Malmo is an exuberant and lively seaside destination in the South of Sweden (Skåne) with a good choice of luxury hotels, gourmet dining, amazing bars and pretty beaches. Malmo’s dining scene is filled with high-end Nordic-European-French fine dining, along with lower-key finds appropriate for both vacationers and the retirees who populate the city year round. Since Malmo is a food-loving vacation destination in the south of Sweden, the produce is almost always locally produced and seasonal. As locals in Malmo and food and wine lovers we decided to create an elite class of fine dining restaurants in Malmo & its sorroundings, which combine the best ingredients with world-famous cooking techniques and amazing chefs, delivered in some of the most beautiful settings – and are almost certain to burn a hole in your pocket. In no particular order, here are Malmö’s top ten:

(Please note – these are our own views & findings  and are in no way paid or collaborating with the mentioned establishments)

VOLLMERS

Cuisine Scandinavian
The names of acclaimed chef brothers Mats and Ebbe Vollmers are a byword for fine dining in Malmo and Scandinavia at large, thanks to their award-winning restaurant Vollmers on Tegelgårdsgatan 5 in Malmö’s old town – one of Sweden’s five two-starred restaurants, one of the two in this region (the other one being Daniel Berlin, further down in this post)The adjective “inventive” doesn’t even begin to describe the degustation menu that this creative duo serves. Vollmers are fusing modernist cuisine and nordic techniques with the freshest Scandinavian ingredients, using seasonal flavours as inspiration. Most restaurants in the  region actually claim to uphold the tenement of ‘fresh and local ingredients’ – which they live up to – but Vollmers takes it up a notch! Vollmers menu goes as far as to say where the ingredients for each dish actually comes from.

To keep it simple, you can only order a set menu. Vollmers serves all guests their “signature” 8 -course  menu  where you will enjoy such delicacies as mussel, cod with elderflower, pointed cabbage, pork with sherry, chanterelle mushrooms with crown dill and Jerusalem artichokes, duck with spring onion and havgus and so many more mouth watering dishes.  Novel flavor pairings — rather than complicated techniques — are the hallmark of this menu, which changes regularly.

To go with this Vollmers serves an accompanying wine menu that we do recommend you to order. It will leave you mesmerized by the unusual finds of their witty and knowledgeable sommelier Karin Chudzinsky, who at every wine serving, folds a linen napkin onto the palm of her hand to something that resembles a map and gives you a quick & informative lesson about the origin of the wine you are about to have. There is also a non alcoholic option of homemade juices for the designated driver, or for those of you who for other reasons wish not to consume alcohol.

The dessert is the perfect finale to this wonderful dinner! You will completely forget about the bill (2.900 SEK per person. is not cheap – but as a foreign tourist you’ll enjoy that the Swedish krona has dropped significantly recently, making it an attractive price).

Tables at Vollmers are extremely hard to come by, so it’s smart to book weeks or months in advance. Dresscode is smart and dinner jacket is always recommended so you don’t feel out of place.

STURE

Cuisine Nordic
Even though Sture lost a Michelin star following a shift in owners (this is usually the case in such situations, the Guide Michelin wants you to earn stars on own merit) – there’s no mistaking it, this is a Michelin star-level restaurant with the white tablecloths, immaculate service and  culinary muscle to prove it. Chef Jonas Dellow has made it his strong ambition to deserve that star in 2020 and it shows. He has brought a more nordic touch to the menu and a bit more flair for experimenting.

Chef Jonas Dellow

The locale that houses Sture has been a restaurant for over one hundred years and the dining room here oozes with heritage and elegance, it is vast and widely spaced.  Music is hushed, as are conversations, which allows you to focus on a meal experience that borders on religious. Lean into the fussy Frenchiness of it—though you’ll hardly be thinking about the decor once the first dish is placed before you.

Particularly appealing is the tasting menu,  which includes such dishes as scallops with daikon/radish and green tomatoes, oysters, lamb enrobed in a jus of currant accompanied by beetroots (we believe the sauce is the je ne sais quoi secret ingredient you need. Thank us later.)

At a restaurant like this – let the sommelier choose the wine for you that accompanies exactly what is on your plate – and rest assured that Sture has fantastic wine cellar with great wine & expect plenty of boutique champagne. Actually they host a Champagne dinner on June 6th, Sweden’s national day. Might want to check that that out.

BLOOM IN THE PARK

Cuisine French
The French food culture has played a major role in  the world of haute cuisine, including the menu-less dining craze. In most cases you’re not really dining without a menu—you probably know it more commonly referred to as a  prix-fixe (fixed price) menu or  table d’hôte (host’s table) and the idea is simple – to offer a set menu at a set price, which allows the chef to focus his/her energy on a limited offering of finely executed dishes.

Perhaps the pinnacle of menu-free dining is Malmö’s Bloom in the Park – because there literally is no menu; no meal suggestions are even written down. Instead when you arrive you are cheerfully greeted with a glass of champagne and directed to the deck overlooking the lake adjacent the restaurant. The view here is magnificent, elegant and harmonious. A staff will then meet you and ask about any food allergies or dietary concerns you might have. After proffering a few suggestions, this will be the last time any food item is discussed. Some delicious canapés will be brought to the deck and after a while you will be led to a dining room. Once seated each course will be delivered with its matching wine pairing – or a non alcoholic option – and you will be amazed!

This extravagant  concept by the Michelin-starred restaurant (up until a month ago it actually had two stars) serves world-class classic European cuisine; light, elegant, inventive, but with the unmistakeable hallmarks of traditional bourgeois dishes.

Once the dinner is over, you will receive a card with a QR code (Quick Response Code ) and number which you can scan and receive a full explanation of everything you were served. We find that classy, inventive and fun, especially at a place which otherwise is more to the conservative atmosphere. By not knowing what you are eating, you are relieved of your own prejudice and can focus solely on what you taste, what you experience and be more objective.

Daniel Berlin

Cuisine Nordic
Daniel Berlin is a chef we have followed for a long time. Our first encounter was at Torso Twisted where he composed his Twisted Menu, a degustation menu which was not disclosed until you had eaten your plate – and most of the beverages came in black glasses in order not to show what you were drinking. Many knowledgable guests were not able to separate the white wine from the red, the cider from the beer and so forth. A business associate – who claimed to never ever eat liver of any kind – had a marvelous few minutes with  foie gras that was “amongst the best food he had ever had”, since he did not know it was liver .  This flair for bringing you something unexpected, to challenge your tastebuds and keep you puzzled at what you are eating is something that Daniel Berlin has taken with him to this charming idyllic restaurant on the Skåne country side.

Chef Daniel Berlin

Daniel Berlin has his own garden where he grows many of the vegetables served in this little restaurant that he actually runs with his parents. Only five tables, fifteen chairs. In the summer there is also a chambre séparée in the garden for 6-8 people. This is a very personal restaurant – it can only be described as the couture of gastronomy. As a proper Parisian couture house is synonymous with its creative director – so is Daniel Berlin running this restaurant to his own style, where he writes his own rules and applies his own preferences. A creative mind, using what is very locally available, in season right here – on this latitude and in this very location. The restaurant has two Michelin stars – and it even has its own soundtrack, made for this spot with sounds that illustrate this particular location, composed and / or performed for this place.

The food is rooted in Skåne, and depending on the time of year you come, it will vary. Some classics include cinnamon powdered bird liver, fermented pancake and frozen horse radish. Or how about a quick-grilled and core-raw lobster tail which has been wrapped with thin slices of parsley root and topped by a carefully peeled, creamy fresh walnut? How’s that for a Swedish take on a Waldorf salad? Or try the pheasant – in form of breasts and heart accompanied by funnel chanterelle, sugar cane, compote on clara friis pears and fennel flowers. Sommelier Ellen Ehk Åkesson, who has taken the wines here to world class gastronomic level, serves a caramelized peppery and blood-orange-scented Swiss gamay from 2010 that is just impeccable to this dish and its hint of mushrooms.

It is not easy to get a table here. Tables are released for months at a one time and you need to have a look out at Daniel Berlins webpage when that is, in order to get one of the much sought after tables. Dinner is priced at 2.150 sek with an accompanying wine menu at 1.450 sek and a juice menu at 850 sek. Lunch is an alternative at 1.350 sek, with wine menu priced 950 sek and juice menu 550 sek. As there is no hotel just around the corner you might be glad to know that the restaurant has a shuttle service bookable on their webpage.

LYRAN

Cuisine Nordic/European
If you are one of those that have grown tired of the old stiff atmosphere, classic dishes and heavy food – if you instead desire premium ingredients arranged in an exciting, innovative way, in Malmö – the choice is Lyran.

This place is a true gem and one that not many tourists find, unless they are true foodies. Chef Jörgen Lloyd blends bizarre and beautiful combinations of flavors with a modern european cuisine and adds a nordic touch – all served in a stylish way at this wonderful restaurant near Möllevångstorget, Malmö’s food Mecca. The artistry of the plates is complemented by the plush slate-grey tones of the interior decor.

You get a list of today’s ingredients that the kitchen has selected, which your food will be made from. Then you get a choice of three menus made from these ingredients; vegetarian, fish and mixed (which includes meat). No actual dishes are specified – just the ingredients. The menu is ever changing and packed with local produce. Lyran  excels in the vegetarian dishes, packed with attitude, umami, and depth. This is the perfect restaurant to come to right now when the primeurs are ripe – currently they’re serving green asparagus “from Anette in Gessie”, Hook-caught fish “from the Dane”, Mango in season “from Our Friends on the Square” etc. It is all very family- and friends oriented here and the wine pairings are equally local when possible.

Lyran is all about love, love for food, love for guests – ever so friendly and very much value for money. This is the odd choice on this list – we’d describe it as more rock’n’roll gastronomy – but one we highly recommend and a very dear restaurant of ours.

ATMOSFÄR

Cuisine Swedish / French – Brasserie
Walk into Atmosfar and you know you’re in for a fine-dining experience. Outfitted with a comfortable and romantic ambiance, the low lighting and sleek-yet-rustic decor prepare you for an array of colourful flavours.

While anything on the menu is a solid choice, patrons of Atmosfar rave for their classics Bleak Roe from Lake Vänern with Creme Fraiche, red onion, lemon & toast, an appetizer that will start your meal on the right foot. Add in the Rump steak (served with leek, mushroom, truffle and wasabi) and the one of the restaurant’s amazing desserts (recommendation goes to “The Chocolate Fondant – served with vanilla ice cream, dulce and peanuts) and you’ll completely be in heaven.

Atmosfär is quite an institution in Malmö and was one of the first gourmet restaurants in Malmö. That was – up until owner and Chef Henrik Regnér one day had a regular guest that thought Henrik and his team took the fussy, snobbish kitchen technique too far, with smoke and chemistry – and had lost its meaning, it’s raison d’être. Chef Henrik Regnér found himself asking the same thing – hadn’t it gone a little too far…? So, out with the snobbish and fussy and back to the love of food and passion for fine taste. Atmosfär went towards a bistro-brasserie themed restaurant where you can be sure of what you actually order and that it will be made to perfection but without that fuss. Proper Swedish food paired with the best of the french kitchen. As the name implies, the atmosphere here is always good, you always feel welcomed and the food is always to our liking. Great for a romantic getaway, a business meeting, a family dinner or a night on town with friends. Atmosfär is always a good choice. As is Champagne – but Atmosfär also serve select (and very good) Crémants that we can highly recommend to try out.

JOHAN P

Cuisine Swedish / French – Sea food restaurant
Johan P fish restaurant boasts a culinary adventure rooted in traditional Swedish cuisine with a Modern European flair thanks to Niclas Billsten and his team’s rich experiences. With a  lunch, dinner, and bar menu, Johan P has dishes for almost every time of day. Johan P is an institution for lunch in Malmö’s business world, a place you know always delivers, where you come to see and be seen. At lunch, come for the superb fish soup , or a steamed halibut with butter and horse radish (so amazing ) but for the best experience,  came here for supper and go for the  tasting menu. Legend has it, Johan P serves the best fish soup in the whole of scandinavia.

A plethora of shellfish is a true wonder to behold,  the swedish lobster menu with monkfish is simply fantastic, and while you are at it you might as well try their regional specialties like their herring dishes. Try the pickled herrings or the mustard herring, the latter is a true favorite (only trumped by our own family recipe, if we might brag). Cranberries are berries that only grow in the north of Scandinavia and Canada – so why not try the Cranberry herring? This is also one of few places in Skåne that serve an impeccable gravlax, that is one of our favorites that we always come back for.

Oysters and scallops are among the taste-ables on Johan P’s dinner menu, all of which beg to be paired with the large list of wines the restaurant always has on-hand and ready to pair with your meal. Johan P also has a great Champagne list, so on  balmy nights, choose a seat in the al fresco, sip some  champagne  and imagine life as a rich scanian. When you’re done with your meal, wander around to the market section to pick up some shore-fresh seafood to take home. If you ask nicely you might even get a recipe or two.

ZUSHI

Cuisine Japanese
This Japanese restaurant is arguably the hottest opening in Malmo. Atracting a modern crowd Zushi is taking sushi to new heights of class, and offering a Japanese eating experience that is like no other in the city. Zushi Malmö offers an elevated yet authentic expression of Japanese fare built around the micro seasons in Japan.

Attention to detail is evident in the well-curated menu which offers an abundance of appetizers, sashimi, and makis,  and unique wine and cocktail list, which you can enjoy within an elegant and minimalist space. They serve very good tempura, panko shrimp and an absolutely divine softshell bun! At first glance at the menu, you may not consider Zushi to be that expensive but once you factor in the fact that you’ll be ordering multiples of everything, the bill certainly racks up. Not that you’ll be complaining, because Zushi offers the freshest and most delicious sushi and sashimi in Malmo, save only perhaps for Kasai.

MJ’s

Cuisine European
Simple, yet elegant, the cuisine at MJ’s isn’t necessarily over-the-top or indulgent, but it is purely delicious. In tune with the times, headed by one of Malmos more esteemed chef celebrities, Frida Nilsson, it is located at MJ’s Hotel – probably Malmö’s best hotel currently. MJ’s is a boutique hotel, a busy yet relaxed, trendy bar, and this fabulous restaurant. Frida Nilsson came second in a TV game show, Kockarnas Kamp, a cooking program where the most esteemed chefs in Sweden compete against each other trying to outshine one another, until there is a Top Chef. MJ’s is for the people who enjoy a sparkling atmosphere with the trendier crowd of Malmö.

MJ’s restaurant, just newly refurbished is slowly gaining a reputation and being regarded as an epitome of fun dining in central Malmö. Here dishes come for sharing (if you want) and dining is quite a friendly and social experience. Serving both lunch (which is a tad more affordable) and dinner, MJ’s menu offers an array of Scandinavan and European dishes, with many featuring a modern twist. Veggies are in focus no matter what you order, totally in tune with the international trend of being eco friendly. Everything on the menu is based on what’s in season. Monthly set-menus are available at MJ’s, ensuring you can enjoy the freshest flavours available. Try the chef’s and sommelier’s “best of the best from the menu” at 1.195 sek per person (including the wine pairing) or have five dishes served in a sharing style at 425 sek per person 950 sek per person including wine pairing. Given the very extensive wine list at MJ’s, splurging on the wine pairing menu is definitely well worth the added price.

ÅRSTIDERNA I KOCKSKA HUSET

Cuisine Scandinavian – Swedish – Nordic

Entering Årstiderna i Kockska huset is like stepping into a slice of vintage Scania! This authentic Swedish restaurant dates back to the 1600’s and is located in the cellar of a building that was once  home to Danish banker and politician – mayor Jorgen kock –  and is said to have hosted royals, aristocrats , poets, clergymen, and literary figures with the likes of Moliere and Voltaire. It has an impressive and pompous interior with vaulted red bricks enveloping you. The kitchen serves traditional and modern Swedish dishes – including wild game and the best reindeer fillet in town. We urge you to try their lobster soup or their Norwegian scallop served with lobster ragout, mushroom and crispy sweet bread. If you prefer go straight to their Nordic menu , as a starter order the Matjes herring and Vendace roe served with Jerusalem artichoke, cucumber, dill marinade and apple. For the main, the Locally sourced fallow deer served with glazed mushrooms , Allerum cheese XO, toasted rye and port onions. There is plenty of fish dishes to choose from and vegetarian dishes if you so wish. They have an extensive wine list – go for the wine pairing or ask for recommendations . Excellent place for business dinners and dates as well. It’s worth pointing out that people have strong feelings about Astiderna — the restaurant has its share of critics.