Stockholm: Five new Red Stars and one star gone to soon

By Rachel Fellows

Published 06-February-2025

Interview / Stockholm

Krister Bengtsson founded Star Wine List in 2017, offering insider recommendations to wine lovers seeking the places to visit and take friends to. While the site and app have spread to cover over 45 countries around the world, Stockholm is where it all started. And it's time for an update, and a farewell.

Out of Krister Bengtsson’s five new Red Stars, three are new openings for Stockholm, while two are upgrades from previous White Stars on the Star Wine List map.

“I value originality,” Krister says. “In Stockholm and Sweden, things used to be quite the same. Some importers, wines and trends dominated but I think it is changing. For someone to completely go their own way is always refreshing, and educational.”

First up is Stockholm Stadshotell, which is “the exciting new opening from the very experienced team behind Café Nizza and Babette.

“At the other end of the scale are two openings from sommeliers who wanted to build something new, and original. These are Muscadet by Gustav Hökstrand – an oyster bar with Muscadet (plus a few other drinks). Simple and brilliant. And then Bar Nacka from Anton Hansson – he took over a pizzeria and is serving delicious bites and pizzas along with an original, big and low mark-up wine list.”

Krister praises both Bar Nacka and Muscadet for being “utterly original and both have great prices – let’s pray they can keep it up."

The upgrades from White, to Red Stars go to the restaurant at Hotel Diplomat (“a very classic destination where we’ve been impressed by the wine list expansion under Wictor Öholm”), and to Dashi: “a Japanese restaurant that has a top team with, among others, Harry Jordås from Sushi Sho and Nicolas Ozawa, previously at Oaxen Krog. Although the sake plays the number one role here, the wine selection is interesting and growing, so while you don’t want to miss the sake, a bottle, or glass, from the wine list really lifts the experience.”

Take a look at our full guide to Stockholm’s top wine destinations.

A star gone too soon

Elsewhere in the city, Krister notes the temporary closing of a personal favourite, two-Michelin-starred Aloë, following the tragic and sudden death of its founder and chef Daniel Höglander just before Christmas, aged 45. Höglander was also the gastronomic leader at one-star Operakällaren, with Emanuel Tärnqvist.

“I last met Daniel at Operakällaren just before Christmas and we talked about our plans for 2025,” says Krister. “A few days later he was gone after a heart failure. It is a great tragedy for his family, his six children, his friends and colleagues. But it's also a loss for gastronomy in Sweden.

“People ask me about my favourite restaurants in Stockholm. Over the past decade I've said that there are lots of great ones but, when it comes to fine dining, Aloë has been my number one. I mentioned originality earlier and Aloë under Daniel Höglander, Nicklas Jönsson and their team has offered just that, merging North African, Mediterranean, French and Asian influences with flawless execution – and none of it resembled what was being done at other restaurants around town. It took Michelin a long time to recognise it, but eventually they got their two stars. Daniel, of course, wanted to get another one...

“There is a lot more to be said. For now, let me just say this: Thanks for all the great dinners and conversations, Daniel. We miss you.”