Stockholm has a world-leading design scene, picture-book palaces and an enviable berth in the waters of an idyllic archipelago – so it’s an easy city to fall for. But it’s more than just looks that grace this place; there’s also a crop of new restaurants that has brought variety to a once one-dimensional food scene. In the hotel industry too, recent openings have upstaged the staid options, while shops teem with Swedish-made goodies and fashion-forward brands.

Monocle reports from around the globe. As its editors and correspondents dart from city to city, they get to know the best places to rest their heads, stretch their limbs, and kick back with a contact in a hard-to-find cocktail bar. That information is now available in The Monocle Travel Guide Series: a line-up of titles that speaks to readers in an informed but informal way about everything from architecture to art, late-night bars to early-morning markets.

Designed to be compact and collectible, these books go beyond the traditional tourist beats to make sure visitors get the best out of a city no matter how short their stay. The guides are also discerning: they will not list a hundred places to eat, but they will focus on what is best for any occasion.