Omnipollo's Hatt, Stockholm
Date visited: October 2017
It’s pretty safe to say that Omnipollo are one of our favourite breweries - read any previous post and we’re probably gushing about one of their beers that’s usually got a bonkers name or unusual ingredient or two in it. It stands to reason that their own bar in the Swedish capital ranked top of our must visit list. So much so that it was the first place we made it to during our trip. I think we visited this place six times in five days as not only was it on the way back to our apartment, it’s also fucking incredible. My expectations were pretty high and it definitely matched, if not surpassed, them.
It’s difficult to put my finger on why I loved this bar but it just did everything really well. To many people that visit it, they will not see the appeal and it will be cast aside as being ‘just a bar’ but to me, it was so much more than that. The bar is tucked just off of a main high street and is small enough that it feels like you’ve stumbled upon a hidden gem and not a bar ran by one of the most sought after craft breweries in Europe. I had a similar reaction to the first Mikkeller bar I ever visited in Copenhagen but with there being so many of them now (one has even opened in London!), that feeling of discovering something special and unique has diminished since visiting other Mikkeller bars in other cities. I’m sure the time will come when Omnipollo open bars in different cities over the world so that feeling of exclusivity will be lost a little but during our visit I was swept up in the romanticism of it all. The cosy, intimate feel extends to all areas of this cracking little place; from the welcoming bar staff, the excellent (minimal, naturally) decor and obviously ridiculous beer list. Oh, they do fantastic pizza too. What’s not to love?
The photo to the left will be all familiar to anyone that’s ever visited the Omnipollo’s Hatt website before. It’s pretty much the only thing on there anyway and we became very accustomed to it during our stay. Checking it when in different parts of the city to see if anything new had been put on as a pathetic excuse to go back again.
During our visit, the bar had a Stigbergets tap takeover which meant we’d travelled all that way and couldn’t drink any Omnipollo beer in the Omnipollo bar. Typical! This didn’t really matter though as (1) Stigbergets are brilliant and (2) we visited so often that the tap list updated soon enough to some of Omnipollo’s latest offerings.
The photo I snapped to the left was about two days into our visit so some of the Omnipollo beers were turning up. Including Brush which was newly released that week (which I’ll cover below in greater detail).
It was difficult to narrow down a favourite beer list as every beer I tried was at least a 4/5 but here are the three that were the top of the top.
1. Brush - Imperial Stout 12% // Omnipollo x J. Wakefield Brewing
I’ve already raved about this beer in a previous post but it bears repeating. Honestly, look at the glorious head on that beer. It took ten minutes to pour and the consistency bordered on a milkshake. Luxuriously thick and creamy, I get the urge to go back to Stockholm every time I think about this beer.
2. Galaxy IIPA - Imperial IPA 8% // Stigbergets Bryggeri
Another beer I’ve covered previously but it’d be rude not to bring up again. I had this alongside a pizza topped with chorizo and padron peppers and the juiciness and tropical aromas that wafted out of the glass really paired well against the bitter peppers and savoury pizza. As my first beer in Stockholm, I couldn’t have picked a better welcome.
3. API Lairepmi - IPA - Imperial / Double 8% // Stigbergets Bryggeri
I struggled to order this beer because, honestly, you try and say it. I gave up and the laughing bar lady happily informed me it was ‘Imperial IPA’ backwards. Thankfully there was nothing backwards about this beer. It’s subsequently been re-released as a 100% organic beer now called DIPA Lanoitnevnoc. Similar to the Galaxy IIPA this was another hazy, juicy DIPA with bags of flavour.
I have to bring up the pizza again because it was wonderful.
Pizza Hatt provide the grub courtesy of their pizza oven in the rear. The pizza is perfect accompaniment to the beer - the base is light and fluffy, the tomato sauce is tangy and herby, the cheese is creamy and stringy and the toppings are all fresh and delicious.
During our many visits the pizza oven was churning out pizzas at a steady state no matter the time of day which made for a lovely smell in the bar. They were reasonably priced for Sweden at around £10ish which for the quality was very good.
In summary, if you are into beer then this is a must visit if you make it to Stockholm. Even if you don’t like beer, there’s enough here to enjoy with just the pizza and relaxed vibes. Definitely one that slips into our pantheon of best beer places in the world.
