Only a stone’s throw from the capital’s impressive City Hall, in one of Stockholm’s best waterfront locations, sits summer restaurant Mälarpaviljongen. More than a restaurant, it is a mission, a meeting place and one of the Swedish capital’s most loved summer destinations. Here is why.

The site has a long history – the mile-long south waterside of Kungsholmen (King’s Island) was created during the Second World War as part of a greener city landscape initiative. A small pavilion café, still standing today, became the embryo of today’s restaurant.

Mälarpaviljongen: A meeting place with a mission

The summer destination is owned by Arto Winter, who took over 22 years ago. Since then, it has grown into a sprawling venue with 700 seats spread across three floating barges on Lake Mälaren, framed by an elaborately tended garden bursting with colour from spring through to late summer. “It’s a moment of holiday in the middle of the city,” says Winter. “A beautiful natural setting, a fantastic garden, and a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.”

That spirit of inclusion is at the core of everything Mälarpaviljongen does. Soon after opening, Arto hired the restaurant’s first LGBTQ+ asylum seeker – a young man who had fled Uganda. That single act of solidarity sparked an idea. Together with author Jonas Gardell and QX editor-in-chief Jon Voss, Arto founded the Rainbow Foundation in 2014, an organisation supporting LGBTQ+ rights internationally. Since then, Mälarpaviljongen has continued to employ asylum seekers, believing that work is one of the most powerful forms of integration.

Mälarpaviljongen: A meeting place with a mission

The connection between restaurant and foundation is tangible. For over a decade, a share of the profit on every bottle of Mälarpaviljongen’s own rosé and white wine has gone directly to the Rainbow Foundation. A new sparkling wine, Ikonica, is set to launch this summer – and will continue that tradition.

Flying the rainbow flag proudly, Mälarpaviljongen welcomes everyone. The crowd is famously mixed – from the LGBTQ+ community, friends, families and colleagues, to curious visitors from around the world, especially since Condé Nast Traveler put it on the map. Live music, DJs, and an annual Pride celebration round off a season that runs from early April to late September.

The menu is equally inviting: classic Swedish fish dishes, chargrilled meats, burgers, cocktails, and, of course, chilled rosé. With its beautiful milieu, important mission, and inspiring meeting place, Mälarpaviljongen really is the perfect cocktail.

Mälarpaviljongen, Norr Mälarstrand, Stockholm. Open April–September.

Mälarpaviljongen: A meeting place with a mission

Web: malarpaviljongen.se
Facebook: Mälarpaviljongen
Instagram: @malarpaviljongen

Mälarpaviljongen, Norr Mälarstrand, Stockholm. Open April–September.

Read the feature on issuu