Sällskapet, Stockholm, Sweden

Visited by Paul Doust and Prasit Jangkamol in January 2020

We visited Stockholm just before Covid struck, so we made time to go Sällskapet for lunch. Sällskapet is a traditional old gentlemen’s club, having been founded in 1800, with women allowed in as guests after 3pm.  The club has been in the same sturdy 3 storey building in central Stockholm since 1870, the centrepiece of which is the fabulous 1st floor dining room, designed by Swedish architect Johan Fredrik Åbom as a copy of the banqueting hall he designed for the now defunct Hotel Rydberg.  Apart from the dining room there is a bar, a billiards room, a games room with card tables and an extensive library.  However, the club closes at 7pm on Friday and remains closed all weekend, and has no accommodation or sports facilities either.  The dress code for men is Jacket and tie at all times, no jeans or sneakers, with an equivalent level of attire expected for women.