Stockholm. Must-visits

There is a place in every city that you have to visit. These two are THE places in Stockholm.

Tösse

95 years ago the founders of this place couldn’t even imagine that years later Mattias Ljungberg, one of the greatest Swedish pastry chefs, would be working here for at least 20 years – besides being an outstanding baker, he has a whole collection of gold medals and grand prizes, he has cooked for the royal family, and, what’s most important, he knows that every good bit of patisserie is based on butter, flour, sugar, eggs and all things natural. This bakery has no place for ready-made sauces or cream mixes.

Everything is made from scratch here. It’s one of those bakeries that stick to the classics both in the interior arrangements and the look of their products, but this is certainly a case of “don’t judge a book by its cover” – the taste of those simple-looking cakes and cookies is something else. Too divine not to give them a try. But even if you’re not in the mood to try a lot of things, there’s one that you absolutely have to – you should be refused boarding for your flight home until you’ve tried it. It’s the famous semla bun. Available from January to March, it’s worth flying to Stockholm for – that’s how superb it is. A tender, fluffy cardamom bun, filled with a cardamom and almond paste, covered in heavenly airy and soft whipped cream, and then finished with another layer of that same bun. Divine. If you’re not here in semla season, there are so many other things to try, and a princess cake could be a great beginning of your Tösse flavour journey. After all, if you want to enjoy a classic fika (the traditional Swedish coffee or tea break), you should do it the right way ‒ with a hot beverage and 7 different biscuits.

Karlavägen 77, Stockholm
www.tosse.se

Fabrique

At the Fabrique bakery you can sit with your eyes closed and just slowly inhale the aroma of freshly baked loaves just out of the oven. The grey metal shelves attached to the white tiled walls seem tiny compared to what’s on those shelves – huge sourdough loaves of various kinds, shapes and flavours (with walnuts, with rye and much more). The baguettes and buns, arranged in wooden boxes, are just as mouthwatering.

Even though nowadays you’ll find 13 Fabrique locations in Stockholm and 3 in London (their cinnamon bun has been voted the best of the best by Londoners), it’s still a family business. The big loaf is really big and hard to finish, but you can buy one to take home. What you really have to try on the spot is a hot freshly baked classic, one of the most popular Swedish pastries – the cardamom bun. There’s no going back home for you if you haven’t tried one! Their cinnamon buns and walnut pastries are just as good, so it’s best to try all of them.

For breakfast here the locals like grabbing a coffee, a yoghurt with homemade granola and one of the sandwiches, filled with prosciutto and lettuce or cheese and tomato. And don’t forget one of their freshly squeezed juices – the beetroot, apple and fennel one sure is a vitamin bomb. And if you think this will be the only time you pop into Fabrique over those two days in Stockholm, you’re wrong. It’s too good not to visit more often.

Rosenlundsgatan 28, Stockholm (cafe and store that provides bread for all other Fabrique locations in Stockholm)
www.fabrique.se

In cooperation with www.airbalticblog.com
Photo: Kristine Dzalbe