Day trip to the archipelago: a Stockholm favorite

We ate a late lunch at Grinda Wardhus.

The Baltic Sea view from Grinda.

On the boat, leaving Stockholm behind.

On Saturday, Robert and I took our first trip of the season to the archipelago. We went to Grinda, one of the closer-to-town islands, on one of the old Waxholmbolaget steamboats. It was a gorgeous day and our friends saved us seats in what we decided were the “captain’s quarters”– a gorgeous lounge with plush red velvet-covered benches and chairs at the front of the boat.

Carmen and Colette on board the boat to Grinda.

My starter at Grinda Wärdhus was a Swedish classic: toast skagen.

Our friends were a mixed group of internationals, including two Swedes, one Irish, one Mexican, Aussie Robert and me. We had lunch at Grinda Wärdshus. As a starter, I had a Swedish classic: toast skagen med rödlök, gräslök & löjrom or shrimp on toast with red onions, chives and roe. Robert did it properly and had Swedish snaps with the skagen. Leif recommended drinking two glasses: “so that you have one for the other leg.” Otherwise, you will be off balance. While there may have been some sort of Swedish logic to that thinking, I just had a taste and otherwise stuck to wine.

For my main, I had havsabborre med potatis and citrusstomp, gräslök, flugfiskrom & fänkålsskum–pan fried sea bass with lemon, chives, flyfish roe fennel foam and crushed new potatoes.

Afterwards, we sat at the bar directly next to the Baltic Sea and had one last glass of wine before taking the boat back to town. Even though I would have liked to stay longer, it was a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon. So now I am left thinking about when we should head out of town again. We spent a week on our own island two years ago with friends. And I am thinking that sounds pretty OK.