A perfect Saturday in Vasastan

Start your day right with a nice breakfast or lunch (why not brunch?) at Ritorno, one of Vasastan’s – and Stockholm’s – most historic patisseries. You’ll find it on Odengatan, opposite Vasaparken, and here they’ve been serving coffee, pastries, and food with a lot of love since 1959. And you definitely notice the long history in the interior – when you step through the door, it’s like visiting a cafe from the 1950s or 60s. Personal, homely, and with a lovely mix of guests, many of them regulars.

The breakfast makes anyone happy all day long – here you can find, among other things, good freshly brewed coffee and fantastic pastries and bread baked in their own bakery. Are you hungry for lunch? No problem – Ritorno offers both soup, salads, pie, and an à la carte menu with classic Swedish dishes. This is simply the perfect start to your Saturday in Vasastan.

The Sven-Harry Art Museum is necessary for anyone who calls themselves a student or connoisseur of Nordic art. Surprisingly, the art museum is located on a roof of a lone building in Vasastan, and what’s more, it’s an exact replica of art collector Sven-Harry’s 18th-century farm estate. Inside the cozy interior you’ll find scores of famous works by Nordic artists from Ernst Josephson, August Strindberg, Helene Schjerfbeck and Carl Fredrik Hill. Buy your ticket at the entrance; the guided tour lasts about 40 minutes.

Top off your afternoon with a visit to Stockholm’s Ice Cream House – yes, you read that right – featuring a delectable menu designed to knock your palette into seventh heaven. Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt – whatever you fancy, the Stockholm Glasshus has got you covered. Flavors are all over the map, from orange to banana to chocolate cookie, apple pie, licorice, pepper cake, Swiss nut chocolate, toffee cola, rum raisin, Caribbean chocolate, Marrakech, Teheran (ok now we’re just naming places) — we give up; the point is, it’s delicious and everyone will love it so what are you waiting for?

If you have time, scoot off to Observatorielunden, a verdant oasis smack-dab in bustling Vasastan, with origins that date all the way back to the 1700s. It makes for a quiet respite after a long day of museum touring. Atop the hill, you’ll find the 18th-century Stockholm Observatory (it used to be a museum, but it closed in 2014), and on the edges of the park are the beautiful archives of the Stockholm Public Library.

When the evening comes, it’s time for the next stop on your Vasastan tour: Swing by Golfbaren on Surbrunnsbrunnsgatan. Here you and your party are offered an unbeatable combination of mini-golf, food, and drink in a cozy art deco style room with a great vibe and top-class service. Start by challenging each other in mini-golf on high-class courses – a fun activity that will get everyone in a good mood.

When the round of mini-golf is over, and it’s time for dinner, you can enjoy US-inspired fine dining in the spacious dining room. Tuna taco, lobster roll, and pickled tofu are just a few examples on the delicious menu. For those who want some simpler food, there’s also a bar where you can enjoy excellent street food, including some of the city’s best burgers, in a relaxed atmosphere. To sum it up, Swing by Golfbaren gives you both a fun and culinary experience that’s perfect for a great evening in Vasastan.

Wrap up your day in Vasastan with style at the Tiki Room, a Polynesian tiki-themed bar. It’s a creative orgy of fruity and exotic cocktails, highlighted by popping playlists from live DJs. As Stockholm’s only – authentic – tiki bar, jump at your chance for a trip back in time to a 1950’s tropical paradise.