Stockholm/Norrmalm

Norrmalm [nɔrˈmalm], also known as City, is the central borough of Stockholm, bordering to Östermalm to the east at Birger Jarlsgatan, the Old Town to the south, Kungsholmen to the south-west, and Vasastan north-west of Tegnérgatan. The small Skeppsholmen island can be reached across a bridge.

Here you find Stockholm Central Station, Scandinavia's busiest station for railway, metro and buses. Norrmalm also contains the central business district and several government functions, and many famous museums, stage venues and restaurants.

Understand

For most of its history, Norrmalm was a suburb of Stockholm proper; Gamla Stan. Norrmalm used to be divided by a north-south ridge, Brunkebergsåsen, which remains in form of the elevated streets Malmskillnadsgatan [ˈmalmˌʃɪlnadzˈgɑːtan] and Regeringsgatan. The Central Station opened in 1871, and industries and working-class homes grew along the railway. Southern Norrmalm became a central business district, known as City, through two major redevelopments: first in the 1880s, and again in the 1960s. Since the 1990s, a new wave of renovation has been under way to add residential blocks and pedestrian areas, decrease crime, and reduce traffic noise. Sergels torg and its surroundings re-opened in 2018.

Skeppsholmen was a base for the Swedish Navy until the mid-20th century. Most buildings are still owned by the government, transformed into museums and other venues. Very few people live on the island today.

A political centre, Norrmalm has been the stage of many historical events. Three major assassinations (King Gustavus III in 1792, Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986, and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in 2003) have happened here, as well as a hostage crisis at Norrmalmstorg in 1973, which coined the term Stockholm Syndrome. The name City is said to be derived from City of London, as Swedish people interpreted the English word city as central district.

Get in
See Stockholm County#Public transit for advice on public transport.

Stockholm Central Station is adjacent to Cityterminalen [ˈsitʏˌtærmɪˈnɑːlən] (the bus terminal) and T-Centralen [ˈteːsentrˈɑːlən] (the subway terminal).

Stockholm Central Station

80 per cent of all passenger rail rides in Sweden pass Stockholm Central Station. The last redevelopment was finished during 2013, and most facilities are state-of-the-art.

Tracks (spår) #1-9 are terminal tracks for trains heading north. These can be reached at street level. Track #10, mostly used by trains to Gothenburg, runs just outside the main hall. Tracks #11-19 are connected to the Central Station through an underground passage, and an overhead passage to Klarabergsviadukten.

  • There are more than 60 stores and fast food places at the station, most of them around the main hall. The northern hall has a food court.
  • The station has a taxi stand at Vasagatan, with a surcharge of 21 kr. Only reliable taxi companies are allowed to dock, because of the great variation of cab fares. You can hire any cab at the stand, or hail one in the street; be sure to look up the yellow price tag in the window!
  • Free Wifi network, named All Station Guests.
  • Tourist Information in the main hall.
  • Baggage boxes can be paid with a credit card or cash. They cost 60-70 kr per 24-hour period. There are cheaper baggage boxes at nearby department store Åhléns, as well.
  • The toilets cost 10 kr. If you want to save money, try to ask for the toilets at one of the several hotels nearby.
  • Stockholm City is a station far beneath ground level (below the metro) for commuter trains, pendeltåg, opened in 2017, with modern art in the spirit of Stockholm Metro, simulated daylight and platform walls, it is one of the most pleasant rail stations in northern Europe.

Get around

The area is well served by public transport, and everything is within walking distance. Some streets (Malmskillnadsgatan and Regeringsgatan) are elevated, but there are staircases at most intersections. Car parking lots are available but costly, in most cases above 50 kr an hour during daytime.

As of 2018, many construction projects take place in Norrmalm, forcing cars, bicycles and pedestrians to take detours.

Spårväg City is a tram line which connects the Central Station to Östermalm and Djurgården.

See
Walking tours in Stockholm

Redeveloped several times, Norrmalm has very diverse architecture: The eastern waterfront is full of palatial buildings from around 1900. The 1960s buildings, around Sergels Torg have a flat, modernist appearance with naked concrete, while recent developments paint much of the district in plain white or black surfaces.

  • 🌍 Sergels torg ([ˌsærgəlsˈtɔrj], nicknamed Plattan ("the slab" or "the tile")). Stockholm's busiest city square. The black-and-white Harlequin concrete floor was laid in the 1960s, and while the design remains controversial, and the place used to have bad reputation for drug-dealing and violence, it attracts thousands of people daily for meet-ups, political demonstrations, flash mobs, and merchant stands. In 2018, a renovation was completed, reclaiming pedestrian space from car lanes. 
  • 🌍 Klara Church (Klara kyrka, S:ta Clara kyrka), Klarabergsgatan 37, Klara östra kyrkogata 7-9, ☏ +46 8 723 30 31. Daily 10:00-17:00. Close to the Sergels Torg square, and one of the few buildings in the district to survive the 1960s redevelopment, this large redbrick church was built in the 16th century, following the demolition of a 13th-century nunnery. The 116-metre steeple is the second tallest in Scandinavia and one of the ten tallest buildings in Sweden, making it a significant landmark. The artwork inside includes an 18th-century altarpiece. In the cemetery, a stone commemorates the 18th-century songwriter Carl Michael Bellman. As of 2013, a building between the church and Vasagatan has been torn down, temporarily making the church visible from the Central Station, until obscured by a newly built hotel. 
  • 🌍 Adolf Fredrik's church (Adolf Fredriks kyrka), Holländargatan 16 (T Hötorget or T Rådmansgatan), ☏ +46 8 20 70 76. M 13:00-19:00, Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00, Su 10:30-16:00. Adolf Fredrik's church, named by King Adolf Fredrik, was built in 1768-1774. The exterior is quite intact, while the interior was radically changed in the 1890s. In the church, there is a monument to the philosopher René Descartes, who spent his last years in Stockholm tutoring Queen Christina, until dying of pneumonia. The church is known for the grave of Prime Minister Olof Palme, who was assassinated in 1986. The grave can be found just to the south of the church building. 
  • 🌍 Olof Palme assassination scene, Sveavägen 42. On February 28, 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme and his wife Lisbeth made a spontaneous plan to go to the Grand cinema with their son and his fiancée, without calling in their bodyguards. On their way home, an unknown man came up behind Palme, shot him to immediate death with a revolver, and escaped along Tunnelgatan. The street nearby was renamed Olof Palmes gata to commemorate the victim. The police led several failed investigations; as Palme was a well known world leader, known for his pathos for human rights and his harsh criticism against oppression, the suspects included South African spies, the Kurdish resistance movement, and the police themselves. In 1989, the lone criminal Christer Pettersson was found guilty by the Stockholm City court; though the Svea Court of Appeal later found reasonable doubt and acquitted him. During the following decades, the murder has inspired novelists, crime enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists. In June 2020, the police closed the case, presenting their final suspect: graphic designer Stig Engström, dead since 2000. Engström worked for insurance company Skandia in the office building on Sveavägen, and was one of the few witnesses. 
  • 🌍 National Museum of Fine Arts (Nationalmuseum), Södra Blasieholmshamnen (T Kungsträdgården). Sweden's national museum for European art opened in 1866. A renovation for accessibility and climate control was finished in 2018. The museum exhibits works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Renoir, Degas and Gauguin, as well as well-known Swedish artists such as Carl Larsson, Ernst Josephson, C F Hill and Anders Zorn. The museum also has a collection of applied art, design, and industrial design. The museum has a nice café in its atrium. 
  • 🌍 The House of Culture (Kulturhuset), Sergels torg (T-Centralen). Main galleries open M-F 11:00-20:00, Sa-Su 11:00-17:00. Kulturhuset, a 1970s concrete building in the middle of the modernist city centre, is operated by the city, and a venue for art exhibitions and performances. The building also houses the Stockholm City Theatre, a library (with a comic book department), a teen activity centre, and a scale model of Stockholm. On ground level there is an Internet café. 
  • 🌍 Mediterranean Museum (Medelhavsmuseet), Fredsgatan 2. Tu-F 12:00-20:00 Sa-Su 12:00-17:00. Contains ancient artefacts of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, with a distinguished collection from Cyprus, and an Egyptian mummy exhibition. 60 kr, under 18 free. 
  • 🌍 Dansmuseet (the Dance Museum), Drottninggatan 17. Daily 11:00-17:00. Displays objects related to concert dancing. 60 kr, under 18 free. 
  • 🌍 Strindbergsmuseet, Drottninggatan 85. Tu-Su 12:00-16:00. Dedicated to fin de siècle writer August Strindberg. Closed Monday. 60 kr. 
  • 🌍 Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (Konstakademien), Fredsgatan 12 (a short walk from both T-Centralen or T Gamla Stan). Free entrance. Holds several works from Nationalmuseum. At the same address you can find Galleri Magnus Karlsson (M-F 12:00-17:00, Sa Su 12:00-16:00), a small, local gallery showcasing local artworks. 
  • 🌍 Nybroplan. A square which was built in the 19th century, creating a traffic hub for steamboats to Stockholm archipelago, as well as trams. Sweden's first traffic light was set up at Nybroplan in 1924. A statue commemorates Swedish inventor John Ericsson, who designed one of England's first steam locomotives (the Novelty) as well as the USS Monitor (which was decisive in the American Civil War). 
  • 🌍 Great Synagogue, Wahrendorffsgatan 3B. Inaugurated in 1870. 
  • 🌍 Raoul Wallenberg Monument. A monument near the Stockholm Synagogue commemorates Raoul Wallenberg, a diplomat who had 10,000 Jews in Budapest rescued from the Holocaust. Sweden was neutral during World War II, and made many concessions to Germany, including iron export and passage of German troops. As the Axis atrocities became well known, Sweden had to mend its reputation through humanitarian missions. Raoul Wallenberg travelled to Budapest, issued diplomatic passports to Jews, and housed them in Swedish embassy buildings. Wallenberg was detained by the Soviet Union in January 1945, was never found again, and was long rumoured to be alive. He was declared dead in 2016. 
  • 🌍 Kungsträdgården metro station. [ˈkɵŋsˌtrɛˈgoːɖən] Opened in 1977, and is known for its art, with elements from the former palace Makalös and other demolished buildings in the neighborhood. Due to the 1971 protests, construction was delayed, and the eastern exit was finished in 1987. 
  • 🌍 Hallwyll Museum (Hallwyllska Museet), Hamngatan 4. A museum of antiquities, many of them owned by Swedish royals and nobles. 
  • 🌍 Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Fredsgatan 12. A small, local gallery showcasing local artworks. 

Skeppsholmen

If visiting the museums on Djurgården it's a short ferry ride across to Skeppsholmen where there are several more:

  • 🌍 Museum of Modern Art (Moderna Museet), Slupskjulsvägen 7-9. Tu 10:00-20:00, W-Su 10:00-18:00. World-class collection of modern art, free for the main collection and paid for temporary ones. There are also several outdoor scupltures in the park around the museum. 
  • 🌍 ArkDes - Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design (Attached to the Museum of Modern Art). Tu 10:00-20:00, W-Su 10:00-18:00. Exhibits and models including the annual gingerbread house competition. Cafe with good views outside. 120/100 kr reduced, under 18 free. (updated Aug 2015)
  • 🌍 East Asian Museum (Östasiatiska Museet), Tyghusplan. Tu 11:00-20:00, W-Su 11:00-17:00. Displays ancient, classical and contemporary East Asian culture. Free. 
  • 🌍 The Royal University College of Fine Arts (Kungliga konsthögskolan), Flaggmansvägen 1, ☏ +46 8 614 40 00. 
  • 🌍 Fotografins hus (Panoptikon), Slupskjulsvägen 26 c. A gallery of contemporary photography. 
  • 🌍 Skeppsholmen's quay. Several heritage ships, with information plaques. 

Do
  • 🌍 Kungsträdgården. A park with frequent stage performances, and ice skating during winter. 
  • 🌍 Centralbadet, Drottninggatan 88 (entrance from the courtyard T Hötorget), ☏ +46 8 545 213 15. M-F 06:00-20:00, Sa 08:00-20:00, Su 08:00-17:00. A classical bath-house in one of Stockholm's most beautiful art nouveau buildings, this is a place where you can go for a swim, have a beer in the sauna bar or enjoy a full spa treatment. Rather expensive and sometimes crowded on weekends. Adults 130 kr (F after 15:00 and all day Sa 180 kr), includes entrance to pool, jacuzzi, gym and saunas. University students and seniors 70 kr Su-F until 15:00. Most spa treatments 350-700 kr. 
  • 🌍 The Royal Swedish Opera (Operan) (T-Centralen). This 1898 building, stages classical operas in original language or Swedish, as well as classical ballets and concerts. The first opera house was built in 1782, commissioned by King Gustav III; 10 years later he was assassinated at a masquerade ball in the same building (which was torn down in 1892). The Opera House offers daily guided tours in English. Strömterrassen is a café with an astounding view of the Royal Palace. Within the same building is Operakällaren and Café Opera (see below). 
  • 🌍 Skandia cinema, Drottninggatan 82 (T Hötorget). This 1850s building houses a 1920s cinema designed by the Stockholm Public Library architect Erik Gunnar Asplund. A beautiful and intimate setting. 
  • 🌍 Stockholm Concert Hall (Stockholms konserthus) (T Hötorget). The home stage of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the place of the annual Nobel Prize ceremony. 
  • 🌍 Casino Cosmopol, Kungsgatan 65 (T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 781 88 00. Daily 13:00-05:00. Minimum 20 years of age, photo ID required. Dress code recommended. If you find yourself longing for an international casino, the Swedish state has heard your needs. In 2003 Stockholm's only casino was opened, drawing a rather diverse crowd. There is a restaurant in the casino. Entrance 60-120 kr/year. 
  • 🌍 Oscarsteatern, Kungsgatan 63. An art nouveau playhouse opened in 1906, which usually stages Swedish and international musicals. 
  • 🌍 Dansens hus, Norra Bantorget. A stage for classical and modern ballet. 
  • 🌍 Hamburger Börs, Jakobsgatan 6. A 200-year-old stage restaurant which has hosted world-renowned artists such as Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli and Rod Stewart. 
  • 🌍 Eric Ericsonhallen (Skeppsholmen). Formerly a naval church, this is today a concert hall, mainly used by the many choirs in Stockholm. 
  • 🌍 Space, Sergelgatan 2. A convention centre and video gaming arena with temporary exhibitions and events. Until 2024 they feature an interactive exhibition dedicated to the Swedish music producer Avicii, also known as Tim Bergling. 
  • 🌍 Blekholmsterrassen. A waterfront park renovated in 2023. 

Buy

Norrmalm is Stockholm's main shopping district. Norrmalmstorg, Biblioteksgatan and the southern end of Birger Jarlsgatan, together with crossing streets and the Sturegallerian shopping centre on Stureplan, form the most upscale shopping area in the city, with brands like Emporio Armani (Biblioteksgatan 3, +46 8 678 79 80), Gucci (Birger Jarlsgatan 1, +46 8 545 005 44), Hugo Boss (Birger Jarlsgatan 28, +46 8 611 42 40), Karen Millen (Biblioteksgatan 7, +46 8 611 57 06) and Louis Vuitton (Birger Jarlsgatan 17 A, +46 8 611 92 00).

Drottninggatan is a pedestrianised street starting at the Riksbron bridge to Gamla Stan and continuing north up to the Observatorielunden park. The section south of the Sergels torg square is a typical tourist trap, dominated by stores selling tourist souvenirs and cheap clothes, and bland and bleak restaurants. Between Sergels Torg and Kungsgatan you will find the Åhléns and PUB department stores, as well as flagship stores for some national and international clothing chains. North of Kungsgatan, there are more cafés, restaurants and smaller stores.

Department stores and shopping centres
  • 🌍 Åhléns City, Klarabergsgatan 50 (T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 676 60 00. Open M-F 10:00-20:00, Sa 10:00-19:00, Su 11:00-18:00. A large department store in a central location, with a good selection of designer clothing brands. Also beauty products, kitchenware, interior design, books, toys, and everything else you would expect from a major department store. 
  • 🌍 NK (Nordiska Kompaniet), Hamngatan 18-20 (T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 762 80 00. M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 12:00-16:00. A large, upmarket department store opened in 1915, dominated by classic fashion. Has a big book department. Well known for its elaborate Christmas display window decorations, usually revealed in late November. 
  • 🌍 Gallerian, Main entrance: Hamngatan 37 (T T-Centralen or T Kungsträdgården). M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 11:00-17:00. Stockholm's oldest shopping mall, where you can find many of Sweden's major mainstream fashion chains as well as some foreign brands such as Topshop/Topman, French Connection, Esprit and United Colors of Benetton. As of 2018, the building complex is under renovation. The whole passage is open, as well as many stores. 
  • 🌍 MOOD Stockholm. A high-end shopping mall opened in 2012, with prestige brands, contemporary art, a spa, and tree houses (!), as well as, on the practical side, free toilets that they unashamedly advertise - and rightly so, as the ones in competing establishments aren't. 

Fashion

The area around Sergels Torg is dominated by mainstream fashion shopping, with seven different H&M stores. Alternative clothing stores can be found further north.

  • 🌍 Acne, Norrmalmstorg 2 (T Kungsträdgården or T Östermalmstorg), ☏ +46 8 611 64 11. Denim and some inventive young fashion. 
  • 🌍 Carin Rodebjer, Jakobsbergsgatan 6 (T Östermalmstorg), ☏ +46 8 410 460 95. Exclusive women's fashion. 
  • Filippa K. Biblioteksgatan 2 (T Östermalmstorg), +46 8 611 88 03, Grev Turegatan 18 (T Östermalmstorg), +46 8 545 888 88 and Götgatan 36 (Man) +46 8 615 70 80/Götgatan 23 (Women), +46 8 556 985 85 (T Slussen). Everyday fashion with a broad appeal. 
  • 🌍 Indiska, Drottninggatan 53, Slöjdgatan 11 (T Hötorget or T Centralen). South Asian style: interior design and clothes. There's another store at Västerlånggatan 50 (T Gamla Stan). 
  • Weekday (T Hötorget), Drottninggatan 65, ☏ +46 8 411 29 70. Open M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 11:00-17:00. Olofsgatan 1 (T Hötorget), +46 8 411 51 50. M-F 11:00-19:00, Sa 11:00-17:00, Su 12:00-16:00. Götgatan 21 (T Slussen), +46 8 642 17 72. M-F 11:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-18:00, Su 12:00-17:00. Three stores (the Drottninggatan one being the largest) with a focus on young fashion and street wear. Large assortment of the popular Swedish jeans Cheap Monday, which, surprisingly, is rather cheap. 
  • 🌍 Punkt Shop, Sergelgatan 13 (T-Centralen). A small store for alternative youth fashion (rock, punk, hip-hop), simple accessories, and novelty T-shirts. 
  • 🌍 Gamla Brogatan. A pedestrian street with all kinds of alternative fashion stores, including punk, thrasher and Japanese street fashion. 

Bookstores
  • 🌍 Akademibokhandeln, Mäster Samuelsgatan 28 (T T-Centralen). Stockholm's largest bookstore, with a large selection of books in English as well as many international magazines. 
  • 🌍 Bok-Skotten, Regeringsgatan 55 (T-Centralen). Discount bookstore with a general selection, across the street from the Akademibokhandeln listed above. 

Glassware and furnishing
  • 🌍 IKEA City, Regeringsgatan 65. The world-famous furnishing retailer has an urban store opened in Norrmalm. It has a broad product range, though not as great at the big-box stores in Barkarby and Huddinge just outside Stockholm. 
  • 🌍 Village, Kungsgatan 27 (T Hötorget or T Östermalmstorg). Furnishing. 
  • 🌍 Bukowskis, Arsenalsgatan 4. A well-renowned auction house for high-end art and antiquities, many of them on public display during daytime. 
  • 🌍 Lagerhaus, Drottninggatan 31-37 (T-Centralen). Interior design in cool retro style. 
  • 🌍 Orrefors & Kosta Boda, Birger Jarlsgatan 15 (T Östermalmstorg), ☏ +46 8 545 040 84. Flagship store for two of Sweden's most well-known glassware. 
  • 🌍 Designtorget, Sergels Torg (T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 21 91 50. M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-18:00. A design store specializing in smaller items, ranging from the beautiful to the useful to the downright eccentric. 

Other
  • 🌍 Buttericks, Drottninggatan 57. A century-old store for party supplies, costume rental, and practical joke devices. 
  • 🌍 Kaplans (Kaplans Auktioner), Biblioteksgatan 5. Vintage jewelry, watches, and silverware. (updated Feb 2018)

Eat

Restaurants in Norrmalm are usually crowded by office workers during lunch break (from 12:00 to 13:00). Á la carte dining can be rather costly; expect to pay more than 120 kr for a hot lunch, and more than 250 kr for a dinner.

Cafés
  • 🌍 Cafe Panorama, Sergels torg 3. Kulturhuset's 5th floor (T T-Centralen). A large café with large windows and a nice open terrace overlooking the lively Sergels torg. 
  • 🌍 Vete-Katten, Kungsgatan 55. Well-known pastry- and coffeeshop with historic interiors, dating back to 1928. (updated Nov 2021)

Budget
  • 🌍 Fattoush / Roppongi / Panini, Hamngatan 31 (T T-Centralen or T Kungsträdgården.). A small three-restaurant food court in a central location between the Gallerian shopping center and the NK department store. Fattoush has tasty Lebanese fast food, Roppongi has decent sushi, and Panini offers a selection of sandwiches and salads. 
  • 🌍 Hötorgshallen, Hötorget. Open M-Th 10:00-18:00, F 10:00-18:30 (10:00-18:00 1 Jun-31 Jul), Sa 10:00-16:00 (10:00-15:00 1 Jun-31 Jul). Deli market in the basement of the cinema Filmstaden Sergel. Here you can get everything from sushi via meze to Swedish meatballs. Most places offer good value for money. 
  • 🌍 Kungshallen, Kungsgatan 44 (T Hötorget). Food court in the basement with a wide variety of ethnic foods, across the street from Hötorget. Mostly good value. Prices around 60-120 kr (dinner). 
  • Max, Central Station (T T-Centralen), Hötorget, and Norrmalmstorg (T Östermalmstorg or T Kungsträdgården). Hamburgers Swedish style. Free Wi-Fi. 
  • 🌍 Nooshi, Sergels torg 3, ☏ +46 8 35 25 20, . 11:00-20:00. An Asian restaurant at the centre of Stockholm, on the ground floor of the culture house Kulturhuset. The location is easily found in central Stockholm. Serves a mixture of cuisine from various Asian countries, including Japan, Korea and Thailand. 100 kr-140 kr. (updated Feb 2015)
  • 🌍 Zocalo, Kungsbron 4. 11:00 to 21:00 mostly. A chain of Mexican fast-food restaurants. The restaurants are spacious and have a trendy decor. The service is based on automatic signal devices (no table service) and is very fast - getting your order ready usually takes about five minutes from when you walk in. Try the burritos, that's what the chain is known for. Five restaurants in Stockholm and four elsewhere in Sweden. 95 kr. 
  • 🌍 Sally Voltaire & Systrar, Klarabergsgatan 50 (Åhlens department store, 4th floor). Vegetarian restaurant with different types of salads (large servings), sandwiches (not that large) and a variety of coffees, juices and craft beers. 90-120 kr. (updated Jun 2016)

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Prinsen, Mäster Samuelsgatan 4 (T Östermalmstorg), ☏ +46 8 611 13 31. M-F 11:30-23:30, Sa 13:00-23:30, Su 17-22:30. An 1897 restaurant which serves traditional Swedish dishes in fine dining style, as well as some French bistro classics, all in a very nice setting. Mains 225-395 kr. 
  • Operabaren and Bakfickan, 🌍 Operahuset, Kungsträdgården (T Kungsträdgården). Two restaurants in the Royal Opera house, sharing the same menu. Much more laidback, and considerably less expensive than the formal fine dining restaurant Operakällaren and the celebrity-obsessed nightclub Café Opera in the same building. Operabaren and Bakfickan specialise in traditional Swedish cuisine. The rustique "back pocket" Bakfickan is slightly cheaper, but does not allow reservations. Mains: Bakfickan 130-260 kr, Operabaren 150-300 kr.
  • 🌍 Eataly, Biblioteksgatan 5 (T-Östermalmstorg). An Italian market hall and food court inside the Röda Kvarn cinema. (updated Feb 2018)
  • 🌍 Räkan, Vasagatan 23, ☏ +46 8 522 40 888. 12:00-23:00. A restaurant from Gothenburg, serving shrimp and other seafood. The tables are around a pond, on which a model boat delivers the shrimp servings. (updated May 2019)

Splurge
  • 🌍 Café Opera and Operakällaren, Operahuset, Kungsträdgården (T Kungsträdgården), ☏ +46 8-676 58 00. In the building of the Royal Opera, Café Opera has for long been the place if you want to be seen with celebrities. Offers good food and drinks. Dress code applies, entrance fee 220 kr. In the same building you'll find a beautiful dining room of the formal and extremely expensive Operakällaren. If you want a less costly option, consider the other two restaurants at the Opera: Operabaren and Backfickan (see Mid-range above). Mains: Café Opera 195-325 kr, Operakällaren 210-450 kr. 
  • 🌍 F12, Fredsgatan 12 (T T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 24 80 52. M-F 11:30-02:00, 17-22:30, Sa 17:00-22:30. The stylish F12 (short for the centrally located address) is regarded as one of the best fine dining experiences in Stockholm by most critics, including White Guide, the most ambitious Swedish restaurant guide. Mains 270-520 kr, 7-course tasting menus 1095 kr. 
  • 🌍 Frantzén, Klara Norra kyrkogata 26. Only restaurant in Stockholm awarded with three Guide Michelin stars. (updated Mar 2020)

Drink

Most hotels in the area have a hotel bar. Most are costly even by Swedish standards; a beer is around 70 kr.

Central Station and Vasagatan
  • 🌍 Bishop's Arms, Vasagatan 7 (T-Centralen). There is one English-style pub in the Bishop's arms chain close to the Central station. (updated Aug 2015)
  • 🌍 IceBar, Vasaplan 4 (in the Nordic Sea Hotel, T T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 505 635 20, . The bar is made of ice. You have to wait a long time before you can get in, because there are only 30 people allowed at a time. (updated Feb 2018)
  • 🌍 The King's Fox, Kungsgatan 24. A British-style pub. 
  • 🌍 Radisson Skybar (Radisson SAS Royal Viking Hotel), Vasagatan 1 (T-Centralen). M-Sa 17:00-01:30. Not the most elevated sky bar in the world, in any sense of the word, but if you want a panoramic view to go with your drink this is the only option in the Norrmalm area (although Gondolen's Bar on Södermalm probably has better drinks). 
  • 🌍 Kristall, Kungsgatan 56 (T-Centralen). A three-floor nightclub opened in early 2013. Usually free entrance. 
  • 🌍 Internationella Pressklubben / Duvel Café, Vasagatan 50. Boasts a broad assortment of Belgian beer. Offers beer tasting events. 
  • 🌍 Le Bon Palais, Barnhusgatan 12. A three-floor nightclub with 1980s and 90s music and karaoke. 
  • Glenn Miller Café, Brunnsgatan 21A, 111 38 Stockholm, ☏ +46 76 882 45 49. 18:00-01:00. Renowned jazz club in Stockholm serving French cuisine. There is a live jazz concert in the late evenings, Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations are available for dining guests and the concert fee is a minimum of 50 kr per set and per person. Guests can also enjoy the concert with a drink in the bar. You can enjoy a variety of jazz music by artists like Max Agnas, Niklas Barnö, Kjetil Mulelid, Anders Chico Lindvall and so on. (updated Nov 2019)

Eastern Norrmalm

The eastern district is dominated by high-cost establishments. The nightlife hub Stureplan is divided between Norrmalm and Östermalm. Dress code, vårdad klädsel, usually applies at late night. Getting inside the most fashionable clubs can be difficult: arrive early, don't drink too much, and behave well.

  • 🌍 Konstnärsbaren (KB), Smålandsgatan 7. Wall painting by Sweden's most famous artists. 
  • 🌍 Golden Hits, Kungsgatan 29. Not just a three-floor nightclub with a karaoke bar, but also a stage for dinner shows with pop music. Guests of all ages. 
  • 🌍 East, Stureplan (T Östermalmstorg). Asian cross-cooking, funky music, and ethnic diversity hardly seen at any other nightclub in central Stockholm. Open until 03:00 every night, but gets crowded, so go there well before midnight. Dress code may apply. 
  • 🌍 Rose, Hamngatan 2. A dance club dominated by juniors. Hit music. 

Southern Norrmalm
  • 🌍 Tak, Brunkebergstorg 2. Rooftop bar with astounding view of Stockholm in all directions. 
  • 🌍 The Nest, Brunkebergstorg. An indoor skybar. 
  • 🌍 Harry B James, Kungsträdgården 6. Rock'n'roll bar with occasional live performances. 
  • 🌍 Naglo, Gustaf Adolfs Torg 20. A small vodka bar with a schlager (Eurovision Song Contest) playlist, regularly visited by gay men and opera fans. 
  • 🌍 The Cadier Bar, S. Blasieholmshamnen 8 (in the Grand Hôtel, T Kungsträdgården). Inside the Grand Hôtel, this is one of the more upscale places one can find in Stockholm. It has been refurbished, and offers a modern yet classic atmosphere and really good drinks at that. 
  • 🌍 Berns Bar, Berzelii Park 9 (T Östermalmstorg or T Kungsträdgården). Berns Bar is one of the trendier hangouts in the city centre, with a nice lounge and several dancefloors. You can eat a late dinner here to avoid the high entrance fee. Otherwise, make sure to show up early (before 23:00) in order to get in with minimal hassle. 300 kr entrance and mixed drinks costing as much as 150 kr. Can be overcrowded late at night. 

Sleep

As Norrmalm is Stockholm's central business district, most hotels are at 4- or 5-star level, and priced accordingly; 1000 kr or more for a single room. The bars of these establishments are lively during evenings.

Budget

The hostels in Norrmalm are few and popular. Advance booking is strongly recommended, especially during summer.

  • 🌍 City Backpackers, Upplandsgatan 2A (T T-Centralen or T Hötorget), ☏ +46 8 20 69 20, . Close to the central station. Clean and friendly, with free wireless internet and computers. Plenty of common areas to meet fellow travellers in, including a great café at reception. Dorm bed 230 kr-280 kr. 
  • 🌍 Hostels by Nordic, Drottninggatan 83. Opened in 2010. From 199 kr. 
  • 🌍 STF Vandrarhem af Chapman, Flaggmansvägen 8 (Skeppsholmen) (Bus 65 from T-Centralen, or a short walk from T Kungsträdgården). A full-rigged ship, known as Af Chapman for short, and an adjacent building, 15 minutes walk from the central station. You can specify whether you want to stay in the ship or on land, and it really is a spectacular place to stay. Dorm beds from 260 kr (non-member surcharge 50 kr). (updated Oct 2023)
  • 🌍 Interhostel, Kammakargatan 46, ☏ +46 84 11 23 11, . A low-cost hostel. Dorm beds from 169 kr. 
  • Generator Stockholm, Torsgatan 10, 111 23 Stockholm. A super clean and well managed hostel with a small cafe and bar. From about 155 kr/night for a shared room, and they also have more expensive ~650 kr private rooms and suites. (updated Aug 2019)

Mid-range

Splurge
  • 🌍 Grand Hôtel, Södra Blasieholmshamnen 8 (T Kungsträdgården), ☏ +46 8 679 35 00, . A Grand Old Hotel considered to be one of the most luxurious hotels in Scandinavia, overlooking the Royal Palace. A bastion of elite hospitality, this is where the top level celebrities and political leaders stay, in fact room No 702 is the astounding Nobel Room, where the literature prize winners stay overnight. Its old world luxury and sense of style is well maintained in every room, with some in the Royal Gustavian style, others are intriguing traditional/modern mixes. The rooms are quite pricey but you get what you pay for in terms of service and comfort. The best rooms overlook the water, although these are highly sought after and invariably are booked out. The facilities include a fitness centre, several banquet halls, an upscale bar (the Cadier Bar), and a restaurant which gives an excellent Swedish smörgåsbord, one of the very few establishments in Scandinavia that still does so. Even if you aren't staying here, it's an experience to check out the piano bar, a delightful end-of-the-evening place to get a sophisticated drink. Rates from 2300 kr. 
  • 🌍 Lydmar Hotel, Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2, ☏ +46 822 31 60. A five-star hotel, and a terrace bar with view of the Palace and the National Museum. Rates from 4400 kr. 
  • 🌍 Nobis Hotel, Norrmalmstorg 2-4, ☏ +46 8 614 10 00, . Branded as "Stockholm's first contemporary luxury hotel", opened in 2009 in a 19th-century building. The building used to be a bank office, known for the 1973 hostage robbery which coined the term Stockholm Syndrome. The lounge is 28 meters tall. Rates from 2290 kr. 
  • 🌍 Nordic Light, Vasaplan 7 (T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 50 56 30 00, . Modern Scandinavian design. Each room features individual, specially designed light exhibits, which guests can adjust to suit their mood, and several have excellent views over the city centre. The hotel is in the city centre of Stockholm next to the shopping, nightlife and the express-train to Arlanda airport. Weekend nightly rates from 1139 kr, during the week from 1734 kr. 
  • 🌍 Hotel At Six. A business hotel opened in 2017. 
  • 🌍 Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm, Nils Ericsons Plan 4, ☏ +46 8 5050 6000, . Founded in 1912, previously owned by the Swedish Freemason Order, this waterfront hotel is a prominent example of Swedish architecture. From 2525 kr. (updated Nov 2020)
  • 🌍 Sheraton Stockholm Hotel, Tegelbacken 6 (T T-Centralen), ☏ +46 8 412 34 00, . The Sheraton Stockholm Hotel is a five-star hotel in Stockholm's central business district, perfect for both business and leisure guests. The hotel offers stunning views of Lake Mälaren, City Hall, and Old Town, as well as the largest average room size in town. From 3995 kr. 
  • 🌍 Clarion Hotel Sign, Östra Järnvägsgatan 35, ☏ +46 8 676 98 00, . Branded as a "design hotel", with bold architecture and timeless furnishings. From 1994 kr. 
  • 🌍 Radisson Blu Royal Viking Hotel, Stockholm, Vasagatan 1 (Vasagatan), ☏ +46 8 506 540 00, . Its amenities include free internet and a health centre. From 2395 kr. (updated Nov 2020)
  • 🌍 Radisson Collection Strand Hotel, Stockholm, Nybrokajen 9, ☏ +46 8 5066 4000, . Stockholm's newest Radisson is a part of the Waterfront complex between the Central Station and the Town Hall across the water. The more expensive rooms offer fine waterfront views over Gamla Stan and Kungsholmen. From 2545 kr. (updated Nov 2020)
  • 🌍 Scandic Continental, Vasagatan 22. This hotel opened in spring 2016. Since it is integrated with Stockholm's new commuter rail station, which opened in 2017, parts of the building are still under construction. The 392 rooms have access to gym and sauna. Public areas include a restaurant, a lobby bar, and a terrace bar with an astounding view of Stockholm. From 2000 kr. 

Stay safe

Though rather safe compared to other metropolitan centres, there are a few caveats for central Stockholm:

  • Begging in busy areas.
  • Illegal street gambling, especially along Drottninggatan.
  • The welfare institutions at Klara Church attract homeless people, and people with addiction problems or mental conditions. They rarely cause trouble to bypassers, though.
  • Pickpocketing, especially at the Central Station, and in the metro.
  • The T-Centralen subway entrance to Sergels Torg ("Plattan") is a well-known hangout for drug-dealers at night, however, this should not be an issue unless you are actively seeking trouble.
  • Drunk violence at evenings, especially around nightclub lines.
  • Soliciting of sexual services at night. Hiring a prostitute is illegal in Sweden.

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