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MALMÖ

Hip, swanky and relaxed: Five wine bars to try in Malmö

Malmö in southern Sweden may be more well known for cheap falafel than upmarket wine bars, but that doesn't mean there's nowhere in the city for you to enjoy a glass (or two...).

Published: 16 April 2024 12:36 CEST
Hip, swanky and relaxed: Five wine bars to try in Malmö
Many bars in Malmö have outdoor serving areas in the warmer months where you can enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

Julie

This wine bar in the Gamla Väster neighbourhood – Malmö’s old town – specialises in natural wines, always offering at least 16 still wines, alongside other specialty wines like pet nats, champagne and sherry.

They offer wines by the bottle, with a smaller number of wines available by the glass, with seasonal alcohol-free options available. Food-wise, they do cheese and charcuterie alongside small plates based on locally produced ingredients – look out for their supper clubs with local chefs.

They don’t take reservations with exceptions for special events, like supper clubs, wine tastings or similar.

Although it has the feel of a specialty wine shop, Swedish alcohol laws mean that Julie can’t sell bottles for you to take home, so you’ll have to enjoy their wines on-site. Luckily, you can take home their cheeses and charcuterie.

Prices vary widely depending on the wine. Glasses start at around 65 kronor with food costing around 150-450 kronor.

Address: Tegelgårdsgatan 9

Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 4pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 11.30am-10pm

 
 
 
 
 
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Freja

Freja is a cafe and wine bar in the upmarket Davidshall neighbourhood just off the main shopping street. It opens at 9am (alcohol served from 11am), making it a great place for coffee and breakfast, lunch, or dinner and wine in the evening.

During the warmer months, they have an outdoor serving area on the Davidshall square.

They offer a handful of wines by the glass – reds, whites, orange and rosé, many of which are natural wines – with more on offer by the bottle. 

In terms of food, they do simple small plates, such as focaccia with burrata, mortadella and pistachio pesto, filled almond croissants or avocado toast with Danish Vesterhav cheese. Owner Agnes Hansson’s family own a farm around 40 kilometres east of Malmö in Skåne, where much of the cafe’s produce comes from.

Expect to pay between 80 and 160 kronor for a small plate, slightly less for snacks or desserts.

Address: Davidshallstorg 9

Opening hours: Tues 9am-4pm, Weds-Thurs 9am-9pm, Friday 9am-11pm, Saturday 9am-9pm, Sunday 9am-4pm

 
 
 
 
 
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Aster

This hip wine bar in Varvsstaden in Västra Hamnen may be more well known for its seasonal cocktails and natural wines – many of which are European – but it’s worth a trip for the food, too.

Aster won three awards at the Malmö Gastronomy Awards when it opened in 2021, and it’s easy to see why. There’s a wood-fired oven and grill in the open kitchen, with ingredients often sourced from the restaurant’s own garden.

The menu changes seasonally, and at the time of writing it included dishes such as smoked lamb ribs with kimchi and homegrown veg, grilled halibut with greens served with a white wine and crayfish sauce, as well as veggie dishes with grilled pumpkin, cannellini beans and oyster mushroom.

Expect to pay around 50-100 kronor for nibbles, 150-195 kronor for small dishes, 275-300 kronor for large plates (or 995 kronor for an 800g dry aged sirloin steak). Desserts 75-115 kronor.

Address: Jagaregatan 6

Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 5pm-11:30pm, Friday noon-midnight, Saturday 4pm-midnight

 
 
 
 
 
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Far i Hatten

This charming little restaurant in the middle of Folkets Park started life as a park restaurant with an outdoor dance floor in the late 1800s. 

It’s a strange place in some ways – it’s the perfect place to go for pizza and ice cream with children during the day, situated right next to a huge playground, but at night it transforms into a bustling bar and nightclub with a surprisingly long wine list.

Again, they have a long list of natural wines on offer, but there’s so much to choose from that you’re sure to find something you like no matter your tastes.

The dance floor is still very much in use, too – Far i Hatten hosts regular events and concerts, both for children during the day and for adults later on towards the evening.

Address: Folkets Park 2, Amiralsgatan 35

Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 5pm-11pm, Fri 4pm-1am, Sat noon-1am, Sun noon-8am

 
 
 
 
 
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MJ’s

MJ’s is technically a hotel (it was even crowned Sweden’s Leading Boutique Hotel for 2024), but they have a gorgeous covered indoor courtyard where you can enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner along with a glass of wine from their 11-page wine menu. 

This is sorted not only by type of wine (red, white, rosé, champagne, rosé champagne, cremant and pet nats), but also by country, with organic wines, natural wines, and skin contact wines all marked on the menu.

You can enjoy their wines alongside simple snacks – olives and almonds or a small cheese or charcuterie board – or larger dishes like beef tartare, asparagus with lumpfish roe or haddock sashimi. They also have a number of vegetarian options.

They also have a bar area (The Lobby Bar) which do cocktails and DJ sets on the weekend, and a speakeasy bar (Lillies) open on Friday and Saturday nights. 

Address: Mäster Johansgatan 13 (entrance to Lillies on Isak Slaktaregatan 5)

Opening hours: Restaurant: Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-1:30pm, Dinner Mon-Sat 6pm-10pm. Saturdays 1pm-10pm, Sundays noon-3pm. Lillies: Fri-Sat 8pm-1am

 
 
 
 
 
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WHAT CHANGES IN SWEDEN

Tax deadline and Eurovision tension: What changes in Sweden in May?

Swedish passports are about to become more expensive, but on the other hand the economy could be on the road to recovery depending on what happens on a few crucial dates in May. The Local rounds up the main points you need to know.

Published: 29 April 2024 11:59 CEST
Tax deadline and Eurovision tension: What changes in Sweden in May?

Don’t miss: Sweden’s tax deadline

Tax returns were sent out weeks ago, so you may already have declared your taxes. But if you haven’t, May 2nd is the final deadline. 

If you’re unable to file your tax return on time, then you need to apply for a two-week extension by the May 2nd deadline. If the Tax Agency approves your extension, you’ll have until May 16th to submit it. You can apply for this extension online using your digital ID, or call the agency.

If you’ve already submitted your taxes, but you realise you need to make changes, you can do so online until December 18th. In fact, you can make changes to tax returns from up to six years back, but in that case you need to do so by sending a letter to the Tax Agency.

Before you click submit, make sure you’ve not missed out on these essential deductions.

Time to slash the interest rate?

Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, will announce its next decision on the country’s so-called policy rate on May 8th. 

This is a crucial announcement as the policy rate is the bank’s main monetary policy tool. It decides which rates the banks of Sweden can deposit in and borrow money from the Riksbank, which in turn affects the banks’ own interest rates on savings, loans and mortgages. 

Sweden’s policy rate is relatively high at the moment, 4.0 percent (the highest since 2008), because of the Riksbank trying to bring down inflation. If bank interest rates are high, it’s expensive to borrow money, which means people spend less and as a result inflation drops.

But now that inflation is on its way down, Riksbank chiefs themselves have said that they think it’s likely that they will cut the policy rate in either May or June, and several economists predict that the cut is going to come sooner rather than later, which would mean in May.

Once the cut comes, you should be able to see a knock-on effect on, for example, the cost of your mortgage, so lenders and home-owners will be keeping a close eye on what happens on May 8th.

Swedish passports set to get 25 percent more expensive

The cost of getting a Swedish passport is set to be hiked by 25 percent on May 1st, from 400 to 500 kronor.

So in other words, if you’re about to get or renew your Swedish passport, get it done now if you can. You often have to wait weeks for an appointment, but it’s sometimes possible to get a last-minute slot if people cancel their appointments. In Stockholm, for example, when The Local looked on Monday morning, there were still a few open slots in Norrtälje before May 1st, but nowhere else in the region.

You don’t have to get a passport in the same region you live in.

The higher fee will apply for all appointments on or after May 1st, even if you booked them before that date.

According to a government press release, the higher fee is necessary to “maintain the level of service” and ensure that the police authority’s revenue from the fees covers the cost, as passport operations are funded by fees.

Controversial Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Malmö

The Eurovision Song Contest – Europe’s by far biggest music competition – is heading to Malmö Arena in southern Sweden in May, with the first semi-final kicking off on May 7th, followed by the second semi-final on May 9th and culminating in the final on May 11th. 

It’s a highly-anticipated event, albeit this year with a mix of joy and trepidation. 

The row over whether Israel should be allowed to participate after its brutal retaliatory attack on Hamas and Gaza has led to protests (at least half a dozen applications have been filed for demonstration permits) and artists pulling out of performing at Eurovision side events.

Swedish broadcaster TV4 reports that ten percent of volunteers have already pulled out, and Moriskan, an event venue that was set to organise Euro Fan Café for Eurovision fans, has also cancelled its participation, despite being in the middle of Eurovision Village. “Our assessment is that we could risk our future if we go through with the event,” its CEO Ozan Sunar told the Sydsvenskan newspaper.

Malmö is home to more than 360,000 people and 186 nationalities, and a large part of the city’s population is of Palestinian origin.

Add to that the fact that security was already likely to be tight at the event, after Sweden last year raised its terror alert to four on a five-point scale.

More than 100,000 people are expected to visit Malmö during Eurovision week, and police reinforcements are being brought in from Denmark and Norway.

Swedish economy set for Swift revival?

We hesitate to write this, but Eurovision may in fact not be Sweden’s most significant music event of the year, or even in the month of May. 

In mid-May, Taylor Swift is coming to Stockholm. The megastar is set to play three gigs at Friends Arena, on May 17th-19th, the only stop she’ll make in Scandinavia as part of The Eras Tour. And we’re not just keeping an eye on this as Swifties, but because of the economy.

“Swiftonomics” has already become a global concept, as cities where she plays tend to see a brief bump in revenue as fans descend on the city, buying hotel tickets and eating in restaurants. She’s expected to have a 417,900,000 kronor impact on the Swedish capital, according to the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. A similar phenomenon was seen last year, when Beyonce launched her global tour in Stockholm.

Whether this is good or bad depends on your viewpoint. On the one hand, it kicks the economy into action, which could bring a much-wanted GDP boost. On the other hand, it may drive up the inflation rate at a point when Sweden and the Riksbank are hoping for the opposite. 

That said, it has been questioned how much of an effect single events like these actually has on inflation.

Regardless, expect it to be a talking point in the coming month. And if you’re planning a trip to Stockholm for reasons other than Taylor Swift, you may want to consider scheduling your visit for dates other than May 17th-19th to avoid the hordes of fans and marked up hotel prices.

Holidays and other dates

May 1st, a day for celebrating workers’ movements, has been a public holiday in Sweden since 1939. Expect to see rallies organised by left or centre-left parties and organisations, but otherwise not much happens on May 1st in Sweden other than most people having the day off. 

Ascension Day, which this year falls on May 9th, is also a public holiday in Sweden. Known as Kristi himmelfärdsdag in Swedish (or colloquially Kristi flygare – “flying Christ”), it marks the day when Christians believe Jesus ascended into heaven. But as Sweden is a relatively secular country, unless you don’t go to church you’re unlikely to notice anything remarkable – again, other than getting a day off.

Mother’s Day in Sweden falls on the last Sunday of May, this year May 26th. It is not a public holiday.

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