A Little Sweden Guide For Your Next Visit

plus a few Copenhagen tips while were at it.

As promised to some of you, here’s a brief guide, mostly food-focused, for your next (maybe first?) visit to Sweden. I’ve spent most of my time in the southern part of the country, especially in Malmö, Växjö, Helsingborg, Båstad, and occasionally Stockholm, so while there are many more amazing places to explore, most of my recs are based in these areas. I’m including Copenhagen too, since it’s just a quick 30-minute trip from Malmö and it’s one of my favorite cities.

FIY, I haven’t personally tried every dining spot listed below, but I’ve done my research–so hopefully, you can’t go wrong!

Malmö

Where to go

• Gottelisa – This used to be my favorite candy store! While you can find Swedish candy almost anywhere, it’s worth stopping by this charming, old-fashioned shop right in the heart of downtown

• Ribersborgs open-air bath – you can’t visit Sweden without experiencing one of these! Ribersborgs features a shared co-ed sauna at the center, with separate areas on each side where men and women can take a naked dip in the ocean. There’s also deck space for tanning, and there’s a cozy restaurant/café inside if you get hungry.

• Folkets park – a large, lively park near central Malmö that’s perfect for a nice long walk.

• Sankt Knuts (and city center of course) – the former is a cute neighborhood with little vintage (and local) shops and cafes.

• Västra Hamnen – one of my favorite spots to bike to along the water, especially around sunset. There are also a few great gelato places to go to in the area.

Where to eat

• Spoonery - the best takeout food ever! You can also sit down, but my aunt always orders this for us when we stay with her.

• Bageri leve - voted Malmös best vegan bakery!

• Söderberg & sara - a bakery and cafe with classic pastries, laminated pastries, and lunch options such as soup and pizza.

• Geijersgatan 53 - this is one of my favorite spots in Malmö. It’s a cafe in an adorable neighborhood that is half cafe, half store, with really great fika and lunch options.

• Freja - a casual and slightly elevated spot for breakfast, lunch, or fika.

• Aster - a cocktail and wine bar with a Scandi-inspired dining menu.

• Ava vinbar - wine bar with a small dining menu including rigatoni and a fennel salad.

• Scandwich - a casual lunch spot with extravagant sandwiches.

• Kollektive Krogen - a restaurant and bar run by a group of 45+ (including my aunt and uncle!). Great vibe with frequent live music and a delicious menu.

• Hollandia - a super cozy old-fashioned cafe/bakery in downtown Malmö with fancy cakes and delicious pastries. They also have one of my favorites, a shrimp sandwich.

Copenhagen

Depending on where you're headed in Sweden, I’d recommend flying into Copenhagen Airport–it’s just a 30-minute train ride or drive to Malmö. If you do, it’s worth staying a night or two to explore Copenhagen itself. The city is vibrant yet cozy, with plenty to see and eat.

Where to go

• Tivoli – an old amusement park and garden. It’s super cozy to walk around in, especially at night. Even if you don’t go on any rides.

• Nyhavn – an area with lots of colorful buildings and boats (you’ve probably heard of it).

• The Rosenborg Castle Gardens – a big park in central Cph to relax and walk around.

• Carlsberg Glyptotek – a beautiful art museum if that’s your thing.

• The harbors by the canal – a place to swim, tan, drink wine, and relax.

• Studio Arhoj – my favorite store to visit when I’m there. It’s a ceramic/glass blowing studio that sells beautiful mugs and decorative pieces.

Where to eat

• Broens street food market – a super fun area right on the canals with lots of food and drink options, and outdoor tables. We stayed here for hours last time we went.

• (More options in CPH food guide coming soon)

Bjäre Peninsula

Where to go

• Båstad – this is the area where I mostly lived growing up! It’s a super cute boat/tennis/beach town that’s famous for its tennis week. It’s in July and they get big pros like Björn Borg and Serena Williams.

• Torekov – another cute boat/fishing town close to the town above. This is a great place to stop by for a little ice cream or a quick lunch. (Fun fact: Hugh Grant has a house here.)

• Norrviken Gardens – a beautiful garden right outside of Båstad with a great restaurant inside.

Where to eat

• Solbackens Wåffelbruk in Båstad– one of my favorite (and only) places to go eat at. It’s essentially a Waffle House tucked in on a hill, with wild blueberries growing everywhere. They serve the thin heart-shaped waffles with a selection of jams and cream.

Stockholm

Where to go

• Gamla Stan (“Old Town”) – cobblestone streets, the royal palace, and super cute buildings with cozy restaurants (definitely somwhat touristy though).

• Södermalm – a more trendy area with cute cafes, and Östermalm, a more high-end area with nice restaurants and shopping.

• Gröna Lund – an amusement park right in Stockholm!

• Vasa museum – I haven’t been in many years, but it features an old fancy ship wreck that sank in the harbor on its very first trip.

• Archipelago – a collection of small islands that you can get to via a boat. It does require some planning, but it’s very worth it, even if you just take a trip to one of them or do a quick tour.

Where to eat

• Vaxholms Hembygdsgårds Cafe – IF you make it out on a boat tour, definitely go to Vaxholm and check out the cafe. I’ve never made it there, but I’ve heard they have an amazing fika (“coffee and a treat”) spread.

• Gast – a great spot for a casual but elevated breakfast, lunch and/or fika.

• Lillebrors Bageri - delicious baked goods, both classic and less-lo.

• Stora Bageriet - the perfect spot for a quick and casual breakfast, lunch, or fika. They have sandwiches, oatmeal, and pastries.

• Svejdan Bageri - another great bakery with a selection of fika treats and casual lunch options.

• Järnet - in the heart of Gamla Stan, go for dinner or a drink and an app.

• Nektar - wine and food menu inspired by seasonal ingredients and Southern European cuisine.

• Bar Abrovinsch - a wine bar serving delicious dishes from Vietnamese salad, to sashimi buratta, and Basque cheesecake.

• Riri - a super cozy restaurant serving a mix of oysters, grilled eggplant, and Côte de Boeuf.

• Tyge & Sessil - a natural wine bar.

• Vineriet - a super cozy wine bar with a small, select menu.

• Babette – this one comes highly recommended by a reader. They said, “hands-down best pizza I’ve ever had in my life (and I lived in NYC for a long time so I really mean it). They actually just got a spot in the 50 best pizza list.”

Helsingborg

Where to go

• Kallis cold bath house – Similar to the one I mentioned in Malmö, this is a traditional sauna and cold bath house. The space is divided into separate sections for men and women, and going fully naked is a must.

• Helsingborg beach – if you’re there in the Summer on a hot day, this is a really nice and big beach to go swimming at. There are a few ice cream spots nearby and also a big playground if you’re traveling with kids. There’s also a long boardwalk to walk along if you’re there in colder months.

• Kärnan – a medieval tower near the city center that could be fun to see.

• Take the ferry over to helsingør, Denmark – it’s a really charming little town with cobblestone streets and cute shops. While there, you could also visit the museum, Louisiana.

Where to eat

• Bruket - a coffee shop with food options like sourdough sandwiches, oatmeal, and hummus bowls.

• Fahlman’s bakery – an old-school classic cafe with amazing princess cake and other pastries.

As you can see, some areas are way better for eating! Let me know if you have any questions or you need recs for other areas.