48 Hours in Stockholm

A December escape

 Where To Stay

Miss Clara by Nobis, Sveavägen 48, Stockholm 111 34

+46 8 440 6700

designhotels.com

What was once The Ateneum School for Girls is now the Miss Clara hotel, conveniently located in the lively Norrmalm district. This art nouveau building is Swedish minimalism at its finest. Book an Etage suite, set in the converted prayer hall with spectacular church-like windows.

Where To Drink

Häktet Vänster, Hornsgatan 82, Stockholm 118 21

+46 70-534 45 59

Even managing to find the unmarked doorway to this hidden cocktail bar is no guarantee of admittance. If there’s no room, the door stays shut. But if you can access this prohibition-era bar in a former prison, choose from a fine selection of cocktails or have one customised.

Where To Go

Fotogragrafiska, Stadsgårdshamnen 22, Stockholm 116 45

www.fotografiska.eu/en

+46 8 509 005 00

Södermalm, with its vintage shops, art galleries, craft beer bars and intimate cafes, is laid-back and bohemian. Visit an exhibition at Fotogragrafiska, a photography museum housed in an old warehouse next to the water: its restaurant’s wraparound windows have wonderfully panoramic views of the harbour.

Where To Eat

Pelikan, Blekingegatan 40, Stockholm 116 62

www.pelikan.se

+46 8 556 090 90

 No visit to Sweden is complete without eating meatballs. Pelikan, a high-ceilinged beer hall setting with wood panelled walls, is famed for these. Try the meatballs with lingonberries and pickled cucumber, washed down with ice-cold schnapps.

 What To Do

Sturebadet Sturegallerian 36, Stockholm 114 46

www.sturebadet.se

+46 8 545 015 00

 Sturebadet Spa, once the haunt of Greta Garbo, dates back to the 1890s and is opulent in carved wood and marble. Indulge in a Turkish bathing ritual then gaze over Stockholm’s rooftops while taking afternoon tea beside the crackling fire in the banquet hall upstairs.