Late night gaming in Stockholm
Publish date: 20 December 2021
Are you looking for something more than just a "regular" night out in Stockholm? Here are my suggestions on three great places that mix good drinks and beer with challenging video and arcade games!
I used to play video games when I was younger, but not so much in later years. At least not home, that is. Combining a night out with fun activities is another matter altogether, and recently I've made some great gaming-related discoveries in Stockholm.
I made my latest find Bebida somewhat by accident. Bebida is a South-American bar with cocktails and food from Peru, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil. In other words tequila, pisco, tacos, and maté. I visited to have a refreshing drink or two but discovered that they also have a cozy little gaming corner where you can challenge your friends to a race of Mario Kart.
N3rds Bar on Bondegatan on the other hand is a straight-up gaming bar. Guests book a table, order food and drinks, and have a tv-console with games directly at their table. I'd say that there's a heavy Nintendo focus – with NES, SNES, Wii, Switch, and Game Cube – which suits me just fine since the good old Super Mario Bros. is a favorite. But they do have other consoles available as well, like Xbox and Playstation. I love the concept and the atmosphere is really cozy, perfect for an after-work or date. An activity is an awesome way to break the ice, after all.
Hey STHLM!; which has become something of a go-to place, I also found by coincidence. Me and my partner went to RoQ, a pool hall at Odenplan, when we noticed bright flashing lights and sounds coming out from a room in the back. To our surprise we found it stuffed with arcade cabinets; racing games, light-gun shooters, rhythm games, you name it. We continued with our pool game, but made a mental note, and returned a couple of weeks later, pockets full of coin-tokens (which can be bought in a machine on-site) and ready to play. And play we did; 'til we were dripping of sweat. My favorites were the rhythm -and dance games, with lots of j-pop and k-pop tunes. I can't say I'm really familiar with the music, but it sure is fun to compete in. It has to be said, after all, that I'm awfully competitive. I don't really need a prize to put on my game face; a Japanese dancing game is good enough.