Once renowned for its herring-fishing industry and later as a shipbuilding hub, Malmö has reinvented itself in recent years as a climate-smart, cosmopolitan city with an injection of laid-back Scandinavian cool. From the multi-cultural quarter of Möllevångstorget to the coffee-shop-filled neighbourhood of St Knut, the capital of Sweden’s Skåne province is a breath of fresh air (quite literally – it’s cycle-friendly and the aim is to only use renewable energy by 2030). It’s also brilliantly positioned: an easy hop across the Øresund Bridge from Copenhagen and half-an-hour’s drive north of sandy shores (there are a string of walkable city beaches too). Perhaps thanks in part to its young, outward-looking population, this is a place thrumming with an understated, creative energy, with chefs opening up exciting new restaurants, a progressive coffee scene and chic lifestyle boutiques.
THE HOTTEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN MALMÖ
Housed in the old freight depot that was once part of Malmö’s central station, the Saluhall food hall is a real cross-section of the local restaurant scene. It’s open daily but is especially buzzy at the weekends when families and friends pile around the communal tables at Hedvigsdal Vedugn & Vin (owned by the couple behind the excellent Söderberg & Sara bakery) for wood-fired-oven pizzas, sit at the counter at Italian Papi for lamb ragu and ravioli, or slurp up handmade ramen noodles at the Pink Head Noodle Bar in front of a row of gold, nodding lucky cats.
For dinner, head to Mutantur, which has pared-back interiors with an industrial vibe (exposed brick walls, concrete floor, black tables) and an adventurous menu of ever-changing small plates: artichoke with elderflower capers and a chive emulsion; charcoal ice cream with raspberries, brown butter and buckwheat pancake. Alternatively, just round the corner, is Riket. The menu is shorter, with only eight dishes, but the chefs forage for many of the ingredients themselves, the wines are natural and the best place to sit is at one of the tables out the front, which are especially lovely in the early-evening sun. If you’d rather just have a glass of wine and a plate of charcuterie, cheese and pickles, then Julie, with its jazz soundtrack and courtyard, is a great, go-to spot. It’s owned by Martin and Emma Sjöstrand of destination Skåne restaurant Hörte Brygga.
Read more: The Swedish Region You Need To Know About
THE BEST CAFES IN MALMÖ
Swedes have a serious coffee habit so there is no shortage of independent cafés for your fika fix. Kaffebaren, on the corner opposite the daily food market in Möllevången, is owned by Oscar Villata who takes a light, New Nordic approach to coffee, sourcing his beans from Lund-based Love Coffee Roasters. Cafe No 6 in leafy St Knut has a patch of grass across the road, marked by bunting strung along the fence and deckchairs, and is known for its cold-drip and drip-tonic coffee made from a Masters espresso blend by local roaster Solde. And for bite-size marbled pralines (the sea buckthorn and caramel is delicious), pop into Mat & Chokladstudion, run by award-winning pastry chef Joel Lindqvist.
WHERE TO SHOP IN MALMÖ
Lilla Torg is the main square in the Old Town’s design district and home to the Form/Design Center, where there is a café and shop selling easy-to-pack gifts (carved wooden spoons, the softest suede and leather bags, ceramics), as well as temporary exhibitions on two floors. Nearby, you’ll also find homeware store Norrgavel – for parcels of bed linen tied up with brown string, raffia rugs with a leather trim, functional wooden brushes by Iris Hantverk – and Olsson & Gerthel, which is full of design classics such as the Eames rocking chair and Flos Snoopy lamp. Nygårdsanna is an understated womenswear label with a Toast-like look that’s encapsulated both in the store itself (raw plaster walls, sliding cupboard doors bought from a barn in the countryside) and the clothes: grey merino-wool jumpers, custom-dyed linen shirts and cosy tweed coats.
Walk 10 minutes south to the district of Davidshall and there is another cluster of lifestyle boutiques worth browsing. The best of the bunch for anyone with an interest in design is AB Småland, a vast two-floor treasure trove with vintage furniture, kantha quilts, plants sourced from Copenhagen, menswear arranged under an upside-down boat hanging from the ceiling and a café where all the tables and chairs are for sale. Next door, Grandpa is a groovy Nordic lifestyle store selling everything from Sandqvist rucksacks to coffee-table art books and skateboards.
Read more: 10 amazing things to do in Skåne, Sweden
Nearby, Mani might be tiny but it sells vintage fashion from the late 1800s to the 1970s for men and women. Rows of shoes and stacks of hat boxes are in one corner, plus you’ll find clutch bags and hairpins, and if you’re lucky, some fabulous dresses. There’s also Liebling, a lifestyle store selling mostly Swedish and Danish brands, including pots and potions by skincare company L:A Bruket lined up on an antique haberdashery cabinet and red wool jumpers by knitwear label Sibin Linnebjerg. Florista is an Instagram-worthy florist where a green bird cage peeks out from behind huge hydrangea blooms and indoor plants on upturned wooden crates sit next to a brass drinks trolley full of old pharmacy bottles.
WHERE TO STAY IN MALMÖ
Anyone who is a fan of House of Hackney, the British lifestyle brand known for its whimsical, playful prints, will love the lavish interiors at MJ’s: swan-patterned carpets in the purple corridors; dripping wax candles and forest-green velvet sofas in the bar; and a central courtyard restaurant with a vaulted glass roof, wrought-iron bistro furniture, Moroccan silver teapots and brass lamps. For those who prefer their interiors more typically Scandinavian, Hotel Duxiana has a much more muted colour palette and furniture by the late Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson.
Read more about Skåne, the Swedish region you need to know about, 10 amazing things to do in Skåne, or visitskane.com.