If there was ever an example of Södermalm’s transformation from grungy student hangout to affluent neighbourhood, Urban Deli is it.
This swanky joint combines a top-end minimarket with a bakery, a fancy bistro and a sourdough hotel. Yep, you read that right: a hotel for bread.
The idea is that if you’ve been baking sourdough bread at home and don’t want the yeasty enzymes in the starter mixture to die when you go away, you can check the dough into its own hotel and have someone else ‘feed’ it for you.
Needless to say, Urban Deli is especially popular with Södermalm’s rich business types and well-off ‘latte pappas’, who come to stock up on freshly squeezed juices, organic coffee beans, locally grown vegetables, and dried fruits and nuts imported from all over the world. If you’re feeling flush, it’s an undeniably lovely place to stock up for a picnic or a meal back at your Airbnb pad.
At the back of the supermarket, with a thin row of tables hugging the pavement outside, is Urban Deli’s bistro. Here you can sit down for a simple midweek lunch or a decadent dinner (steak tartare and fresh oysters both feature on the menu).
Dig deep enough and you can get a luxury seafood platter including a whole lobster, mussels and roe. Keeping things cheap? You can always order a glass of wine and watch as the locals splash their cash – there’s a good vibe here in the evening, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
NB: This article is about the Urban Deli in Södermalm; there’s another branch in Sickla, across town.
Urban Deli
Nytorget 4
Södermalm
Stockholm
+46 859 909 180
urbandeli.org
Wed & Thurs 8am–midnight, Fri & Sat 8am–1am, Sun–Tues 8am–11pm.
Last updated: September 2014
