Update from the weekend in Feb

2008-02-10 Sweden

So on Thursday we had done a little shopping and hungry as always we decided to go for some food and fate took us to Odenplan in Vasastan. We ended up going to a “sushi” bar called itamae located at Odengatan 62. I had been here before, but its worth visiting more than once, though to call it a sushi bar is in line with Stockholm’s bastardisation of the word (and Itamae means sushi chef) – its more of a wok/thai place I think and the food is really good and really cheap.

Its basic in the way the best Eastern food places are, quick, the food is delicious and the menu choices are set into three areas, then you choose whether you want vegetarian, chicken, prawns or (I think) pork.

Friday we meant to meet up with some friends of mine and go to Restaurang Himlen (also known as Skybar – not to be confused with SkyBar in the SAS Radisson) located in the old tax office on Götgatan 78 in Södermalm but unfortunately I wasn’t notified early enough to a change of plan by my friends that they had gone somewhere else. We tried to get in anyways at about 7:30pm but greeted by the typically bad doorman Stockholm had to offer was asked to wait outside in the cold for 20 minutes. This despite our party of four matched the numbers of those leaving, and the fact that no one else was waiting led me to believe all the wanted to do was start a line to prove how popular the place is.

I have heard good things about it, but that the doormen are typically bad as is the custom in Stockholm, the drinks really expensive – even for Stockholm and the service terrible.. Mmm. Should we try again?

Instead we ended up going round the corner to the Vampire Lounge on Östgötagatan – a place I have been quite a few times now and well known for their excellent cocktails. We appeared to have arrived in happy hour as the prices of drinks was extremely reasonable – about 29Kr for a Beer and 59Kr for a cocktail, but this soon ended but I would never call the drinks expensive for that you get.

Saturday we tried to go out again to a large party that was happening in Telefonplan but the 13 dance floors and 49 DJs on offer seemed to be over subscribed – good for them, but the queue to get in was apparently from the place all the way to the train station, and getting on the t-bana in the same direction many more seemed to be joining them. Instead we went out in Söder – to SöderTeatern which was hosting what it described as Flamenco music – which it briefly touched upon but it was ok music anyway.

Sunday I wasn’t feeling too good – coming down with the flu but we made it out to a apartment viewing in Södermalm – always interesting, but I think that we will carry on looking but it did have potential thats for sure. Coffee break on Götgatan (will try and get the name of the place) and then back home.