Le Hibou – “Perspectives of Winter” Above the Rooftops

Perched on the top floor of the five-star Bank Hotel, Le Hibou is the Stockholm rooftop bar that locals actually wish you wouldn’t find out about. Inspired by an exclusive Parisian suite, it combines plush interiors, candlelit corners and sweeping views over Nybroviken and the city’s rooftops.

In winter, this is where we often begin an evening. The bar’s current menu, “Perspectives of Winter,” is a love letter to seasonal ingredients: apple, plum, fig, buckthorn and raspberry each explored in two different cocktail interpretations, with 14 creations in total.  Expect Nordic produce treated with haute-cocktail precision — bright citrus and sea buckthorn for a frosty lift, deeper stone-fruit and fig combinations for something richer and more contemplative.

Concierge tip:

• Le Hibou is a rooftop bar with both indoor lounge and terraces; it mainly operates on a drop-in basis, and can fill quickly on weekends.

• We typically arrange an early-evening arrival, paired with a table at Bank Hotel’s restaurant Bonnie’s afterwards, so you can drift from aperitif to dinner without ever stepping back into the cold.

Tjoget – Mediterranean Warmth in Södermalm

Across town in Hornstull, on the island of Södermalm, Tjoget is the bar you’ll find on almost every serious “best of Stockholm” list — and with good reason.  The concept blends Mediterranean influences from southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East with a distinctly Scandinavian sense of style.

The menu is both playful and precise. One of the bar’s signature serves is Beets by Tjoget, a vivid cocktail combining beetroot, coconut, ginger, nutmeg and vodka — a drink that tastes like a Nordic winter’s answer to comfort food, yet executed with fine-dining finesse.

In winter, the dimly lit, industrial-chic room — chequerboard floors, metal and wood details, a sociable but grown-up crowd — feels like a natural refuge from the icy streets outside.

Concierge tip:

• Tjoget is popular and can be standing-room only later in the evening. We advise either an early sitting or a reserved table as part of a private cocktail-hopping itinerary.

TAK – Rooftop Cocktails in the Crisp Night Air

If you want Stockholm from above — snow on the roofs, trams sliding past below, the city’s towers lit against the dark – TAK is your answer. This rooftop bar and terrace sits just off Brunkebergstorg and is known for its panoramic views and boldly flavored drinks.

Cocktails here marry Nordic and Japanese influences: think clean, umami-rich flavors, sharp citrus, and local ingredients paired with sake, Japanese whiskies or shochu.  In winter, TAK is one of a handful of Stockholm rooftops that remain open year-round, with heaters and blankets turning the terrace into a surprisingly comfortable spot even when the temperature plunges.

Concierge tip:

• We like TAK as a post-dinner stop: let us arrange a table for dessert nearby, then a short walk or chauffeured hop up to the terrace for a nightcap under the stars.

• For photography-inclined guests, time your visit around blue hour — that brief window when the sky glows cobalt and the city lights have just come on.

Pharmarium – Alchemy in the Heart of Gamla Stan

Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town, is made for winter: medieval façades, narrow cobbled lanes, candles glowing in café windows. Tucked on Stortorget, the main square, Pharmarium occupies the site of Sweden’s first public pharmacy, and leans fully into that history.

Inside, dark wood, apothecary drawers and dried herbs create a moody, quasi-alchemical atmosphere. The cocktail program is known for its inventive combinations and concept-driven serves, often pairing botanicals and aromatics that nod to the bar’s medicinal past.

A winter evening here feels like stepping into a story: snow swirling outside the window, the square quietening, and a perfumed, herbal cocktail warming your hands.

Concierge tip:

• Pharmarium is popular and compact; we often secure advance reservations for guests, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

• It pairs beautifully with a pre- or post-drink stroll through Gamla Stan’s lanes — we can arrange a guide if you’d like a bit of history with your cocktail.

Tweed – Fireside Classics in a Gentleman’s-Club Hideaway

Also in Gamla Stan, but with a very different personality, Tweed is Stockholm’s answer to a British gentleman’s club. Think tartan wallpaper, leather chesterfield armchairs, Turkish rugs and low, flattering light.

The bar is known for its extensive whisky selection and well-executed classic cocktails; it’s the sort of room where a smoky Penicillin or a robust Old Fashioned feels exactly right on a snow-laden night.  Guests sink into oversized armchairs, and the world outside — and its subzero windchill — recedes almost immediately.

Concierge tip:

• Tweed can be surprisingly tucked-away; you reach it via an inner route through the Burgundy/Hotel Victory complex.

• For cigar lovers, there’s a dedicated area and curated selection, making this a natural final stop on an unhurried winter evening.

ICEBAR Stockholm – Cocktails at –5°C

At some point in a winter visit, most of our guests ask about the ICEBAR Stockholm by ICEHOTEL — the world’s first permanent ice bar, built in 2002 and kept at sub-zero temperatures all year.

Located near Stockholm Central Station at Hotel C, the entire interior — walls, bar, even the glasses — is sculpted from crystal-clear ice sourced from the Torne River in northern Sweden.  The bar is maintained at around –5°C (23°F) and admission is usually timed, with thermal capes and gloves provided on entry.

Drinks here lean into Nordic berries and clean, icy flavors: cocktails often feature cloudberry, lingonberry or blueberry, served brutally cold in carved ice vessels.  It’s theatrical, photogenic, and absolutely a novelty — but as part of a curated evening, it’s an entertaining contrast to Stockholm’s warmer, more traditional lounges.

Concierge tip:

• We typically secure advance slots and build ICEBAR into a larger winter experience: perhaps a late-afternoon visit before a private transfer to dinner, followed by a more intimate bar like Tweed or Gemma afterwards, once you’ve thawed.

A Bar Called Gemma – For the Cocktail Collector

For guests who treat cocktails like a fine art form, A Bar Called Gemma is essential. Frequently cited among Stockholm’s top cocktail bars, Gemma is known for its obsessive menu development, with each new iteration the product of weeks of research and testing.

The bar recently introduced a new menu (ABCG Vol. 4), with carefully structured drinks like Esmeralda, built on Gemma Light Rum, Mezcal Vago Elote, Muyu Vetiver, hibiscus and citrus husk.  It’s the kind of place where the bartenders will happily walk you through ingredients you’ve never heard of, then calibrate a drink precisely to your palate.

In winter, Gemma’s intimate scale and softly lit interior make it ideal for serious, unhurried sipping — a bar for those who enjoy storytelling in a glass.

Concierge tip:

• This is a spot where bar seats are gold; we often arrange early-evening arrivals so you can interact directly with the bartenders as they work.

How We Curate Your Winter Cocktail Evening

Stockholm’s winter cocktail scene is compact but wonderfully diverse — and on a cold night, logistics matter as much as the drinks. That’s where our concierge service comes in.

For our guests, we typically:

• Design a progressive bar itinerary tailored to your style — for example:

  • Sunset rooftop cocktails at Le Hibou

  • Dinner nearby

  • Experimental drinks at Gemma

  • Nightcap by the fire at Tweed

• Secure reservations and timed entries at high-demand spots like Pharmarium, Tjoget or ICEBAR Stockholm, aligning everything with your dining schedule.

• Arrange private transfers between neighbourhoods (Södermalm, Norrmalm, Gamla Stan), so you stay warm between venues and never have to worry about navigation on icy streets.

• Integrate cultural or wellness experiences — a museum visit, a Nordic spa session, or a winter archipelago excursion — with a cocktail-focused evening that feels effortless from start to finish.