Summer Fun at Rosendals Wärdshus

Outdoor seating options and...

We have had some beautiful, summery weather this past week... which means that I, like many other Stockholmers, headed to the idyllic island (and National City Park) of Djurgården to enjoy the outdoors! Djurgården is to Stockholm what Hyde Park is to London and Central Park is to New York City. Besides being the home to many of the city's top attractions (Vasa Museum, ABBA the Museum, Skansen, Gröna Lund and more) it also contains acres and acres of parks, gardens, forests and waterways.

...indoor as well.

Djurgården is also the location of several cafés and restaurants... from coffee & cakes, lunch, dinner to fine dining. This particular day I went to visit one of my favorite places: Rosendals Wärdshus. Rosendal, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, is located just behind Skansen, on a hill overlooking the "royal" canal. They have both indoor and outdoor seating... either on their terrace or on one of their many tables in the park. Otherwise they have sunchairs to borrow if you just want to order a caffe latte or a glass of rosé wine and enjoy some sunshine!

Swedish summer evening!

A great place to have lunch al fresco... the menu contains many Swedish favorites like meatballs, cured salmon, shrimp salad and baked potato with skagen mix. They also have more international dishes as well as sandwiches, cakes and pastries. Currently they are open for dinner on the weekends only, but as we get into summer they will be open every evening. Rosendals Wärdshus is a popular place for larger groups to book (wedding receptions, birthdays, kick-offs) as they have several options where the group can sit seperately from other diners.

Rosé wine al fresco...

Rosendal will also be hosting the Stockholm English Speaking Theatre several times this summer when they will be performing a modern take on Much Ado About Nothing (set in 1960's Italy)... Shakespeare in the Park, Swedish style, if you will! I will write more about this later, or else you can keep an eye on their website for the upcoming dates.

Enjoy the gardens and fountains.

The easiest way to get to Rosendal from the Rival Hotel is to take the convenient Djurgårds ferry from nearby Slussen (9 minute ferry ride). When you arrive on the island, you have to make your way around Skansen park... a beautiful 15-20 minute walk either way. If you are in town, you can take the street car (tram) to the last stop, called Bellmansro. From there it is just a 10 minute walk following the signs for Rosendals Wärdshus.

Follow the signs to Rosendals Wärdshus.

Don't confuse Rosendals Wärdshus with nearby Rosendals Trädgård or the palace Rosendals Slott. Both are great places to visit during the summer months as well. The Trädgård also has lunch/picnic options and, with its rose gardens, is quite popular which means their lunch café can get a bit crowded at times. All these places are well worth a visit during the summer in Stockholm and, as they are located right near each other, you can easily combine all three in one visit!