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The Nordic Nomad

The Nordics

The Nordic hot list
August 2025

The Nordics • Insider guides • The Nordic hot list August 2025

What we’re loving in August 2025 (and you will too)

Stay informed and stay inspired! The Nordic hot list is your monthly dossier of what’s shaping the cultural and creative landscape across the Nordics. From smart new openings and design-forward projects to events worth pencilling into your diary, we spotlight the ideas and initiatives that matter. Whether you’re a local with a keen eye on your surroundings or a traveller seeking authentic inspiration, this is your curated guide to the things that are getting our attention (and deserve your’s, too).

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Top photography courtesy of The Bolder Wave

The Bolder Wave: Rogaland’s cliffside sleep

Suspended like a minimalist spacecraft above the Lysefjord, The Bolder Wave is Norway’s most spectacular new sleep. This daring cantilevered cabin near Preikestolen fuses brutalist lines with soft Nordic woods, offering uninterrupted views from your bed straight into the blue-green abyss below. Inside, it’s all slate, oak and sharp Scandinavian design – created in collaboration with Snøhetta – while outside, the wild Rogaland landscape commands every moment. Guests come for the solitude but stay for the strange serenity that descends with the morning mist. If you’re craving a remote reset with architectural clout and zero distractions, this is the kind of off-grid you’ll want to switch on for.

The Bolder Wave
Ryfylkevegen 259
Forsand
Norway

Photography courtesy of The Bolder Wave

Taberna Búzio: Portuguese pulse in Copenhagen

Once a Nørrebro laundrette, now a tiled ode to Portuguese tabernas, Taberna Búzio channels Lisbon’s after-hours charm with Copenhagen precision. Lime-green bar, imported marble, and samba on the speakers set the tone, but it’s the details – ice-cold mini draft beers topped up without asking, luxury panini toasted to golden crunch, shelves of conservas begging for wine pairings – that draw the crowd. Run by a trio of friends with ties to Hotel Marqi and natural wine haunt Lagar, it’s more than a bar, less than a restaurant, exactly the kind of place you wish your neighbourhood had. You know just the mood. Hot days, small plates and slow pours.

Taberna Búzio
Refsnæsgade 47
Copenhagen
Denmark

Photography courtesy of Taberna Búzio

Schultneck: edgy vintage in Gothenburg

Tucked behind a heavy velvet curtain on Gothenburg’s Södra Larmgatan, Schultneck isn’t your average vintage store – it’s a theatre of style, equal parts archive and experiment. Founded by stylist Olof Runmarker, the shop curates rare pieces with editorial flair, blending Comme des Garçons tailoring with floral bouquets and unexpected curios. The aesthetic is offbeat but intentional, with raw concrete walls and scent-swirled air giving it the feel of a set before lights up. Shoppers drift through with a kind of reverence, unhurried, drawn by the honesty of it all. For travellers tired of overdesigned concept stores, Schultneck is a singular find – emotive, unpolished and entirely its own.

Schultneck
Södra Larmgatan 6
Gothenburg
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Schultneck

Bistro Zissou: French soul, Swedish heart in Stockholm

Hidden in a cosy corner of Gamla Stan at Lilla Nygatan 21, Bistro Zissou is a family‑run Paris‑meets‑Stockholm bistro by Kalle Lindborg and sommelier Emma Skerfe that feels like a secret romance. Its hand‑painted walls and home‑grown blooms frame a pared‑back menu of seasonal French‑inspired dishes prepared from scratch with sustainable produce. Renowned for mussels and ratatouille, and a bread pudding dessert that feels like coming home, it serves a concise wine list from the bar’s grape whisperer. Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings, it’s a snug hideaway for discerning Nordic travellers craving flavour, warmth and unpretentious style.

Bistro Zissou
Lilla Nygatan 21
Stockholm
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Bistro Zissou

Key to Söder at Nofo Hotel: a local lens on Stockholm

Localism has become hospitality’s favourite buzzword, but at Nofo Hotel in Stockholm, it’s less a concept than a working method. With the Key to Söder concept, guests receive a running list of the spots locals actually go to, curated by the team and updated as the neighbourhood shifts. In essense, just knowledge passed on. Where to sit on a Tuesday, what bakery still gets the details right and how to avoid the places that feel off. Access comes with your booking, and the hotel will even plan your stay around it if you’d rather not. It’s localism, stripped of theatre – and all the better for it.

Nofo Hotel
Tjärhovsgatan 11
Stockholm
Sweden

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Photography courtesy of Nofo Hotel

Varv: all-day dockside dining in Malmö

Tucked into Malmö’s revitalised Dockan district on Stora Varvsgatan, Varv is the all‑day eatery and bakery redefining waterfront dining. Open from dawn ’til late evening, it serves house‑baked croissants and artisanal breads alongside a daily-changing menu of modern European dishes – think gnocchi ragù, crispy squid with fries or cauliflower purée with seasonal salad. Helmed by seasoned chefs and restaurateurs from Michelin‑adjacent Vyn and Ruths/Bastard, the place channels industrial‑heritage charm with views across the dry‑dock. Whether you’re after a casual breakfast, a laid‑back lunch or a post‑work glass of wine in the sunny backyard garden, Varv offers both craft and comfort.

Varv
Stora Varvsgatan 6A
Malmö
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Varv

Evert Lundquists Ateljémuseum: artistic stillness in Drottningholm

Hidden within Drottningholm Palace Park, a short stroll from the Chinese Pavilion, Evert Lundquist’s Ateljémuseum offers a raw, emotive glimpse into Sweden’s modernist soul. Housed in a former steam‑powered machine house, this Art‑Nouveau shell, with its vaulted gable windows, became the artist’s workspace from 1953 to 1992. Stepping inside is a revelation – the studio remains frozen in time, brushes and tobacco pipes still at rest, oil paintings, charcoal sketches and dry‑point engravings arrange themselves as if the master simply stepped out for a moment. Open only on summer Sundays and reached via guided tour, it invites design‑minded travellers to witness creativity as a silent dialogue between concrete architecture and Nordic expression.

Evert Lundquists Ateljémuseum
Kantongatan 23
Drottningholm
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Evert Lundquists Ateljémuseum

Bistron & Köket: Södermanland’s new bistro landmark

Overlooking the glittering Baggensfjärden in Saltsjöbaden, Bistron & Köket is where Swedish‑French bistro flair collides with Scandi restraint. Designed by Stockholm studio Koncept, this newly opened restaurant at historic resort Vår Gård Saltsjöbaden is all about raw materials, folklore‑inspired textiles and mood‑setting acoustics. Expect a three‑zone layout: sea‑view veranda, buzzing bistro hall and velvet‑sofa Klubben corner for drinks and slow starts. Next door, Köket brings a domestic touch – open kitchen, window banquettes, even a living room nook. The food? Seasonal, local, equal parts butter and backbone. This isn’t just a hotel restaurant refresh. It’s a radical shift in how countryside dining should feel: layered, local and very now.

Bistron & köket
Ringvägen 6
Saltsjöbaden
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Bistron & köket

Rørt Frederiksberg: Copenhagen’s smørrebrød maverick

In the heart of Frederiksberg on Allé, Rørt Frederiksberg reimagines smørrebrød as a fresh veggie‑first experience. Forget stodgy open‑faced sandwiches – this is organic rye topped with truffle‑egg cauliflower, Greenlandic‑prawn salad or plant‑based potato mash on rye baked by Svaneke, freshly toasted to order. With a youthful, informal vibe, it’s the kind of upbeat café that turns a quick snack into a design‑minded ritual. Whether you’re grabbing a convenient combo or savouring singular bites, Rørt delivers craft, conscience and a playful twist on Danish tradition – ideal for Nordic travellers seeking both authenticity and innovation.

Rørt Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg Allé 41b
Copenhagen
Denmark

Photography courtesy of Rørt Frederiksberg

Marieviksbadet: Stockholm’s new urban swim spot

Right at the edge of Årstaviken, Marieviksbadet is Stockholm’s first officia and bold new take on city swimming. Opened in June 2025, the complex features three floating pools – one for laps, one for kids and one made for lounging in the sun between dips. Built in collaboration with AMF Fastigheter, JM and Klövern, the clean-lined jetty structure extends out from the Marievik quay, blending wood decking with wide open views of Södermalm across the water. More than a swim spot, it signals the rise of Hägersten’s once-overlooked southern fringe. Come for the plunge, stay for the warm asphalt, ice cream trucks and post-swim stillness.