City Guide: Where to eat, fika, shop & swim in Malmö
Paid partnership with Malmö Town
Just a quick train ride from my home town Copenhagen, Malmö is the perfect city escape offering a booming restaurant scene, cosy cafés, cool architecture, and beautiful nature in the city. Keep reading for all the tips you need for a weekend trip to Skåne’s capital.
In summer, Malmö oozes with a warm, relaxed vibe and during winter, you can hide from the cold inside the city’s charming bakeries (ever heard of ‘semlor’ and ‘cardamum buns’ — they were born here). There’s a cosy neighbourhood vibe all over town; locals meet up on cobblestone squares, families gather at playgrounds, and you’ll find plenty of great restaurants around town.
My favorite memory? Bathing nude from the wooden decks of the open air bath pictured above. Definitely a must, no matter the season!
In a hurry and looking for a quick round-up of Malmö? Here you go:
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Atrium | Mygel | Solde | Noir Kaffekultur | Bageri Leve
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Aster | Riket | Ruths | Dubbel Dubbel | Soi 29 | Mutantur | Lyran Matbar
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Ribersborgs Open Air Bath | Malmö City Library by Henning Larsen | Form/Design Center | Slottsträdgården + café
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Cafés + Coffee
Mygel: My latest (and best!) discovery in Malmö, this café is located in the up-and-coming Frihamn harbour area of town. A spacious, rustic room with wooden furniture and open kitchen serving vegetarian and vegan options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I can recommend the poached egg and French toast, and would love to go back for dinner one day. Cosy in winter, perfect summer hang out spot close to the waterfront.
Atrium: A charming neighbourhood café in a quiet corner of Slottsstaden, Atrium has a solid menu offering classic and very tasty dishes for breakfast and lunch; Eggs Benedict, Salmon salad, pancakes and Grilled Cheese on Sourdough. Large windows with loads of light streaming in and plants all over invite you to hang out for a good while. On sunny days, the cosy backyard gets busy, and if you’re bringing kids, there’s a small playground in the park just next to the café.
Solde: When asking for tips to Malmö on Instagram, my Swedish followers were quick to nominate Solde as the number one place for coffee in Malmö. I am in no position to judge, but this coffee was good. The shop on Drottninggattan in the city centre is small, but offers cakes and sandwiches as well, and the speciality Solde beans are served at coffee shops across town.
Bageri Leve: Known as one of the best new bakeries in Malmö, it only takes a quick glance through the shop windows to drop everything and head inside for a treat. Saffron crème brûlée, cinnamon buns, raspberry/chocolate doughnuts… And a selection of salty eats, too. Check opening hours as they’re a bit odd, but definitely prioritise a visit!
Noir Kaffekultur: A small café for fika, lunch, coffee and natural wine. The café is tiny, but sitting outside (with heaters on during winter) makes for a cosy stop in the city centre.
Uggla Kaffebar: Somehow, we always end up at this café when in Malmö. Located on a charming corner in the hip Möllevangen area, this is a cosy café serving both breakfast and lunch dishes. It’s cool to bring your kids, the outside tables get morning sun, and there’s a selection of small shops, cafés and restaurants nearby.
Restaurants
Saltimporten Canteen: Not far from Mygel in the Frihamn-area, this restaurant is a great draw amongst foodies in Copenhagen constantly seeking the next, new it-place. I understand why, and after a fresh, local and organic lunch here, I’d happily jump on the train another time. Only open for lunch on weekdays, this industrial space attracts a young and hip crowd, and the menu is super simple: two courses a day, one vegetarian and one with fish or meat. Definitely one to visit!
Dubbel Dubbel: On one night in Malmö without the kids (💆♀️), we hadn’t made any reservations. Although this was a freezing cold December evening, pretty much every restaurant on my list was fully booked. We came by Dubbel Dubbel by chance, and after a wait and a drink at a neighbouring bar, the kind waiter secured us a table. Boy, am I glad he did - this small and colourful neighbourhood place serves excellent, modern Dim Sum at a very reasonable price point. Highly recommend for a laid back evening out in town.
Aster: One of the newest additions to Malmö’s gourmet scene, Aster is a local hotspot offering a rotating menu of smaller dishes largely cooked over open fire. With its own farm outside the city, the menu is largely vegetarian with a few carnivore options. This restaurant is also a wine bar, and gets busy at night. Reservations are encouraged, though drop-ins are welcome by the bar.
Mutantur: Recommended in the Michelin-guide, Mutantur is a great option if you’re looking for an extraordinary dining experience in Malmö. Run by chef Alexander Sjögren, a Bronze-winner at Bocuse d’Or in 2016, the menu offers smaller plates with a Nordic style and Asian influences. Dishes vary from 80 to 220 SEK and chefs recommend 3 to 5 per person.
For dinner, also consider Mygel mentioned above in the café section.
What to See + Do
Ribersborg Open Air Bath: Cold bath houses along Sweden’s coastline are even more of a thing in Sweden as they are in Denmark; and this one located by Ribban beach in the city is a preferred destination year round for locals. The beautiful bath house from 1889 has separate sections for women and men, and a mixed sauna for everyone. Enjoy one of the best views to Copenhagen, serene sunsets and a meal or glass of win in the café after bathing. Swimsuits are not allowed, and the entrance ticket is 80 SEK.
Slottsträdgården + café: A huge garden in the city, Slottsträdgården is a perfect green break from exploring Malmö by foot. Playgrounds, boat rentals on the canals, a Japanese garden, an area dedicated to insect hotels, and the ‘Under Poppeln’ garden inspired by Gaudi’s colorful murals; there’s plenty to see and do here. Also check out the popular Slottsträdgårdens Kafé; an Instagram-worthy greenhouse café for lunch and fika.
Malmö City Library: A modern extension to Malmö’s historical library building, this building designed by Danish Henning Larsen Architects is known as the ‘Calendar of Light’ with changing seasons outside the glass facades. A must-visit for anyone interested in architecture. There’s a lovely park outside, and the library is open to all.
Form/Design Center: This centre for architecture, design and crafts is located in a beautiful yellow brick building in the city centre. A recent exhibition ‘Ung Svensk Form 2022’ highlighted 25 projects from young designers that will in some way change or improve the future. For the Summer ‘23 season, the ‘Female Traces’ exhibition on furniture design by Swedish and international women from the early 20th century to day sounds interesting.
Shopping
Speceributik: Located on Amiralsgatan, Speceributik is the kind of shop you’d wish were your next-door neighbour. This is a curated grocery store selling fresh produce (harvested from the organic farm outside the city), cheeses, ferments, and canned delicacies. In summer, there’s a small selection of home-made ice cream available, and lunch is served from Wednesday-Friday. If you want to know more, read the piece I photographed on Speceriet for TOAST here.
Kiddo Möllan: I realise this only goes out to fellow parents, still I have to share this second hand store for kids worth recommending. Well-curated quality pre-loved clothing for ages 0-10 — what’s not to love.
Aplace: One of my favorites for women’s wear in Malmö, this is a spacious store with brands such as Filippa K, Rodebjer, Skall Studio, Wood Wood and more. Clothing, accessories, footwear, and smaller interior design pieces, as well as the best part: an all-vintage section with quality designs.
Björka Secondhand: This Salvation Army-style second-hand shop located on pedestrian shopping street Södra Förstadsgatan is huge and definitely requires some patience. However, there are plenty of finds within clothing for men, women and children, as well as a section with furniture. Again: patience and an eagle eye come in handy here, but worth a visit for treasure hunters.
Daytrips from Malmö
Österlen: If you find yourself in Skåne during spring or summer, you have to visit Österlen. Still one of my most memorable summer vacations, this idyllic coastline on Sweden’s south-eastern tip has beautiful beaches (I swear, they almost look tropical), great eateries and charming b&b’s. Just GO. And read all my tips here.
Northwest Skåne: Nature parks, quaint harbours, beautiful parks and cute little towns: the nortwest of Skåne on the two tips south of Halmstad is a great escape during summer as well. Read my full guide to the area right here. (Can you tell I really love Sweden in the summer?).
Skanör/Falsterbo: South of Malmö, around 30 minutes from the Öresund Bridge you’ll find two small towns Skanör and Falsterbo with white beaches and sand dunes, colourful wooden houses, small shops, and a handful of restaurants and hotels. Nature reserve Måkläppen is a popular destination for spotting seals (only accessible during winter to protect the wild life).
Copenhagen: My home town is only a 40-minute train ride from Malmö, so if you have several days in Skåne, I’d highly recommend visiting. Check out my blog posts from Copenhagen here, or my Instagram posts #nanahagelcopenhagen here.
