Haga Bageri — Specialty Store in Kungsholmen, Stockholm

Haga Bageri is an independent bakery and cafe on Fleminggatan in Kungsholmen, the kind of place you notice first by the bread and the pastry case rather than by a sign. It is a specialty shop in the plain sense: a counter, a few tables, and a short list of things made well enough that you come back for them.

The semla is the one to order first. Cardamom comes through clearly without dominating, the cream is generous, and the sweetness stays restrained, which is what makes it easy to finish. Breads and rolls are the everyday buy, and the rolls in particular are the sort you pick up without thinking twice. The small mousse pastries are worth adding to the bag, and a tea called Sommardröm sits well alongside them.

The cafe is tiny, and it can be chilly to sit in, so take away is the easier choice if you want to eat properly. Dogs can come in while you order but cannot stay inside.

Everything else on the counter is the reason to come, even near closing.

Come on a weekday morning for the fullest counter and the least crowding; Saturday closes at 4:30 pm and Sunday the shop is shut. If you are staying nearby, this is a bakery to build a breakfast around rather than a place to linger over a long coffee.