Lillebrors bageri — Specialty Store in Vasastan, Stockholm

Lillebrors bageri is a one-room bakery on Rörstrandsgatan in Vasastan, close enough to Odenplan that you can fold it into a walk through the neighbourhood. The room is small, and the smell of freshly baked goods reaches the street before you are through the door.

The kardemummabullar are the reason to come. They are pillowy and soft, sweet on the outside with a crisp edge, and they are frequently still warm when handed over, even later in the day. The kanelbullar run them close: sticky, buttery and balanced between cinnamon and butter. Order a vanilla bun too, a filled bun with creamy vanilla that catches people off guard, and a cardamom snail, whose coiled ridges hold the butter.

Beyond the sweet bakes, the sourdough bread and baguettes have a soft crumb and a good aroma, and plenty of people leave with a loaf alongside the buns. In semla season the filled buns are worth the trip in themselves, and the croissants, including a caramelised croissant-cinnamon hybrid, are fresh and melt in the mouth. A chocolate brownie slice is a rich addition if you want something denser.

The format is takeaway: you watch the buns go from baking sheet to customer at arm's length, and there is no seating inside. Outdoor seating exists but is mostly unsheltered, so it is weather-dependent. Expect a line at peak times on weekend mornings and special days; it is a queue worth joining, and the wait is usually shorter than it looks.

Prices sit at the higher end for a bakery: a semla runs around 45 SEK at the top of the range, and 60 SEK buys a portion generous enough for two to share. The one thing to know before you go is that the queue and the takeaway-only setup are part of the deal, so come ready to eat standing or to carry your buns elsewhere.