One of the more romantic bars you’ll ever visit, the Corner Club pairs its magical ambiance with sophisticated and delicious cocktails.

Ambiance: *****

Decor: *****

Service: *****

Cocktails: ****1/2

Overall Rating: 4.75

It was cliché how I found Stockholm’s Corner Club bar. Nestled in the romantic Old Town neighborhood of Sweden’s beautiful capital, the Club is easy to miss, but with a little help from my well-worn tourist map, I strolled in on a crisp fall evening. The atmosphere hit me immediately—cozy, relaxing, and a bit transformative, the Club sends you back a few decades to a classier and more intimate era. I also thought the presence and steady use of a hand juicer at the bar was a great touch, letting everyone know freshness, not speed, was the primary concern. The second thing that struck me was the extraordinary service; it goes a long way when bartenders are clearly in love with their craft. That sort of enthusiasm is infectious and the customers (at least this one) quickly soaked it up. The pride the Club takes in their concoctions is also made evident on its excellent Youtube channel which delivers well-produced instructional videos showcasing their signature drinks. Simply put, no cocktail fan’s trip to Stockholm would be complete until you visit the Corner Club.

Now to the drinks – oh, the drinks, how I miss them already.  I started with the “Northern Navy”, made of Herno Gin, lime juice, and grapefruit cordial. This was simple and my favorite – although I’m not usually a fan of grapefruit and its tart taste, this drink worked perfectly, delivering a fresh and bright opening act. Next up was “The Buttercup,” which consists of Bacardi Superior, Lime, Pineapple, Caramel and Browned Butter. I was genuinely surprised how much I liked this mix since I don’t love caramel and thought this would just be a syrupy and dense cocktail. Au contraire, this drink perfectly walked the line between too syrupy/dense and too thin/stringent and came off just right, delivering a warm and delicious taste that urges you to slowly, slowly, drink the whole thing.

Next I went with the Penicilin made of scotch, lemon, ginger, and honey. This was probably my least favorite drink of the evening; I thought the mixture came off a bit stringent and overly harsh. Very interesting taste, though. I finished the cocktail run with the Cool Runnings, made up of rum, port wine, chestnut and fresh lime. Again, my concerns that the drink would be overly sweet were allayed by this brilliant recipe, which is just delicious. I took my time with this one, enjoying the port tang and the bracing hint of chestnut that brought the whole drink together.

Jonathan the bartender indulged our party by making us some martinis using Purity Vodka, a proud product of Sweden. The drink is six parts vodka and two parts water. Now, I have to admit, I’m not a committed vodka sipper, so I went into this a bit skeptical. But the drink delivered a nice, icy, amenable sensation that subtly burns and entertains as you sip. Vibrant and easy, I liked this a lot. Our bartenders finished the evening with a delicious round of well-crafted Manhattans, which served as a perfect nightcap.

My only regret visiting the Corner Club was now I know what I’m missing. From the drinks, to the décor, to the service, this bar was phenomenal. I hope to get back there one day.