A Bar Called Gemma opened on Grev Turegatan in 2019 and put Ostermalm back on the serious cocktail map, a small bartender led room that the World's 50 Best Discovery guide and Difford's Guide both flag as one of the city's strongest drinking rooms.
Who would love it: drinkers who want a focused seasonal list built by people who win competitions for a living. Who would skip it: anyone after a big late night room, because the floor stays small and the door fills fast on weekends.
The room reads like a residential parlour rather than a hotel bar. Low light, a compact counter, and a crowd that the Falstaff bar guide describes as a regular Ostermalm set who treat the place as a living room with a great back bar.
Order from the current seasonal menu rather than asking for classics, because the house list is where the team shows its hand. Visit Stockholm and Difford's both single out the balance of the drinks, and the kitchen sends out small plates built to sit alongside a long session.
Best time to go is early in the week or before eight on a Friday, when the counter seats are still open. The bar opens late morning on weekdays as a calmer cafe style service before the evening crowd arrives, and it closes around half past midnight.
Pair a stop here with the wider Ostermalm scene. See where it sits among the best cocktail bars in Stockholm, line it up with the rest of the bars in Ostermalm, or compare the back bar with Tweed a short walk away.
Sources: A Bar Called Gemma Instagram; World's 50 Best Discovery; Difford's Guide; Falstaff bar guide; Visit Stockholm; Google Maps reviews.