Rate My Bistro

On the gorgeous picturesque island of Djurgarden is this sweet cafe! I only discovered Bla Porten as I saw these dark iron gates which were framing a contrasting lush green area!

At first I wasn’t sure if it was private property. It looked like a beautiful secret garden! Once I realised that it was a cafe, I entered the gates and was welcomed by a beautiful garden, with lots of outdoor seats!

Inside Bla Porten Cafe, there was a huge wooden table, filled with so many cakes, pastries, fruits and sandwiches. It was all displayed so nicely and it felt like I was in cake heaven! The only thing that I would have changed was that I would have had all the food covered, as I’m not a fan of open food displays.

So, seen as it was time for an afternoon tea break, I had a cup of Earl Grey tea. Bla Porten used fresh tea leaves which they then put into a tea bag! I was told that I could help myself to the hot water and milk, which was by the entrance of the cafe.

As for something sweet, I had a cinnamon bun. This was fairly big but a little dry. It could have had slightly more cinnamon. I could also taste cardamon!

Bla Porten has a lot of indoor seating but I think that it is a lot nicer to sit outdoors, if the weather is good! The staff were very friendly and didn’t mind taking the time to explain what the cakes were.

At first, I had been very impressed with Bla Porten, more to do with its surroundings and its displays. As for the food, it was ok. Maybe I should have tried one of the other cakes and then my opinion might have changed! Saying that though, this cafe had a good range of teas and coffees and I was spoilt for choice!

Bla Porten Cafe, Djurgarsvagen 64, Djurgarden, 11521 Stockholm

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As you enter Nem Nem Quan, some of the seating area is divided by lush green bamboo plants! This Vietnamese restaurant is a busy one! The first time we went there, it was full and the staff weren’t sure how long we would have to wait for a table.

So, we tried again a couple of days later and our luck was in. It was only a short wait till we were given a table!

The menu was in Swedish and they did not have one in English. Again, we were lucky as my friend was on hand to translate! It seemed that some of the waitresses could speak English, so they would have been able to help us too!

This particular evening, I was in an indecisive mood. I really couldn’t decide whether I wanted a rice dish or a noodle one. I was also considering a Pho dish (noodles in soup), that a couple of my friends were having. But there was no vegetarian Pho option. So that quickly ruled that idea out!

Finally, I decided to have the dish of tofu with stewed tomatoes and vegetables with rice. This was the first time that I was having Vietnamese food, so I wasn’t sure what sort of flavours to expect.

The tofu dish was such a good choice! It had big pieces of fried tofu, good sized chunks of tomatoes, onions, spring onions and coriander. All of this was in a rich tomato sauce. Even though I thought that there would be additional different vegetables, the dish worked well as it was.

There was a slight spicy heat to the dish but then this was balanced by some sweetness coming through in the sauce. The fried tofu was not rubbery; it was just right.

Nem Nem Quan had a decor of dark wooden furniture, bamboo placements, beige walls with nice artwork and lots of plants! The staff were friendly and the service was good!

Dining at Nem Nem Quan has made me want to try other Vietnamese restaurants!

Nem Nem Quan, Asogatan 90, Sodermalm, Stockholm

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Cafe Avenyn is conveniently located in the shopping area of Norrmalm and it is a good place to stop for a refreshing cup of tea!

The interior of Cafe Avenyn was fairly striking! It felt very chic with its floral pink chairs. The cafe was nice and clean as well as being spacious. There were a few outdoor seats as well.

Cafe Avenyn had a range of teas and it also had pastries, breads, salads. It all looked very fresh, especially the bakery items.

The Earl Grey tea was served by the cup and it was made with fresh tea leaves instead of tea bags. I was told by the friendly staff that the hot water and milk for the tea was just at the side of the counter and so I could help myself!

Cafe Avenyn was a relaxing cafe helped by the soft songs and music playing in the background!

Cafe Avenyn, Kungsgaten 51, Norrmalm, 11122, Stockholm

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Sodermalm is a lively and quirky area of Stockholm, but it’s nice that Shanti is located in the quieter part of this island! Saying that, it is only a short walk from the centre area of Sodermalm.

It was another hot day so we decided to dine outdoors. Hence, I’m not sure what the inside of this restaurant was like, although it seemed to look like it had interesting decor and a turquoise colour theme!

Shanti did provide us with an English menu, but we’re not sure how much we trusted it! The first thing that we noticed was that there were nearly double the amount of items on the Swedish menu in comparison to the English one.

Also, when we asked for one of the dishes on the English menu (the Masala Dosa), the waiter looked at us blankly. He went indoors to ask what this dish was and if they served it. We were then told that that item was not available! Luckily, my friend was on hand to translate the Swedish menu for us, so that was very handy!

The vegetarian thali was the meal for the evening and it had everything to make it a filling dinner! It was made up of the following dishes: samosa, cabbage and vegetable roll, poori (small fried bread), vegetable curry, spinach curry, rice, pickle, chutney and salad. The portions were of a hefty size and if that was not filling enough, it also came with a naan bread!

Both of the curries had good strong flavours and were also mild enough. The vegetable curry was made of courgettes, broccoli, carrots and peas. There was so much food in the vegetarian thali; even though it was really tasty, I couldn’t finish it all.

The staff were friendly but the service could be a little slow at times. The outdoor dining area was quite large and there were mostly metal chairs and tables. I liked it that Shanti provided blankets for the outdoor seating so you could cosy up once the temperature started to drop!

If you’re looking for a good hearty meal after a day of walking around and travelling, then Shanti is definitely the place to go!

Shanti, Sodermalmsallen 34, Sodermalm, 11828, Stockholm

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On one of the main squares in Gamla Stan is this wonderful cafe! Chokladkoppen is quite easy to spot; just look for the two tall colourful buildings, and the orange one is the one that you want! It is a fantastic cafe to sit and watch the world go by, especially on a hot sunny day!

There are two types of seating outside; one on the decking and the other is the seating that comes out onto the square. If you’re having a meal, then it is nicer to sit on the wooden chairs on the higher level. If you’re just wanting to have drinks, then sitting on the comfy wicker chairs is a better option.

Chokladkoppen does a range of hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, lasagne, salads, soup, baked potatoes, pies, not to mention the big portions of cake!

I decided to have the tomato soup as I was in the need of a hearty lunch and soup always seems to be a good option. I was served with a big bowl of soup and was just expecting some bread on the side. Instead, the soup came with two open cheese sandwiches!

The soup had big chunks of tomato and it was quite creamy. The flavours of the herbs came through as well as the rich tomato flavour. The cheese was very thinly sliced so didn’t make the meal too heavy. The bread that it was came with was a light wholemeal roll. This lunch was perfect and it definitely filled me up until the evening!

The staff were really friendly and gave service with a smile. They were helpful and gave the customers their time, even though the cafe was really busy.

I can see why Chokladkoppen is a popular cafe! It has a great location  in the old town of Gamla Stan, and is so close to lots of attractions such as Storkyrkan (Stockholm’s 700 year old cathedral) and Nobelmuseet (the Nobel Museum).

Chokladkoppen, Stortoget 18-20, Gamla Stan, 11229, Stockholm

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