Restaurant Linje 10

Entrance...

I recently wrote about the up-and-coming Hornstull neighbourhood... and this past week, a friend and I visited one of the many local restaurants there: Linje 10. The name means "line 10" and refers to the former street car, or tram, line that ran between Värtahamnen and Hornstull (taken out of service in 1967).
The restaurant serves a menu filled with flavours from southern Europe. I had the grilled loin of Ibérico pork with sherry and crispy potatoes ("El Cerdo Ibérico") and my friend opted for the plat du jour which was an Atlantic redfish. Rustic, unpretentious, reasonably priced and tasty.

Popular bar!

While the food was good, I think the selling point is the restaurant's laid-back vibe which is a reflection of the neighbourhood itself. My friend and I had a chuckle as both the staff and many of the patrons really lived up to the Södermalm hipster style... plenty of low-slung, skinny jeans, facial hair and retro fashion. Young, friendly and attentive staff. The bar is popular and the crowd is boisterous... couple this with music and tables set close together means that it can get a bit loud. Fun if you are out with friends, but perhaps not the optimal place for a romantic dinner. The bar itself is definitely worth a visit and they have several tapas and charcuterie options on the menu to go with your glass of wine. In other words, a good place to go and watch local Stockholmers in action...

Shave and a haircut?

The restaurant shares space with both a florist and a retro barbershop, all three going under the name Tjoget. Linje 10 is open for both lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. Located in nearby Hornstull, it is very easy to get to from the Rival Hotel... either a 20 minute walk or two stations away on the subway (red line to Hornstull). Not the best pictures perhaps, but it was crowded in the restaurant so it was hard to take pictures without disturbing other guests. Click here for more restaurant reviews.

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AN restaurants, Södermalm

Restaurant Gondolen

Gondolen as seen from Slussen

 I believe most towns and cities have that one mainstay restaurant where businessmen take visiting clients, husbands take wives for anniversary dinners and locals take out-of-towners who they want to impress. While there are a few restaurants in Stockholm that fall into this category... Gondolen is the one that comes first to mind for me! Established in 1979, it has been around awhile too, which means that most Stockholmers have been there once or twice. I visited the restaurant today for just one of these reasons... a lunch celebrating a friend's 40th birthday.

Back entrance from Mosebacke square

Views towards Slussen and Gamla Stan

The restaurant is owned by celebrity chef Erik Lallerstedt (since 1994) and, in fact, the restaurant's full name is Erik's Gondolen. The food, Swedish/international cuisine, is great, but what really brings in the guests year after year is the fantastic views. Located on the heights of Södermalm, where the locks separate the island from Gamla Stan, it has impressive views of the harbour, Djurgården and (of course) Gamla Stan. It is hard to miss the restaurant... it sticks out from the Södermalm heights like a pier, with its name emblazoned on the side. That, and the digital clock & thermometer on the end of the restaurant, has made it a Stockholm landmark.

Table with a view.

Main dining room.

To get to the restaurant from the Rival Hotel is very easy... just a 10 minute walk! You can either enter the restaurant using an elevator from the bottom of the building at Slussen, or you can enter the back way, across the bridge, from the square Mosebacke Torg. One word of warning... this is a restaurant that needs a little advanced planning to visit. Because of its popularity, one should book a table at least a week or so in advance (in order to be guaranteed a table). I often get guests who come to me in the early evening and want me to book them a table the same evening. Difficult! If no tables are available, I usually recommend that they visit the restaurant's cocktail bar, which is very good, have a drink and enjoy the views before heading to another restaurant for dinner. Another good tip is that during the summer months they have a roof-top (open air) barbecue restaurant as well, which is on drop-in basis only... no reservations!
Click here for other restaurant recommendations and click here for other places in town with a view.

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AN restaurants, Södermalm, view

Next Week: Culture Festival, Outdoor Cinema & Midnight Run!

I am on vacation next week... off to Spain for a friend's birthday. I wanted to leave you with some tips of fun things happening in the city during my absence!

GAT Stage, kulturfestivalen.stockholm.se

First up is the fun Kulturfestivalen (Culture Festival). I am sad to miss this! This festival runs from 13th through the 18th of August and encompasses all things cultural. Best of all... it is all free! No admission fees. It is a little hard to write about since there are so many things going on, but basically the festival takes place in the downtown area around the squares Gustav Adolfs Torg, Brunkebergstorg and Sergels Torg. The program (click here) runs from midday until late in the evenings and you can find something for every taste... cabaret, opera, salsa, literature, street performances, dance, Bollywood, vintage punk reinvented, nightclubbing and much, much more. The best thing is to check the program linked above and pick your favorites. If I was in Stockholm this week, I wouldn't miss disco legends The Pointer Sisters! Side by side with this festival is another one called We Are Sthlm. This one is aimed at the youngsters (13-19 yrs of age) with lots of live music and takes place in Kungsträdgården from the 13th to the 17th of August.

Source: The Pointer Sisters

If cinema is more your cultural cup of tea, then you are in for a treat. The Stockholm Film Festival has their annual Outdoor Summer Movies next week. They will be showing a great movie every evening (August 14th to 18th) under the stars. And it is free! The evening starts with fun activities at 6pm and the movie starts showing at 8:30pm. Popcorn, soda pop and other snacks are sold there... but you can pack your own picnic basket. Be aware that some of the movies have an age limit. Movies include The Fly, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Kids Are All Right. All movies are in English with Swedish subtitles except for A Royal Affair on the 14th (Danish with Swedish subtitles). This all takes place in Rålambhovs Park on Kungsholmen.

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm's Visitors Board

Finally... Saturday, August 17th is the date for the annual Midnight Race (Midnattsloppet). This is a late evening 10K race around the island of Södermalm (where the Rival Hotel is located). More than just a run, it always has a festival like atmosphere... with DJ's and Samba & Dixie bands playing along the route. There is a costume competition as well! So, even if you aren't running (36,000 others are!), come down and cheer them on while enjoying some great music and festivities! The main race starts at 9:30pm and ends when it ends... though the finishing line is on the street Hornsgatan. Just a few blocks from the hotel! One word of caution: don't plan on travelling around Södermalm by car or bus this evening as many roads will be cordoned off. Stick to walking or the subway.

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AN culture, festival, GAT, kungsholmen, movies, Södermalm, sport

Hornstull Neighbourhood

For years, most of the neighbourhood of Hornstull has been one big construction site. The majority of the construction is over and the area is emerging as one of Stockholm's new "in" areas. Located on the westerly tip of the island of Södermalm, the area has long been a transportation hub for western Stockholm with bridges connecting the island to Kungsholmen and the southern suburbs as well as tram, bus and subway stops.

The island of Södermalm (also the location of the Rival Hotel) has for the past couple of centuries been the home of Stockholm's working class. Gentrification of the island over the recent 40-50 years has changed it into a chic area with boutiques, galleries, restaurants and cafés and the home of artists, bohemian culture and young up-and-comers. One of the most famous gentrified areas is SoFo (South of Folkungagatan)... and as SoFo has become slightly over-exploited (it is found in just about every tourist guide), Hornstull has developed into the place where young Stockholmers want to live, work & play. In fact, some people have taken to calling the neighbourhood NoHo (North of Hornstull).

Hornstull shopping center

So, what is new? The underground passageways connecting the subway station to street level have been refreshed, adding many new boutiques. In fact, the passageways also connect to a small shopping center with stores selling fashion (H&M among others), technical gadgets, books, flowers as well as a larger liquor store (Systembolaget) and grocery store. Probably the most obvious change is a new, three story, leaning glass building adjacent to the shopping center's street entrance. Housed within this building are two restaurants... Hornhuset and Trattoria Enzo's. There is even a rooftop terrace which should prove to be very popular during the summer.

Hornhuset with rooftop terrace

As the area has increased in popularity, more and more restaurants have moved in over the past few years. Some well-known ones, representing a wide range of cuisines and price ranges, are Ho's, Ramblas, Linje 10, Judit & Bertil, Calexico's and Lasse i Parken. Cafés, always popular with Stockholmers, are in abundance! Another reason, as a tourist, you might visit Hornstull is its proximity to green areas. The small, leafy island of Långholmen is nearby... a great place to take a swim or to rent a kayak during the summer months. On the other side you have the park Tantolunden and the waterfront promenade Hornstulls Strand. Another fun thing to do is walk across the bridge Västerbron, which connects the area to Kungsholmen. Great views of the city!

View from Västerbron

There is still some minor construction going on (beautification of the sidewalks), but this is already a great place to visit. It is easy to get to from the Rival Hotel... just a 20 minute walk down the street Hornsgatan, or else two subway stops on the red line.

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AN restaurants, shopping, Södermalm, SoFo, tourist information