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Absolut Icebar
Okay, it's touristy. But you're intrigued, admit it: a bar built entirely out of ice, where you drink from glasses carved of ice at tables made of ice. The admission price gets you warm booties, mittens, a parka and one drink.
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Bara Vi
Decked out in shag-a-licious floral wallpaper and plush red sofas, 'Just Us' is a popular hangout for trendy 30-somethings who like their drinks list long and smooth. Every second Wednesday from , Bara Unplugged (around Sk30 ) sees local indie acts hit the stage. Scan www.baraunplugged.se (in Swedish) for the line-up.
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Berns Salonger
While the drop-dead gorgeous ballroom here hosts some brilliant live-music gigs, Berns' hottest drawcard is the intimate basement bar/club, Berns 2.35:1. It's packed with hip creative types, top-notch DJs and art projections. Entry is via the Berns Hotel around the corner (Näckströmsgatan 8). Get in early or contact Berns to be put on the guest list.
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Brasserie Godot
Pop in to see the giant murals by graphic artist Erik Eriksson, then work your way through one of Stockholm's finest cocktail menus. Unsurprisingly popular is the John Holmes, a long drink with plenty of kink. Thursday nights are best with a vibrant vibe and room to move.
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Café Opera
Wannabe playboys and their glitzy girlfriends need a suitably excessive place to schmooze, one with bulbous chandeliers, haughty ceiling frescoes and a spangly party vibe. This is it, darlings. In sharp contrast, the adjoining Veranden bar is a crisp white creation by architect trio Claesson Koivisto Rune and a choice hangout for bartenders, meaning a mediocre martini is strictly out of the question.
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Chokladkoppen & Kaffekoppen
If you haven't hung out at one of these cosy cafés, you haven't 'done' Stockholm. The summer months see tables spill out onto the square at these cafés set in a pair of fairytale 17th-century buildings on cobbled Stortorget. Bag a table, slip on some shades and eye-up the passing talent.
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Cocktail Club @ Grodan Grev Ture
Hiding somewhat incongruously below a mock-baroque dining salon is one of Stockholm's best party spots, Cocktail Club. Expect A-list DJ talent from Stockholm to London and Berlin (including Ben Watt, Alan Braxe and Eric Prydz), all working the wax and pumping out house and electro for Stockholm's sweat-soaked club kids.
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El Cubanito
Looking every bit the bodega with its pressed-tin bar and decorative ceramic tiles, this cosy slice of old Havana pours a mean rum drink, from a classic mojito cocktail crammed with fragrant mint leaves to a fabulous 'Fidel'. Add a menu of tropical Cuban nosh and you'll soon forget that it's snowing outside.
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El Mundo
Backgammon boards, Mexicana film posters and a bar made from pressed olive oil tins give this intimate hangout a sultry Latin vibe. There's art in the closet-sized backroom, a friendly 30-something crowd in the front room and an indie pop club night every other Wednesday. On the last Saturday of the month is IDYLL; a pop-electro gay night.
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Eriks Gondolen
Perched atop Katarinahissen, this place serves mean martinis and offers rooftop views. Slip into a leather armchair and play 'spot the landmark'. Respected chef Erik Lallerstedt runs the restaurant, matching the views with top-notch Swedish-Mediterranean food.
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Göken
From the handbag house to the handbag lamp on the bar, friendly laid-back Göken is campier than a jamboree. The bleach-blond barman looks straight out of La Cage aux Folles and the friendly gay/straight crowd perfectly complements the ab fab cocktail list. Take the barman's advice and try a Boeing.
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Grill
If you like to stay in and drink at home, then head out to Grill. This iconic resto-bar, owned by the equally iconic chef Melker Andersson, is set in a furniture showroom, so you can choose a setting and play house with your pals (as long as you don't mind the odd pink flamingo and gold lame drape á la Versace).
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Hotellet
Named for the hotel it never became, this split-level hotspot is home to blonde bombshells, impish brunettes and trendy studs with photo-shoot hair. There's even a trés-chic garden by architect outfit NOD. Not surprisingly, the place has had its fair share of style mag coverage, which seems perfectly justified when sipping apple martinis next to the yummy Nordic eye Scandi.
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Kvarnen
A cheerful mix of Hammarby football fans and Left Party former communists regularly packs Kvarnen, one of the best bars in Söder. The vast beer hall dates from 1907 and seeps tradition; beyond the scruffy old beerhounds and college boys, though, there are two slick bars/nightclubs - one red, one blue - both pumping. Queues are fairly constant but utterly justifiable.
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Lady Patricia
Half-price seafood, nonstop Schlager music and decks packed with sexy Swedes and drag queens make this former royal yacht a gay Sunday night ritual. Kick off at the legendary restaurant (book a month in advance), then head to the upper dancefloor where lager-happy punters sing along to Swedish Eurovision entries with a bemusing lack of irony.
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Laroy
This Stureplan 'it kid' draws the young and the beautiful for self-conscious cocktail sessions. Start off the night with French-fusion food in the restaurant, before trying your luck at charming the catwalk-worthy crowd. Tip: contact the venue five days ahead to get your name on the door.
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Lino
Lino is Stockholm's hottest gay party spot, packing a glitzy punch with its four bars, three dancefloors and mingle-friendly outdoor terrace for alfresco flirting. Disc-spinning talent includes schlager master Edward af Sillén and club head honcho DJ Bernhard.
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M/S Gerda Bar
While the nosh at neighbouring Kungsholmen wins hands down, this sassy floating bar is a fine place to sip daiquiris and catch a summer breeze. Playground of professional types (some of whom arrive by private boats), it's also a good place to snag yourself a cashed-up Swedish plaything.
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Mälarpaviljongen
When the sun comes out to play, few places beat this alfresco lakeside resto-bar for some Nordic dolce vita . Mixed during the day and mostly gay at night, it features bistro-style grub, a cosy glassed-in gazebo over the water and a darn good raspberry fudge cocktail. Call ahead for opening times, which are affected by the weather.
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Mandus
Gay-friendly Mandus is tiny, wildly decorated and disarmingly affable. Best of all, it also serves top-notch grub at midrange prices, which means more money to drink with.
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Musslan
If you like a little French hip hop with your mussels, this tiny dark den is for you. One of Stockholm's best spots for seafood (try a bowl of whelks from Brittany), it's also a good bet for lounging to DJ-spun indie pop, deep house and reggae under the stars (they're painted on the ceiling).
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Nada
Forget Raymond. Everybody loves Nada. With its soft orange glow, mini chandelier and decadent black-toned back bar, this cosy establishment pulls Söder's 20/30-something party people. Nightly, DJs play everything from alternative pop to '80s retro while the Raspberry Sour is the undisputed hit at the bar.
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Nox
Stockholm's style council can't get enough of the designer back terrace here, with its soft mood lighting, snug poufs and chi-chi wooden decking. Inside, sexy black leather lounges, a luminous green bar (try a frozen champagne daiquiri), and smooth DJ sessions Thu to Sat keep the party people purring.
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O-Baren
This bar deep inside Sturehof restaurant is a popular late-night, last-call stop; it's less manic at other times, and a cool pseudo-grunge place to hang out. The white-tiled standing-room-only bar at the front of Sturehof is a popular after-work rendezvous and the perfect place to flaunt those new House of Dagmar threads.
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Olssons
While the retro neon signage, dark tinted mirrors, dancing pole and cucumber cocktail might allude to a kinky disposition, this Vasastaden favourite was actually once a shoe shop. The 'video' refers to the Studio 54-style films projected onto a screen, which is easily upstaged by the hip young crowd, super cool tunes (from retro to electro) and mighty red mojitos. Head in before or prepare to queue.
