Something my mum has always taught me is to prioritise experiences over physical presents, creating memories that last a lifetime and spending time with those who matter. Because when you look back, you might not remember what you got, but you will remember going out for that meal or visiting that place and who you did it with. So in the true spirit of experiences, I thought my mum deserved just that for her birthday this year and I took her to Stockholm for a long weekend.
We spent our time exploring the city, doing Christmassy things, taking pictures, enjoying plenty of vegan eats and each other's company. My mum is also vegan and Stockholm was pretty vegan-friendly place, from entirely vegan restaurants to labelled offerings in the Christmas markets, we were never too far from something delicious to eat and got to experience some traditional Swedish eats too.
Day 1:
Arriving just after lunchtime we got the Arlanda express into the city, dropped our luggage off at the hotel and headed into the city to explore. For lunch, we found an incredible buffet at a vegan restaurant called Verte - with both hot and cold dishes from stews and gnocchi to sauerkrauts and slaws this restaurant is an absolute must-visit in the city.
Arguably the most famous spot in Stockholm is in Gamla Stan, in the main square of the old town, with the colourful houses that will come up when you google Stockholm. In December it houses a small Christmas market with gifts, food and hot drinks and is about 10 minutes walk from central stockholm. Stockholm is made up of 14 islands, it's largely walkable but also has a full metro, tram and bus system too that takes contactless payments so is easy to use.
Being home to the Nobel prize, during our stay the light installation was displayed around the city, from light-up sculptures, building projections, and interactive pieces like see-saws - we of course had to have a go on the see-saws - it was snowing at the time, -6°C outside and it was just pure joy, feeling like a little kid again and feeling so free - check out my Instagram for a video of this. Wandering between the Nobel light installations was a wonderful way to explore the city at night and took us through a wonderful park, all lit up and with Christmas ice skating in the centre.
We were so excited to try a vegan version of the classic Swedish meatballs. There were two main restaurants that we could find that offered this dish, Chou Chou - which only had a special Christmas buffet menu on at the weekends this time of year and Verte, where we had eaten for lunch on arrival.
We headed back to Verte for dinner, got a welcome-back greeting from the host, and thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The meatballs were a meat alternative, so had a wonderfully chewy texture, the gravy was creamy, savoury, peppery, and rich with a hint of mustard, the mash was a generous portion and super creamy, all brought together with the tangy lingonberry jam and a few slices of lightly-pickled cucumber for contrast. After growing up having eaten a version of this dish at Ikea, it was incredible and almost surreal to be trying it in Sweden. It can sometimes be challenging to eat local dishes as a vegan, so I like to try a few of the main ones where available and then enjoy other vegan offerings in the area from a range of cuisines.
We stayed at the Downtown Camper hotel, located right in the centre of Stockholm, it's a camping-themed hotel, from the activities they put on like free yoga, movie nights, walks etc to outdoor equipment to rent and they even do campfire dinners. It has a rooftop pool spa and sauna - open all year round - a couple of bars, a cafe and plenty of chill-out spots too - like this netted area above the hotel lobby. We headed back for a movie night, snuggled up on the comfy chairs with blankets and watched Batman, it was such a lovely start to our trip and a wonderful end to an incredible first day in Stockholm.
Day 2
Mahalo is a gorgeous cafe serving bright and colourful food, they have two locations and this one was about a mile or so from the city centre, they open at 8 so are perfect if you're looking for an early breakfast ahead of a day of exploring. We both ordered the loaded scrambled tofu on toast, with green goddess dressing, crispy tofu bacon, roasted tomatoes, vegan feta and avocado, it was so good I've already re-created my own version of it and will be sharing the recipe in the new year for you all to enjoy! They have a menu of fresh juices, smoothies and hot drinks - my chai latte was well-spiced and wasn't too sweet. Mahalo is another must-try!
Coming through passport control we had met the friendliest worker I've ever encountered, he took the time to ask us about our stay and recommended we visit Skansen - an open-air museum and home to the largest Christmas market. After breakfast, we hopped on a bus and headed there, it's also next to the Winter Wonderland if that's something you fancy. There was plenty to see and plenty to eat too - with boards up at the big stalls highlighting what was vegan and what allergens were in the foods, we found a few options including vegan hotdogs, burgers and the most incredible mushroom soup with sourdough. We also had some hot glogg (mulled wine) and little spiced cookies which come with it before jumping on the tram back to the centre.
A key tradition in Sweden is a Fika - the essence of which is about taking the time - over a coffee and cake - to enjoy someone's company and have a good chat - typically done around 11am or 3pm. We headed to Kafe Plattan - an all-vegan cafe located in a shopping centre - for a sit-down, I enjoyed the caramel walnut tart and a ginger rooibos, and my mum had the chocolate banana bread and a latte.
For dinner we enjoyed a dinner at the hotel restaurant and whilst they only had a burger on the menu, it had vegan cheese, and pickled onions and was served with chimichurri mayo and lemon pepper fries which really elevated it - it was super delicious and I'd happily eat it again. The wine was also fantastic. So often there's so much to explore that you don't really get to enjoy the hotel itself, so we made sure to do this and to properly relax.
Day 3
Having booked for 10am at the hotel spa, we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. Online I'd heard good things about this breakfast, but I would have loved to see some hot vegan options. That said, the cold selection was pretty vast, with fresh fruit, juices, tea, coffee, vegan cheese & meats, paté, hummus etc, fresh bread, yogurt, milk and a whole selection of cereals and toppings.
The rooftop spa was incredible, there's something amazing about being in a pool when it's -5°C outside and we could easily switch between there and the sauna. There were complimentary teas, water and snacks, or you could order anything else from the bar. The views were just stunning and this was an unforgettable experience.
For lunch, we enjoyed the gyros bowl and burrito from Zoey's Fresh Food. Complete with Oumph strips, rice, salad and plenty of sauce too, another dish I've re-created since because it was just too good to only enjoy once. We even wandered around an Ikea after this just to experience it, and in case you're wondering, the ones in the UK are mostly the same.
The celebration of Lucia, Saint Lucy's day is a tradition celebrated on the 13th of December in Scandinavian countries. The festivities symbolise the start of the Christmas period and are about bringing light and hope during the darkest times of the year. We were there a few days before the official day and decided to book tickets to the Lucia gala - a beautiful concert featuring some of the famous music schools. It was truly a beautiful show and one I'm so grateful to have experienced.
Feca was a short metro ride away from Stockholm Central station, an Italian restaurant with a full vegan menu and fantastic service. I ordered the tortellini in a cheesy sauce with mushrooms, vegan beef and kale. This was absolutely stunning and I'd highly recommend it, I only wish I could have tried the entire menu as there were so many options! I ordered panna cotta for dessert which was creamy and delicious, full of delicate vanilla flavours, served with a strawberry sauce, balsamic glaze and a garnish of basil. Of course, this was all thoroughly enjoyed alongside their house red and finished off with a glass of limoncello - as any Italian meal should be!
Day 4
Our fourth and final day we were flying out in the afternoon, we'd picked up some Swedish saffron buns for breakfast from Kafe Plattan the day before and enjoyed these in our hotel before checking out and doing some final bits of exploring and gift shopping.
For lunch, we'd noticed a taco place right next to our hotel so had a quick bite to eat before picking up our luggage and heading to the airport. We ordered the vegan Oumph tacos, tortilla chips and guac from tres taco joint. They also had homemade salsa verde and hot sauce on the tables, these were pretty delicious and great for a quick lunch.
We found a few snacks and drinks at the airport but not too much substantial food - so it's definitely worth eating before you fly or grabbing something in the town to take with you.
Stockholm was absolutely stunning, from the sights to the food and the lovely people too, I'm so grateful I got to experience it with my mum and create memories that last a lifetime.
Have you ever been to Stockholm?
Cassidy xx
