Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [126]
Salt och Brygga (611 59 40; Sunds-promenaden 7, Västra Hamnen; mains Skr195-250; 11.30am-4pm & 5-10pm Mon-Fri, noon-10pm Sat & Sun May-Aug; Mon-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm & 6-9pm Mon-Fri, 12.30-9pm Sat Sep-Apr) Overlooking the Öresund bridge, this stylish, contemporary Slow Food restaurant presents updated Swedish cuisine with a clear conscience. Everything is organic (including the staff’s uniforms), waste is turned into biogas, and the interior is allergy-free. Flavours are clean and strictly seasonal – think rhubarb soup with lemon verbena, Tahitian vanilla ice cream and Tonka beans. You’ll need to book ahead.
Årstiderna (23 09 10; Frans Suellsgatan 3; mains Skr235-375; lunch Mon-Fri, dinner Mon-Sat) If you’re out to impress, book a candle-lit table at A-list Årstiderna. Located in the vaulted cellar of Kockska Huset, its soft, elegant atmosphere is seamlessly paired with luxe creations like cognac-infused lobster soup with shellfish spring roll.
Trappaner (57 97 50; Tegelgårdsgatan 5; mains around Skr295; lunch Tue-Fri, dinner Tue-Sat) Tiny, fine-dining Trappaner melds seasonal produce and bold creativity to create sublime dishes like tempered scallops with chamomile, apple must and ground elder. Wines are mostly biodynamic and the tasting menus are perfect for an epicurean adventure.
Self-caterers should head to Mästerlivs supermarket (Engelbrektsgatan 15; 9am-9pm). The best produce market is on Möllevångstorget, from Monday to Saturday.
Drinking
Bars in Malmö generally stay open until around 1am, although some bars close later on Friday and Saturday evenings.
On Lilla Torg, hit Victors (12 76 70), Moosehead (12 04 23) and Mello Yello (30 45 25); they’re great spots, with affable service, alfresco summer seating (you may have to wait for a table), tasty meals and everything from Chilean whites to outrageous cocktails.
The heaving bars around Möllevångstorget tend to pull a more student, indie crowd, including pared-back DJ-bar Volym (12 45 20; Kristianstadsgatan 7) and the equally hip Tempo Bar & Kök (12 60 21; Södra Skolegatan 30). Both serve great grub.
Systembolaget (Malmborgsgatan 6) sells beers, wines and spirits.
Entertainment
Pick up local newspaper Sydsvenskan on a Friday, when it contains the listings mag Dygnet Runt (which covers Lund as well as Malmö). Also, scan the weekly street press Nöjesguiden. They’re both in Swedish but the club and film information is decipherable. Alternatively, take the regular train to Copenhagen for a huge array of options.
NIGHTCLUBS
Clubs generally stay open until around 1am, and clubs to 3am, 4am or 5am on Friday and Saturday. The minimum age requirements (20 to 25) vary from venue to venue and from night to night, so bring ID. Entry usually costs between Skr100 and Skr200.
Debaser (23 98 80; www.debaser.se, in Swedish; Norra Parkgatan 2; 7pm-3am Wed-Sun) Stockholm’s music club heavyweight has opened shop in Malmö, with live gigs and club nights spanning anything from indie, pop and hip-hop to soul, electronica and rock. There’s a buzzing outdoor bar-lounge overlooking Folkets Park and decent grub until 10pm for a pre-party feed.
Jeriko (611 84 29; www.jeriko.nu, in Swedish; Spångatan 38) Regular live jazz, folk and world music gigs, with club nights on the weekend.
Kulturbolaget (30 20 11; www.kulturbolaget.se, in Swedish; Bergsgatan 18) Big-name rock, pop and blues acts perform here, but even if there’s no one playing, ‘KB’ has a kicking bar, nightclub (usually Friday and Saturday) and a well-priced, diner-style restaurant-bar.
Inkonst (30 65 97; www.inkonst.com, in Swedish; Bergsgatan 29; 11pm-3am) This multifunction cultural hang-out serves up some brilliant club nights, pumping out anything from underground UK grime and garage to hip hop and R’n’B. Guest DJs have included the