For my wife‘s birthday this year, we went on a surprise trip to Stockholm for the weekend. It’s a city that we’d both been wanting to visit for a while having heard such great things, so one Friday we met at Gatwick after work and we were off.

With not much time in the city, I’d been keen to suss out the best gluten free spots for some tasty food. Top of most people’s lists seemed to be Under Kastanjen (Under the Chestnut Tree) in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town.

Once we’d caught up with sleep having arrived after midnight, we headed out to explore and find the restaurant tucked among the narrow maze of golden, almost terracotta-coloured, walls. The restaurant, situated as the name suggests under a huge chestnut tree, was really busy so we had to sit inside but there’s some lovely seating in the courtyard too.

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Being a massive tourist and Ikea dinner fanboy, I had to go for the meatballs, mash and gravy with lingonberries and pickles. Completely what I needed, Scandinavian comfort food at its finest. Kirstin went for a Swedish platter with meatballs, salmon, herring, salami, all sorts! The great thing about it all was how much they understood gluten intolerances, so would definitely recommend if that’s something you’re concerned about.

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After some more exploring (and a trip to the ABBA Museum) we decided it was time for cocktails and some food. Food and drink isn’t cheap, but there’s a real sense of quality and pride in local ingredients which is great. Plus, when you’re only in the city for less than 48 hours it’s a little easier to be ok with treating yourself.

We stumbled across the Östermalms Saluhall, and Lisa Elmqvist’s seafood restaurant immediately caught our eye. The modern building is the market’s temporary home while its original 1888 home around the corner is restored, with work hoping to be completed in 2020.

The restaurant and deli originally started life in 1926 when the aforementioned Lisa bought a stall in the original market. Now four generations later the Elmqvist family are still selling and cooking some of the finest seafood the city has to offer.

Above is Kirstin’s perfectly grilled salmon with roasted tomatoes, asparagus, capers, and anchovy sauce. I went for a butter-fried fillet of pike perch served on a bed of creamed wild mushrooms which was just as divine as it sounds. On top of that we were given a bowl of local new potatoes which, while simple, was the best accompaniment.

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There’s always room for a little bit of dessert too though, so I had some lovely fresh Swedish strawberries with cream, vanilla ice cream and fresh mint and Kirstin went for creme brûlée with berries.

While we were in the Swedish capital, we stayed at the Hobo Hotel (much nicer than its name suggests) in the Norrmalm district, not far from the central train station. The rooms were comfy and beautifully designed, making for the perfect base to explore Stockholm on the long days as we approached Midsommar (it’s light for 19 hours of the day at the peak of summer). In the mornings the bar area served a delicious buffet breakfast where you could make your own open sandwiches and indulge in cinnamon baked goods. But as the evening approached the well stocked cocktail bar would come into swing. Due to its location directly beneath the hugely popular rooftop bar Stockholm Under Stjärnorna, it was even busier as a pre-drink spot before people headed up to the 14th floor. We went for a negroni, and a sorrel-infused Beefeater cocktail, which were both delicious and a great way to bring our first day in Stockholm to a close.

Having been blessed with the most perfect blue skies and warm weather, we headed to Djurgården for day 2. Stockholm is made up of these islands, 14 of them to be precise, so hopping between them is all part of the fun. It was there that we found Rosendals Trädgård, a beautiful garden centre and cafe (think Petersham Nurseries, but more rustic), and decided to stop for a drink and an ice cream in their orchard.

While it was tough to tear ourselves away to head back home, it’s a city that you can definitely get a lot out of in a short space of time. I can’t wait to visit again and explore more of what the area has to offer.