EBG Rating: 7.8/10

Choice/Quality of Drinks:
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Decent with a broad, democratic range of options mainly covering mainstream to superior mainstream. Some typical Irish bar offerings too.

Style/Décor:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
A narrow and compact ground floor bar room with Irish style décor with some British touches too. Unusually compact for a theme pub abroad. Downstairs an effective basement bar in cellar vaults adds to the offering substantially.

Atmosphere/Character:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
While undoubtedly touristy and ex-pat heavy, the shape of the rooms and excitable atmosphere is notable, somewhere you can get chatting to a stranger easily. The basement has more natural character and later on quite atmospheric too.

Amenities/Events:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Food, Snacks, TV.

Value For Money:
❤️❤️❤️
A few democratically priced options here demonstrate a fair approach despite the city centre location.

Description:
One of two pubs of the same name, do not confuse the city centre downtown chain with the old town pub, this one.

An Irish themed pub but one that feels like it has been around long enough it is part of Stockholm’s very architecture. This sense of fixture elevates it beyond simply being a theme pub.

In Sweden’s case, such pubs play a bigger role than most countries. The temperance movement annihilated native pub culture, so after the thawing of alcohol restrictions in the 1970s, theme pubs, specifically Irish and British, filled the void.

A narrow and compact pub initially greets you inside, with an unusually (for Sweden) tight throng at the bar. One of those busy, excitable places that makes an impression. Don’t think that’s all there is though, because downstairs past a small niche you’ll find a second basement pub which is very atmospheric and set in cellar vaults – a strong feature of Gamla Stan.

This is where you can get chatting to other excited visitors or stalwart locals, and seems to revel in its status as something of an embassy, gateway or ambassador of Swedish bar culture, the place so many people start their exploration.

The drinks selection is decent with a broad, democratic range of options, which extends to the pricing. The local (still independent lager) is on sale for a very reasonable price and in good condition.

Late opening 7 nights a week makes this place so frequently the answer to the question “where next?”

If you’re looking to avoid tourists and ex-pats you’re probably wise not to come here, but if you’re happy being part of a piece of history, of enjoying the international flavour of the old town and are dying to be inside somewhere that looks and feels in every way like a pub rather than a bistro, you’ll be needing to mark this one down on your to-do list.

(Added April 2026)