Conscious City Guide – Stockholm Edition

Welcome to Our Conscious Stockholm!

Being green is a quality native to the North. But it’s not just found in the city’s nature and layout, textured with parks, waterways and peaceful oases. Stockholm is also home to some of the most cutting-edge startups and innovation-seeking titans. With a strong sustainable and ethical ethos, young professionals flooded the multi-island capital and transformed it into a mindful, minimalist city focused on slow living and environmental consciousness. After all, it wasn’t the first European Green Capital for nothing.

Stockholm is divided into several regions, each district with its own characteristics and history. But in the end, it’s the people who generate the feel of the turf. Wherever you find yourself in Stockholm – whether it’s in the bohemian heartland of Södermalm; the über sophisticated Östermalm; the bustling city centre of Norrmalm; Vasastan’s homely little Paris, or the historical anchorage of Gamla Stan. You’re bound to stumble into avant-garde concepts and creative resourcefulness from some of the most original and forward-thinking minds.

If you’ve just touched down in town, here are some of our favourite local places. Stay, eat, buy, relax, and caffeinate — Scandi style.

All recommendations bear the Acumé seal of approval!

# WHERE TO SHOP

Judits Second Hand

When Stockholm’s well-dressed denizens freshen up their wardrobes, there’s usually one place where their beloved garments get a new lease on life. Judits is a vintage shop that demands time to leisurely peruse through their excellent assortment of goods. Vintage gems from the 1950-70s share a home alongside a curated selection of designer finds. It ensures there's something among its racks for most fashion lovers. Through a close collaboration, the store also carries a unique range of second-hand clothes by Filippa K.

Iris Hantverk

At the end of the 19th century, a small brush bindery was started in Stockholm. Even to this day, visually impaired craftsmen tie each brush by hand according to old Swedish traditions. Iris Hantverk work with functional designs and specially selected natural materials. Together with a solid craftsmanship, they give each brush a unique quality. The results are beautiful, functional everyday objects that light up your day and made to last. In addition to brushes, you’ll find numerous other handicraft products, textiles, and interior décor items.

Studio Heijne

Located in the liveliest area of Stockholm, Studio Heijne asserts itself as the fashion visionary of the future. It manages to do so through personalized made-to-order clothes and thus, little to no overproduction. It’s one of the few conscious premium brands that provides the opportunity to alter and custom-design. At Studio Heijne is all about the client and custom-fit basics that are equally modern, colourful and feminine. Additionally, by offering these customization services to their customers, the garments gain added value and a much longer lifespan.

Uniforms for the Dedicated

Uniforms for the Dedicated is an elevated designer clothing brand established by a collective of creative minds back in 2008. It has since become a real Swedish success story. Weaving streetwear and timeless tailoring, Uniforms aim to make modern classics that will stand the test of time. Above all else, their clothes are made from recycled, organic, and bio-based materials. These are carefully chosen to embody the specific high quality the brand stands for. They work with suppliers who, just like them, want to develop sustainable production models. Together they have refined fabrics from recycled cashmere, lambswool and alpaca.

# Where to Dine 'n Nibble

Fryst

Artisan ice cream so heavenly special, we’re almost tempted not to write this one down. Since their start in 2013, Fryst have been making organic ice cream from the best ingredients they can get their hands on. The flavour selection varies every single week. It always follows the seasonally appropriate range of fruits and berries, with their usual dash of playful curiosity. They have an abundant assortment of fruity sorbets as vegan alternatives and we recommend any flavour. From their famous rhubarb, cardamom, blood orange, to our ultimate front-runner – a salted caramel ice cream like you’ve never tasted before. Trust us and get in line; the queue for a simple ice cream can take well over 45 minutes.

Hermans

Hermans' focus is to offer a better and available alternative for discovering vegetarian food. All their dishes and desserts are made in their kitchen with immense care and thought. They use organic raw materials whenever possible. All waste is recycled, uniforms and merchandise are made from organic cotton and bamboo, the restaurant is eco-labelled, and the company car rolls on biofuel. They don’t want to be seen as a small niche in the marketplace, but as part of an ongoing conscious movement. They want to help people make the connection between the food they choose to eat and how it has a direct effect on their own health and that of the planet.

Pärlans Konfektyr

SoFo’s (Södermalm’s most common moniker) sweetest candy store, Pärlans is the Swedish brand that focuses on the delicate craftsmanship of confectionary. Pärlans offers handmade fudges and caramel sauces of the highest quality with the best and finest flavours. They cook the confectionery old-school, with fresh cream, real butter and fine sugar, without any use of additives or oddities. They bake everything by hand in a copper kettle, using all-natural ingredients according to old-time recipes. Try one of their best-seller flavours like the salty liquorice toffee bar, all while enjoying the jazzy music coming from the speakers. Step in and be instantly transported back to the 1930s!

Rosendals Trädgård

A feeling of the country right in the middle of the capital. A large piece of carrot cake and a cup of freshly brewed coffee under the apple trees will make you forget everything that has to do with the big city. Rosendals Garden is passionate about the genuine food craft. They consistently work with carefully selected suppliers and the best raw materials from KRAV organic farming. As the season allows, the gardeners harvest vegetables, herbs and fruits directly from their biodynamic crops. They bake all bread and pastries by hand in their wood oven bakery right next to the garden café. Rosendals Garden is a true rare find of Stockholm’s! Don’t be surprised if you bump into Prince Carl Philip or Princess Madeleine in the queue for the café – they are regular visitors.

# Where to Sip

Gemla Vinbar

Furniture studio by day, noisy wine bar during the evening. Gemla’s consistent theme is natural, conscious and artisanal for their wine, food and interior design. The wines are exclusively craft wines without unnecessary additives and manipulation, which are kind to both nature and people. The food served is in the same spirit; the vegetables are the foundation of the kitchen and the season and availability largely control their menu. Gemla Möbelfabrik is Sweden's oldest furniture factory and they work very sustainably with only certified forests and natural tanned leather. In addition to everything else, there's also a deli with cheese and charcuterie, preserves, homemade pâtés, rillettes, pickles, bread, and coffee beans from the best local roasters.

Grus Grus

Despite having only a few years under its belt, Grus Grus exudes as much timeless joy as its neighbour and mothership restaurant, Tranan, which has rolled out its legendary meatballs since 1929. Grus created just the right kind of a messy oasis for wine lovers. A place where it’s as crowded between tables, as it is between wine bottles and tiny dishes. The level of wine knowledge is sky high, but no one is ever written off here. Guests can enjoy a long list of organic or biodynamic wines, usually from small-scale winemakers. From the small open kitchen come tasty rustic dishes made from seasonal local ingredients, complementing an already fantastic wine.

Savant Bar

Home to natural wines and craft coffee, Savant Bar operates as a café during the day and a wine bar at dusk. From a hole in the wall, an unmistakable coffee scent spreads and you realize how sumptuously sensorial the experience at Savant really is. When it comes to coffee, the focus is on small local roasters. As a result, the house coffee comes from a roaster in Lund. In similar fashion, they're always looking for interesting producers of natural wines and how to act on their zero-waste vision.

Tyge & Sessil

Tyge & Sessil welcomes you to explore the world of natural and organic wines, where the liquid gold reigns supreme. They serve wine from small producers who work as close to nature as possible. Preferably from underrepresented areas around the world and made from grapes we didn't know existed. Some are cloudy, others crystal clear. Some are familiar, others are not, but all of them are completely unique. Through their consciously crafted wines, they want to spread the joy of drinking responsibly. This wine bar also sells locally brewed beer options for the wine non-aficionados.

# Where to Snooze

Downtown Camper

In the middle of the concrete in central Stockholm, Scandic opened its third signature hotel. Downtown Camper has nature is its main focus. Besides catering to urban explorers, with skateboards, kayaks, and bikes readily available to borrow, the hotel constantly works with green solutions. The meat in their restaurants is carbon neutral, for e.g., and they clean the hotel efficiently with eco-friendly detergents. Also, its showers have a small hourglass to keep guests from wasting unnecessary water.

Långholmen Hotel

A stone’s throw away from Södermalm, the unique Långholmen Hotel was actually a prison for some 250 years on the island that bears its name. Despite actually keeping their guests ‘behind bars’, the hotel works tirelessly to make their stay comfortable but sustainable. For e.g., they offset carbon for paper consumption and heating, and sell leftover meals via an app in order to minimize food waste.

Nolla Cabin

‘Zero Vacation’ is the new zero-emission holiday concept that plans to act as a counterweight to the long-distance luxury holiday. Specially designed by the Finnish industrial designer, Robin Falck, Nolla Cabin is intended as an experiment. Its purpose is to show that you can live on less and spend more time out in nature, while leaving no mark. They want to show that small changes in everyday life can make a big difference to one's impact on the climate. Also, that more people will be inspired to make similar adjustments. Nolla Cabin is located on Lidö in the Stockholm Archipelago, on its way to make the island completely fossil-free.

Siggesta Gård

A countryside bed-and-breakfast farm, as well as an integration project to reduce environmental impact through organic farming. Siggesta Gård grows about 1500 m2 of vegetables in their kitchen garden, without any fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Another one of their social sustainability projects is to grow hops with the help of newly arrived immigrants from Eritrea with experience in organic farming. Through them, they have learned how to feel the sun, smell the earth, and use techniques that are long forgotten in modern agriculture. The hops they grow are later used to make beer at nearby Värmdö Brewery. The farm is also home to chickens, goats, horses and fine alpacas, and you can see them in their pastures all year round. Some days they have feeding rounds, pony riding and other such fun stable activities.

# Where to Unwind

Remedy

An upscale boutique studio where physique, spirituality, and unique training regimes blend harmoniously together. Besides classes in Pilates, Garuda and Barre, Remedy offers sound healing meditation, infrared sauna, and different spiritual treatments. Set aside at least half a day for training classes, meditation, sauna, and a fresh Fika in this Zen environment. The bustling noise of the streets outside will never have felt so distant.

Release Co.

Do you love trying out anything new within the realm of wellness? If you feel that your body needs a real treat, then watch out for Sweden’s first IV clinic. Release Co. is a health clinic specializing in intravenous and intramuscular vitamin therapy. Their vision is to use their medical expertise and holistic knowledge to help patients reach optimal levels of health and vitality. Together with experts, they have developed three products that help you through everyday life. ‘Release your Mind’, ‘Defence’ and ‘Sleep’ all offer a unique blend of ingredients of the highest quality to achieve optimal effect. All products they use for injections and infusions are approved by the Medical Products Agency. Moreover, Release Co. only works with licensed nurses and doctors.

Urban OM

Located in central Stockholm, Urban OM does not look like much to the world from the outside. Inside, however, is an urban oasis for city dwellers to meet, connect and explore being together. To support this, they offer over 60 weekly yoga & meditation classes led by highly trained instructors. From basic yoga, kundalini yoga, vinyasa flow and chakra yoga, regular immersions and special events, daily body and talk therapy sessions. Plus, an outstanding teacher training in certified yoga therapy offered by international expert trainers. Most people speak English there, so it would be good to know what downward facing dog means.

Yasuragi

A Japanese oasis just 20 minutes from Stockholm's inner city. Yasuragi is not only a spa – it's a holistic experience characterized by Japanese philosophy and sensuality. In Japanese, Yasuragi means inner peace and harmony, and that is what their concept is all about. For millennia, the bathing ritual in Japan has been an important part of creating physical and mental wellbeing by calming and appeasing the mind. Yasuragi offers a Japanese bathhouse with hot springs of various kinds. Both indoors and outdoors under the pine trees, steam and dry sauna, as well as a subdued lounge for silence. These treatments come accompanied by a plant-based Saishoku-cuisine, a gifted one-piece bathing suit, and just like in Japan, a cotton coat Yukata. The latter you get to keep as a memory of your visit to Yasuragi.

Acumé Magazine

Published April 2022