, charming, and optimistic Sagittarius, I’m not cool with that. If I asked these people to make a list of positive contributions to society made by the alcohol industry, could they come up with anything?. Actually, come to think of it… do you think you could come up with anything? Give that a shot!
I’m not an alcoholic, but I do enjoy drinking alcohol, and I don’t think I could ever work for a company dedicated to taking the fun out of my pub glass. I find organizations dedicated to such causes to be founded on good principles, (obviously alcohol dependency is a pressing social issue), but more often then not, the people involved develop a distorted sense of the problem. Instead of helping the people who need it, they attack the folks who were just enjoying a beer out with friends or a glass of wine on the patio.
Alcoholic residue
Since I moved to Sweden in 2007, I have at least one drink 3-4 days a week. It all started with once a month employer sponsored beer nights (very common around these parts).
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (if we’re still alive…), are the usual pub and club nights throughout my social network, and of course we have our favorite spots (you’ll read about them here), where the bartenders recognize us and bring us “our usual” beverages. Some of my friends even get first name treatment, and they’re obviously quite committed and dedicated to the cause.
All this being said, this is really just a simple personal blog about eating, drinking, and being social in Stockholm. I don’t intentionally promote the consumption of alcohol here, and I don’t insist that you eat food or communicate with other human beings either. If you choose to drink beer, eat pasta, or talk to people, then you do so at your own risk. I assume you are old enough to drink, eat, and speak responsibly, (however I really don’t recommend doing all three simultaneously). It could have unintended anti-social results.
That is all until next time…
