Stockholm city drinking
Stockholm's summer sun lasts late into the evening and at this time of year the city's nightlife comes alive. The winters are so cold that Stockholmites really make the most of summer: seasonal terraces open mid-May to mid-September, and locals drink and dine alfresco at every opportunity.
Over the last decade or so cocktail bars have sprung up across the city and the best (see our recommendations) are of the standard of the very best in London or New York, and indeed a number of bartenders have returned home after honing their trade in top London bars. Wine lovers are also well catered for with wine bars extending to one dedicated to natural wines. Beer drinkers will find choices more limited, but most bars offer a good range of locally brewed craft beers with Södra Empress IPA, brewed some 30 minutes drive away, being our favoured local beer.
Since June 2005 it has been illegal to smoke inside bars, restaurants, cafés or nightclubs and this ban is strictly enforced. Smokers will find this restrictive during the chilly winters but less challenging during the alfresco summers.
The minimum age for buying alcohol in stores is 20 but 18-year-olds can buy drinks in restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Most places are licensed from noon to midnight (from 1pm on Sunday), although nightclubs and a few bars have extended licences till 2am.
Taxis are plentiful and Uber taxis are also commonplace and arrive quickly.
