Malmö, Sweden foodie guide: where locals eat and drink

The hottest seat in town: Vastergatan

Where the locals really eat: Lyran

The classic fika spot: Lilla Kafferosteriet

The no-frills lunch: Saltimporten

The fine dining restaurant: Vollmers

The tour worth booking: Moveat

The buzzy hangout: Far I Hatten

The brunch spot: Smak

The ice cream shop: Kold

The brewery: Malmö Brygghus

Where to stay in Malmö

MJ's

Flamingos and flowers adorn the floors and furniture of this striking urban hotel. The lobby doubles up as a cocktail bar where little alcoves are given a cosy feel with floral fabrics, squishy chairs and well-stocked bookshelves while the restaurant and breakfast atrium have a tropical vibe with peachy-pink walls, lush plants and pretty parasols. In the atrium look up, beyond the parasols and palms, to admire the greenery garlanding the glass roof. mjs.life

Doubles from £99, check availability at booking.com

Story Hotel Studio

Each element of this concept hotel in Malmö is resolutely on-trend – a juice bar, minimalist working spaces, coded keypads to unlock doors. The vast wooden auditorium that serves as a reception area may not immediately shout “warm” but the friendly folk who work there quickly put guests at ease. Pared-back rooms are functional and typically scandi-minimal with lots of little luxuries – glamorous burnt orange chairs, a bag of ‘energy mix’ to keep you going and bespoke STORY toiletries in the slick bathrooms. Rooms have fab views, but head to the 14th floor to get the full works. Here a huge rooftop terrace boasts panoramic views of the city’s old town in one direction and the port in the other. There are blankets on the stools in case you get chilly, but if you can’t face the cold during the winter months, the floor-to-ceiling windows in the restaurant mean you can still enjoy those views. Breakfast is buffet-style, with cold meats and cheeses, fresh bread (complete with DIY toaster), and a coffee and tea bar stocked to satisfy even the most hardened Swedish coffee aficionados. Make sure you pick up a toothpaste-like tube of caviar; it’s very traditional and a must-try. storyhotels.com/studiomalmo

Doubles from £89, check availability at booking.com

Our pick of Malmö's best restaurants, cafés and bars

Lyran – for neighbourhood bistro vibes

Stylishly light and Nordic but warm and welcoming, this Folkets Park restaurant is the kind of place you’d happily move house for in order to have it as your local bistro. Get a spot by the tiny open kitchen and watch the laidback cooks composing dreamy dishes from ingredients such as birch sap elixir, local goat’s cheese and Swedish cantaloupe melons. “Now we’re going to embrace you with the forest of Sweden”, says owner and head chef, Jörgen, as he steps out of his open kitchen and sets down a plate of white mushrooms in mushroom dashi with fermented elderflower and chewy pine nuts. He describes another dish as “fire” – rainbow trout roe that pops in the mouth with dried black olives, homegrown tomatoes and orange marigold petals. For dessert, sea buckthorn is whizzed into a sharp, citrussy sorbet and topped with roasted white chocolate crumb and mascarpone from La Treccia, a Danish dairy across the Oresund bridge in Copenhagen. Jörgen’s wife puts a Scånian twist on her negronis with Lyran’s crowberry liqueur, served by the centilitre. We suggest ordering the full 4cl, served in a pretty tea glass. lyranmatbar.se

Vollmers – for Michelin-starred dining

Malmö's only restaurant to boast two Michelin stars, Vollmers stands out for the sheer obsessiveness with which Ebbe and Mats Vollmers source their produce. In spring, white asparagus, wild garlic, forced rhubarb and local fish and shellfish have their chance to shine on its set menus.

Västergatan

This cosy fine dining restaurant is hidden away on a cobbled street of the same name in the centre of Malmö. Mini loaves of cold yeast bread with homemade butter kicked things off, followed by mixed meat tartare with smoked paprika, oven-baked celeriac with anchovies, wild garlic seeds and radishes, and slow-baked trout with burnt leek oil, roast chicken stock and pickled shiitake mushrooms. vastergatan.se

Saltimporten Canteen – for trend, no-frills lunches

A go-to lunch spot for trendy Malmöites is portside restaurant Saltimporten. Set in a former salt warehouse, stripped-back simplicity prevails. Brushed-oak tables span the width of the concrete room, a wall of glass gives views out over the water, while another wall is dominated by a concrete counter where you slice fresh sourdough while waiting in line to order from a choice of two daily lunch dishes – one meat, one veggie. The vegetarian (often vegan) dish works just as hard as the meat option – think fine ribbons of celeriac laid on springy black quinoa with beansprouts and black sesame. Coffee from Malmö roaster Solde is on tap, and served in cute vintage teacups. saltimporten.com

Scandwich – for Swedish sandwiches

The three Lind brothers got their idea to set up Skåne’s favourite sandwich shop after their Sunday ritual of creatively using leftovers from their family restaurant. This small café takes the open sandwich to new levels by pickling, confiting, frying or baking Skåne-sourced ingredients. The brothers bake their own sourdough then fry it (to make it super crisp) and top it with the likes of roasted corn, confit cabbage, asparagus and broccoli with tarragon mayo. scandwich.se

Köld – for Swedich ice cream

Peter, the self-dubbed “glasstronom”, gives vegans an ice cream option beyond the standard sorbets, using coconut and cashew creams, made from scratch, in place of dairy. He is constantly inventing new vegan flavours, from the classic Swedish chokladboll cake (made using 72 per cent chocolate and a little coffee) to golden turmeric latte, and strawberry with vanilla and balsamic ripple. For those who want a refreshing hit, sorbet choices include tart and zingy raspberry and hibiscus, mango spiked with lime and ginger, and pear with white wine and gingerbread. kold.co

Far I Hatten – for pizza and beers

This unique spot in the middle of Folkets Park is a must-see for its quirky interiors and a slice of local life. The cuckoo-clock style cottage, built in 1892, houses a natural wine bar and restaurant complete with wood-fired oven. Its sourdough pizzas are fab – we tried thin and crisp pizza bianca topped with goat’s cheese, zucchini, pistachios and black pepper. There’s a vast outdoor area (filled with green, blue and red garden chairs), and a covered space that sits somewhere between indoor and outdoor. Retro touches include vintage brown carpets on wooden floors, frilly curtains at little windows that poke through white-panelled walls, and dusty pink Scandinavian chairs to slouch into. In the summer months Far I Hatten opens for lunch, but it’s a party spot all year round; Malmö’s trendy locals come to drink bespoke Czech beer and dance to live DJs and bands well into the night. farihatten.se

Malmö Brewing Co & Taproom – for craft beers

For ales brewed in the centre of Malmö, try Skåne’s largest brewery. Its craft beers are available at Malmö Brewing Co & Taproom, in the city’s buzzy Möllevången area. malmobrewing.com

Lilla Kafferosteriet – for traditional cinnamon buns

The oldest café in Malmö is still one of the most popular for a reason. Owner Filip Åkerblom set up Sweden’s first micro-roastery back in 2016, and Lilla Kafferosteriet is where the latest roasts are showcased. Sitting just off Malmö’s main square, Lilla Torg, the 16th century building houses a warren of rooms spanning two floors. The cosy feel of its former life as a family home remains, with mismatched tables and chairs, quiet nooks and low ceilings. There’s an atmospheric cobbled courtyard at the back with an ivy-covered gazebo, little lanterns dotted around, and large blankets on the back of every chair. Make sure you throw in a cinnamon or cardamom bun from popular local bakery, St Jakob’s Stenugnsbageri. lillakafferosteriet.se

GRAM – for sustainable food shopping

This food store has a low-waste ethos. It is Sweden’s first packaging-free grocery store, and encourages shoppers to fill up their own containers with more than 200 Swedish products. There’s a focus on low mileage, too – vats of Swedish quinoa and rapeseed oil sit above boxes of owner Joel Lindqvist’s broken cloudberry chocolate and reusable glass bottles of kombucha from the city’s own Roots of Malmö brand. grammalmo.se

Noir Vin & Kaffekultur – for coffee and wine

The Swedes are obsessed with coffee, so the standard of coffee shops across the country is extremely high. Noir is one of our favourites due to its parasol-lined terrace, unfussy interiors and fab coffee. Pull up a seat outside and watch Malmö locals and Scandi tourists mooch past, or take shelter in the white-tiled seating area inside, with its marble-topped tables and big cushions lining wide window seats.

Try a sauna-smoked sourdough baguette, open rye bread sandwiches topped with wild mushrooms, local cabbage and Västerbotten cheese (from north Sweden), or homemade cakes (we loved the ricotta cake with lemon and blueberries, and the rich chocolate ganache cake decorated with berries and coconut flakes). Though the Swedes generally prefer filter coffee, Noir has blended its own espresso with Lund’s Love Coffee Roasters for creamy cappuccinos and killer cortados. facebook.com/noir-kaffekultur

Smak – for artsy brunches

Smak is where the cultural elite of Malmo gathers for jazz-themed brunches, thanks to its location at Malmö Konsthall gallery. The owner was one of the early adopters of green cuisine, so you can enjoy sustainable and veggie-focused dishes, including a wine and veggie burger brunch. All lunch and brunch dishes come complete with access to a free salad bar, a well-stocked bread station and unlimited filter coffee. Enjoy dishes such as pickled pumpkin risotto with leek, celery and almonds while surrounded by the café’s earthy interiors or beneath the trees and chandeliers of its walled outdoor terrace. Entertainment ranges from live jazz to DJs and poetry readings, so check out the list online before you visit and pair your food with your cultural accompaniment of choice. smak.info

Moveat – for restaurant hopping

If you want to try a variety of restaurants while you’re in Malmö, join locals and friends on one of Moveat’s self-guided restaurant hopping afternoons. Locations rotate each time, but you might find yourself savouring plates of seasonal ferments at upmarket bistros, queuing for fresh-from-the-oven pizza slices and sipping the region's wines at urban wine bars. These interactive, sociable tours pop up throughout the year across cities and towns in Sweden, whether its cycling between traditional bakeries, outdoor terraces and whisky distilleries in the archipelago, or stringing together Stockholm's restaurants and street food spots on foot. moveat.co

JORD – for vegan brunch

Jord, meaning ‘earth’ in Swedish, is one of Malmö’s best specialist vegan restaurants. Stop by this light and bright corner café for one of its all-day vegan breakfasts beneath the warm glow of exposed light bulbs – hummus bowls with baked red cabbage and carrot topped with hazelnuts and herb vinegar, perhaps, pea pesto toast with pickled cucumber ribbons and chive, or granola bowls filled with blackberries, coconut shavings and mint. Vegan bakes include raw brownies sprinkled with chocolate, cloves, walnuts and sea salt, and squidgy carrot cake; pair them with a silky filter coffee. jordmalmo.se

Foodie day trips from Malmö

Örum119, Löderup

After try Malmö's city centre restaurants, add on a night in Skåne's lush countryside. Örum119 is an hour's drive East and ticks all the right boxes when it comes to a luxurious country hotel experience: rows of green wellies available to borrow, spoiling spa treatments, clogs and fluffy bathrobes in the romantic bedrooms, roaring fires, and top-notch food. Seasonal produce leads the way with a typical three-course set menu (there are also five-course and à la carte options) including 64-degree egg with parsley and trout roe, wild duck with artichoke and elderberries and hazelnut fromage with apple and watercress. The breakfast buffet – a mix of traditional favourites and hipster options (smashed avocado toast, algae drinks…) is well worth getting up for. Borrow a bike and visit nearby Mandelmanns Trädgårdar organic gardens or Kinbageri for freshly baked sourdough. orum119.se

Doubles from £213, check availability at booking.com

Ängavallen, Vellinge

Just 20 minutes from Malmö but in peaceful country surroundings, Ängavallen is an uncompromisingly organic oasis (even bedlinen in the cosy bedrooms is organic). Almost all the food Ängavallen serves is grown on site, from ethically reared cows, sheep and pigs to organically cultivated vegetables and herbs. An on-site dairy, bakery and farm shop means you can pick up a round of Vita (a brie-like cheese) or some charcuterie to take home with you. If you happen to be staying in November, this is the place to enjoy Sweden’s only 100% organic gåsamiddag – a Scånian gut-busting goose feast which uses all parts of the goose and kicks off with svartsoppa, a sweet-and-sour black soup made from bird blood and broth. angavallen.se

Doubles from £113, check availability at booking.com

Stedsans In The Woods

If you're keen to get into the Swedish countryside, hire a car from Malmö and drive a couple of hours to the secluded foodie settlement of Stedsans in the Woods, a restaurant in the forest with cabins and a floating sauna on Lake Halla. Read our review here...