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The Nordic Nomad

The Nordics

The Nordic hot list
July 2025

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

What we’re loving in July 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 Palmes Center Court

Galleri Sonja: a new crafted retreat on Bornholm

The island of Bornholm isn’t short on charm, but Galleri Sonja brings something new to Allinge’s main street. Founded by Birgit Lyngbye Pedersen and Jimmy Olesen, who bought the former Galleri Klejn in 2021, this café, boutique and gallery blends Danish and Japanese aesthetics in a serene, granite-clad space shaped with Norm Architects. The interiors feel both Nordic and softly Japanese, with local craftspeople contributing ceramics, woodwork and textiles. Visitors can browse rotating art exhibitions, shop for curated objects or linger over coffee. Galleri Sonja is a meeting place where design, craft and conversation shape the experience, rooted firmly in Bornholm’s raw beauty.

Galleri Sonja
Storegade 1
Allinge
Bornholm
Denmark

Photography courtesy of Galleri Sonja

Petra Hotel: Copenhagen’s new home for design lovers

Tucked behind Copenhagen’s King’s Garden, Petra Hotel feels like the kind of place you’d move into if they let you. Designed in the 1940s by Kay Fisker, the building still holds his quiet confidence – terrazzo floors, brass railings, curved stairwells – now revived and reimagined by furniture brand &Tradition. The 40 rooms are understated but intentional, balancing mood with clarity. Downstairs, Petra Bar & Restaurant draws locals and travellers with well-built cocktails, layered lighting and food that plays with Danish tradition without leaning on it. Petra is part of Copenhagen Design Hotels, the group behind Hotel Alexandra, and it brings the same belief: heritage deserves more than nostalgia, it should be lived in.

Petra Hotel
Dronningens Tværgade 45
Copenhagen
Denmark

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Photography courtesy of Petra Hotel

Sommarstilleben: Nordic summer still lifes land in Uusimaa

In Billnäs, an old ironworks village west of Helsinki, Lokal Gallery is staging Sommarstilleben – part summer shop, part art show, running 15 June to 24 August 2025. It’s curated by Katja Hagelstam, founder of Lokal and a key figure in championing Finnish art and craft, with spatial design by Hanni Koroma. The show fuses contemporary creativity with the industrial bones of its setting. Works range from delicate ceramics to sculptural statements, forming still lifes that catch the fleeting Nordic summer light. Kim Simonsson, Antrei Hartikainen and Inka Kivalo are among the many artists and makers involved. Beyond the art, handmade homeware tempts shoppers. Sommarstilleben proves Finnish summer is as much about design as nature.

Sommarstilleben
Ruukintie 8
Billnäs
Finland

Photography courtesy of Sommarstilleben

Roze Gastro: Oslo’s cosy corner for serious flavour

In Oslo’s St. Hanshaugen, Roze Gastro is rewriting the rules for neighbourhood dining. Opened in August 2024 by chef Leopold Prytz Roze – the talent behind pop-up hit Banal – this spot feels like a chic living room where serious food doesn’t take itself too seriously. Expect Norwegian ingredients spun into small plates with big flavour: gnocchi that sings with acidity, duck pie worth plotting your week around and a crisp pavlova that nails the sweet-tart balance. Wines are smartly chosen, from Blaufränkisch to local non-alcoholic pours. Prices stay gentle, the vibe is warm, and Roze Gastro proves you don’t need white tablecloths to eat memorably in Oslo.

Roze Gastro
Thereses gate 20
Oslo
Norway

Photography courtesy of Roze Gastro

Season Hotel: family run boutique escape in Stockholm

Season Hotel brings a new rhythm to Stockholm’s boutique scene. Just 15 minutes from the city by RIB boat, this family-owned retreat draws on Cape Cod’s coastal charm and pared-back Scandinavian minimalism. Designed for unhurried indulgence, the hotel houses 37 rooms, a spa with twin heated pools and a rooftop bar overlooking Lake Mälaren. Brasserie Season champions local ingredients in vibrant, seasonal plates, while a neighbouring microbrewery offers fresh pours and guided tastings. Notably, Season will debut underwater art exhibitions, where contemporary works shift and shimmer with the movement of the lake.

Season Hotel
Ankarslingan 2
Ekerö
Sweden

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Photography courtesy of Christian Azu and Season Hotel

Palmes Center Court: game, set, style in Copenhagen

In Copenhagen’s Carlsberg Byen, the old brewery-turned-creative playground, Danish menswear brand Palmes has served up Palmes Center Court, a 135-square-metre space that’s part shop, part studio, part clubhouse. Palmes, known for fusing tennis cool with modern streetwear, tapped local design firm Frederik Gustav to build a space as crisp as a freshly chalked baseline. Concrete and steel keep it industrial, while warm Okoume wood and soft polycarbonate panels bring balance. Tennis references surface everywhere: a curved practice wall, clay-filled display cases, even a bonsai tree lending zen vibes. Game, set, style.

Palmes Center Court
Kildepladsen 4
Copenhagen
Denmark

Photography courtesy of Palmes Center Court

Roberta’s Society: a new kind of hotel society in Aarhus

From the team behind Copenhagen’s Hotel Sanders comes something looser, louder and far less polished – in the best way. Roberta’s Society, set in a former 1930s library in central Aarhus, is Kolpin Hotels’ newest venture and it throws the rulebook out the window. Stay the night or just drop in. Catch a film, join a dinner, wander down to the basement where Roberta’s Stage hosts everything from soft-spoken acts to full-blown parties. Upstairs, Cantina dishes out generous plates, natural wines and a mood that’s warm, not curated. This isn’t about high thread counts or hushed tones – it’s about people, rhythm and the strange alchemy that happens when strangers decide to stick around.

Roberta’s Society
Møllegade 3a
Aarhus
Denmark

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Photography courtesy of Roberta’s Society

Bar Moro: Copenhagen’s spot where ‘øllebrød’ goes rogue

On Copenhagen’s Blegdamsvej, Bar Moro is breaking the street’s run of bad restaurant luck with fresh energy and sharp flavours. Chef Jonas Franck, known from Cleo and Frank, has created an all-day spot where raw brick walls hum with conversation and dishes arrive meant for sharing. Gnocchi comes tangled with chestnuts and mushroom escabeche, hamachi is paired with green tomato and salsa verde, and even the old-school øllebrød gets reinvented with cacao sorbet and caramel. Desserts demand attention, especially the miso ice cream spiked with bourbon. The mood blends Mediterranean ease with Nørrebro edge, Catalan reds flowing freely.

Bar Moro
Blegdamsvej 36
Copenhagen
Denmark

Photography courtesy of Bar Moro

Grimstorp Hagen: a family feast unfolds in Västergötland

Not far from the city of Jönköping, Grimstorp Hagen is chef Fredrik Hartelius’s homecoming project, set on the family farm where he grew up. Opening summer 2025 in a beautifully reworked grain store, the restaurant serves a seasonal menu built around grass-fed beef from the farm’s own herds and vegetables grown by sister Lisa and nephew Sten. It’s a full family affair, with Hartelius’s partner Evelina Hedlund working alongside him in the dining room. Hartelius’s path has included stints at Ett Hem and Mathias Dahlgren, but here, the flavours stay local and honest. Guests wanting the true escape can even rent an apartment in the farm’s main house. Grimstorp Hagen is Sweden, right where it lives.

Grimstorp Hagen
Grimstorps Gård
Sandhem
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Grimstorp Hagen

Prince van Orangiën: Art Deco dreams afloat in Stockholm

Moored at Stockholm’s Djurgården area, Prince van Orangiën is no ordinary stay. This 35-metre Dutch riverboat, launched in 1935 by a Mr Smith and named on its maiden voyage, has been transformed into an exclusive boutique hotel while preserving its original Art Deco interiors, now meticulously restored to top-tier standards as of 2024. Inside are three suites with private baths and a family section sleeping six, plus a shared salon complete with a fireplace. Guests wake to breakfast from Fabrique, the royal warrant bakery next door.