Photography Exhibition with a Rival Twist

Photo by Daniel Lindberg

Photo by Daniel Lindberg

Photo by Daniel Lindberg

Not only is Daniel Lindberg one of the Rival Hotel's fantastic bartenders, he is also an accomplished photographer! He has had several successful showings in Stockholm, even here at the hotel, and is now rounding off 2013 with a small exhibition of some of his favorite pieces from previous exhibitions. The exhibition is called "This and That" (Ett och Annat) and contains photographs that all have a special meaning for Daniel, including some great images of Stockholm. The showing runs until December 10th and can be seen at Café Mariaberget on Blecktornsgränd 4, just a stone's throw from the hotel. The café is on the way to Monteliusvägen, that I've reported on earlier, with its great views of the city. Great combination... have an espresso at the café and admire his photographs before heading up to see the view. Then, in the evening, you can talk to Daniel as he mixes your cocktails in the Rival's Bar. You never know... you may be able to haggle a good deal on a photograph to take home with you! Café Mariaberget is open from 11am to 6pm on Tuesday through Friday, and 11am to 5pm on Saturday & Sunday.
Check out his website to learn more about Daniel and his work...
.

Read More »

Add Comment

AN art, cafe, tip

Places With a View Over Stockholm

Looking out at City Hall

You don't have to go far from the Rival Hotel to find a good vantage point to see the city. The hotel's neighborhood is on a slight rise that dominates the island of Södermalm so there are several viewpoints close by. Directly across the street (Hornsgatan) from the hotel you'll see gentle stairs leading up to a small, quaint neighborhood of cobblestone streets. At the end of the the lane you have Monteliusvägen which is a 500 meter long walking path that gives you great views of the Old Town, City Hall and Lake Mälaren. All pictures here are from Monteliusvägen.

Looking back towards the hotel

A little further away, about a 10 minute walk, you have popular Mosebacke Square which connects to Katarinahissen and there you have a view over both Lake Mälaren and the waterfront. Here you will also find the very popular restaurant Gondolen. The popularity is mainly due to the views... be aware that you should book a table here at least 2 weeks in advance. They also have a very nice bar where you can have a drink and admire the views without having to book a table.

Monteliusvägen

If views are your thing, then here are several other spots in Stockholm with great views: restaurant Och Himlen Därtill on top of the Skrapan "skyscraper", historical street Fjällgatan, the TV tower Kaknästornet with restaurant and bar and the newly built SkyView. This last one is a glass gondola that takes you to the top of the Globen Arena, which is located in the southern part of Stockholm. Someday soon I'll try the SkyView and come back with a report...

Read More »

Add Comment

AN park, restaurants, sightseeing, tip, view

Tip #17- Religious Worship, Part 2

Last week I talked about Catholic services in Stockholm, this week it will be about Jewish services.

The largest synagogue is the Great Synagogue of Stockholm (Masorti), which is also recognized as a National Historic Building. It is located on a side street (Wahrendorffsgatan 3b) right off of Kungsträdsgården park. Here you will also find the Jewish Library as well as the Holocaust Memorial which lists 8,500 victims who were realtives of Jews residing in Sweden. More information can be found on their tourist info page. If you are planning on visiting a Shabbat service, you should send in your name to info@jfst.se no later than Friday at 11am.
There are two Orthodox Synagogues in Stockholm... one which is right around the corner from the Rival Hotel. The Adjat Israel, known as Söder Shul, is located on St Paulsgatan a 5 minute walk from us. Adat Jeschurun is located in the Jewish School building in the downtown area. The interior furniture in this synagogue was rescued from the Hamburg Synagogue that survived Kristalnacht.

While we are on the subject, I can recommend the Jewish Museum (Judiska Museet)in here in Stockholm. Located in the Vasastan neighborhood, this museums focuses on the history of the Swedish Jews and their adaption to Swedish society. Open every day but Saturday, entrance costs 60 SEK, 40 for seniors and 20 for students. Free entrance with the Stockholm Card.

Read More »

Add Comment

AN museum, religion, stockholm card, tip

Weather- First Signs of Winter!

The season's first snowfall came this morning covering the city with the white stuff. Sadly, it will have probably melted away by this afternoon. But this is what you can expect from Stockholm weather the next couple of months. Snowfall and then melt... sometimes freezing rain. It is usually not until January that we can expect snow that sticks to the ground for longer periods of time, though winter can be unpredictable: last year we had lots of snow from the middle of December and onwards.

The lesson in this? Be prepared if you are coming to Stockholm this autumn or winter. Check various online weather sites for updated information. Two websites that I recommend are yr.no and smhi.se. I usually try and look at a few weather sites before heading somewhere for vacation as weather isn't an exact science. Be also aware that snow in Stockholm, more often than not, means delays in commuter traffic as well as traffic jams on the highways. If you are travelling by car... drive carefully!
The pictures are taken in Maria Square, in front of the Rival Hotel, this morning...

Read More »

Add Comment

AN tip, weather

Christmas & New Years in Stockholm

I know. You are thinking "Isn't it a little early to be talking about the holidays?". Not really. The Rival Hotel is starting to receive a lot of room reservations for the holiday season... so it is a good time to come out and explain a little about Swedish holiday traditions and what to expect, so people can plan their trips a little in advance.

Many restaurants close during the holidays. Some close for a few days here and there while others will be closed for up to 3 weeks. Christmas Eve (the big Swedish family time- it is when Santa visits!) is especially tough, followed by Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. The restaurants that are open tend to fill up early, so last minute reservations are sometimes hard to fix. This means that it is prudent to make at least a couple of restaurant reservations before coming to Stockholm. I am in the process of compiling a list of restaurant opening hours during the season. It probably won't be absolutely complete until the end of November, but I already have a fair idea of when many restaurants will be closed. So, if you are staying at the hotel during the holiday season, contact me at concierge@rival.se before arriving and I will give you recommendations for restaurants that are open and then, of course, help you with table reservations. If you are coming in early to middle December, be aware that many restaurants will be only serving a traditional Christmas smörgåsbord, called julbord (also good to prebook). The Rival's Bistro will be open every day of the week, so you don't ever have to worry about going hungry! We will not be serving julbord.

New Year's Eve is another matter. Many restaurants will be open this evening, but here it is good to be aware that all restaurants serve a traditional New Years supper and nothing else. The traditional supper (nyårssupé) is a 3 to 7 course set meal where the diner has a choice between meat & fish for the main course (costs can run anywhere from 400 SEK and up). Vegetarian and allergy options are usually provided. The tradition is that people arrive around 7-8pm and eat a long, leisurely dinner ending in time to view the fireworks. Click here to see The Rival Bistro's New Years Menu as well as other information. Whether eating at the hotel or going out, prebooking a table is an absolute must as restaurants are usually fully booked a few weeks in advance. Once again, contact me at concierge@rival.se for help. Kids of all ages will be setting off fireworks around midnight. The square in front of the hotel is one popular place. Otherwise the official fireworks will take place over the harbour and can easily be seen from anywhere along the waterfront.

Read More »

Add Comment

AN christmas, new year, tip

Tip #17- Religious Worship, Part 1

Sweden is officially a Lutheran/Protestant country and there are plenty of churches in the city offering Lutheran services, but I often get asked by guests about religious services for other denominations and religions. So I thought I would write, in two parts, about how to find Catholic & Jewish services in Stockholm.
.
The Catholic Church has several churches within the city limits, and the main diocese church (Domkyrkan) is actually just a 10-15 minute walk from the Rival Hotel. Located near the Medborgarplatsen square... this church offers  several masses daily, with the masses on Sunday given in several languages (Swedish, Polish, Croatian, Italian & Latin). Please contact me or the hotel reception to get actual times for the different masses and when the confessional is open. Another nearby church is St. Eugenia which is located next to the park Kungsträdgården (closest subway Kungsträdgården- blue line) in the downtown area. They also offer several masses daily, with a Sunday 6pm mass in English. Once again, contact us for other mass/confessional times.

Both of the churches websites, linked above, are in Swedish. However the Catholic Church of Sweden has a website with a limited page in English linked here. There you can find mass times of all of the Catholic churches in Sweden as well as some other information.
Next week: Judaism.
.
Click here for some other useful tips...

Read More »

Add Comment

AN religion, tip

Tips for Booking a Restaurant in Stockholm!

Photo by Yanan Li, visitstockholm.com

Here comes a couple of great tips for visitors who want to maximize their dining experience in Stockholm! In my job, as Concierge at the Rival Hotel, I book hundreds of tables at different restaurants in Stockholm throughout the year... everything from neighbourhood eateries to Michelin star gourmet restaurants. Some guests contact me a few weeks in advance for restaurant recommendations and help in securing reservations. Others come to me last minute, which can be problematic... especially on a Friday or Saturday evening! If you aren't picky about cuisine, price or location of the restaurant then it shouldn't be a problem. It is, however, depressing (and slightly perplexing) when guests come to me at 6pm on a Friday evening and ask for a table at Stockholm's "trendiest restaurant" or "best seafood restaurant" later on the same evening. This borders on the impossible, especially if they wish for a table during peak dining hours (between 7 and 9pm). My top tip if you are coming on a weekend and want a specific restaurant (or type of restaurant) is to book your table in advance! If you are going to stay at the Rival Hotel then I will be more than happy to help you with this. Otherwise you can contact your hotel for help or... book yourself! Almost all restaurants have an online booking system which you will find on their websites. Click here for some personal restaurant recommendations.

Fine dining at Jonas!

A few extra special tips: Swedes get paid on the 25th of every month. The first weekend after payday is called lönehelg ("pay weekend") and it is very traditional for Swedes, flush with money, to go out to eat & drink on this weekend. In other words it is very important to book a table in advance when visiting Stockholm on just this specific weekend! If you are interested in more high-end gourmet restaurants, like Stockholm's Michelin star restaurants, then there are specific pre-booking requirements. Most of them open up their online booking at midnight (Swedish time) either a month or two weeks in advance depending on the restaurant in question. Tables often go quickly! While I can help Rival guests with these reservations, these restaurants generally want to have personal contact with the guests whether it is to check for allergies or to have a credit card number as a guarantee for the reservation. In other words, I can make a preliminary booking for you after which the restaurant would contact you to guarantee the reservation.

Read More »

Add Comment

AN restaurants, tip, tourist information

Tip #16 - Fresh Produce on the Menu

Autumn is my favorite season in Sweden for many reasons. I love the crispness in the air and the changing colors of the leaves, but the main reason is the abundance of fresh produce that show up in the supermarkets and restaurant menus. As a visitor, this is the perfect opportunity for you you to sample tastes that are truly Swedish... and when they are most fresh! When perusing menus in restaurants this season, keep your eyes open for the following:

• Berries- A lot of berries come into season in the forests of Sweden in late summer and early autumn. Besides the familiar raspberries and blueberries (hallon and blåbär in Swedish), give lingon, currants (vinbär) and cloud berries (hjortron) a try! Swedes eat lingon berries, similar to cranberries, with almost anything. Cloud berries have a distinct tart taste and are often added to desserts as a counterpoint to the sweetness.


• Mushrooms- Two particular favorites from the Swedish forests are chanterelles (kantareller in Swedish) and porcini/cep (Karl Johan svamp). They show up on menus in many forms... sauces, fillings and even cooked in cream on toast. Yummy!


• Bleak Roe- this Swedish orange-colored caviar (löjrom) can be found on menus year-round, but is at its freshest in the autumn. Though often used in sauces and as a topping/garnish, it is best eaten the traditional way... with toast, creme fraiche, chives and diced red onions.


• Moose/Elk- it is the hunting season for the king of the forest(älg), while not a personal favorite of mine, it is still worth a taste! You will find them on the menu mainly in the form of stews, but some creative restaurants use the meat to make moose burgers.

The pictures were taken at the outdoor/indoor market at Hötorget, an experience in itself!

Click here for other practical tips!

Read More »

Add Comment

AN restaurants, tip