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MALMÖ

Five cocktail bars in Malmö to try for pre-dinner drinks

Malmö may not be the first city that comes to mind when you picture a swanky cocktail bar, but Sweden's third-largest city boasts its fair share of spots to grab a drink or two.

Published: 23 April 2024 16:32 CEST
Five cocktail bars in Malmö to try for pre-dinner drinks
Photo: Anna Hållams/imagebank.sweden.se

Care/of

This award-winning cocktail bar tucked away next to a barber’s shop is a must for any fans of cocktails. It’s tiny, so make sure to make a reservation if you want to be sure to get a seat.

Their cocktails are a mix of classic drinks and their own inventions, including the Guess what?, an ever-changing cocktail made up of whatever the bartender creates that day, as well as a few mocktails, beers and wines.

Want something special or a classic drink not on their menu? Just ask the bartender and they’ll make it for you.

At around 160 kronor for a cocktail, this is maybe not the kind of place you stay in all evening, but is a perfect place to have a couple of drinks before a concert at Malmö Live, which is just around the corner.

They serve small bites for 120 kronor or hotdogs for 100 kronor, so probably best to go somewhere else for dinner.

Address: Fiskehamnspromenaden 11c

Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 4pm-late, with a cocktail brunch on Saturdays from 12-3pm

MALMÖ NIGHTLIFE:

BISe

BISe, short for Bisous, the French word for a kiss on the cheek, is a restaurant, wine bar and cocktail bar in the city centre which opened in 2022.

Not only is the food good, but the drinks are too – BISe was nominated in the “sommeliers’ drink experience” category at the Swedish Gastronomy awards in 2023 and again this year.

The bar, Bar Bisou, serves traditional cocktails with BISe’s own twist, which change with the seasons. Why not try a Negroni with Meyer lemons and Sicilian blood orange, a vegan White Russian with BISe’s own coffee liqueur, or the inventively-titled Istället för Old Fashioned (“Instead of Old Fashioned”) with homemade raspberry vinegar and fig leaves? They even have a couple of mocktails, like a non-alcoholic negroni (a NOgroni), and spritz from Scanian producers Franka.

Address: Norra Vallgatan 88

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 3pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 3pm-midnight

Boulebar

This might seem like a bit of an odd option on a list of cocktail bars, but Boulebar is more than just a place to go to play a few rounds of petanque. Their cocktail list is small but perfectly formed, like their Angélique Papon with gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, cucumber and lime, or their Pommango Spritz, with vodka, apple, mango and crémant. You can also get a glass of pastis to enjoy while you boule if that’s more your thing.

Address: Drottningtorget 8 or Norra Parkgatan 6

Opening hours: Drottningtorget: Mon-Weds 3pm-11pm, Thurs-Fri 3pm-midnight, Saturday 10:30-midnight. Folkets Park opening hours vary depending on season.

Scania

This bar, which has no relation to the truck company, specialises in a frankly bizarre mix of Mexican-Korean fusion, where they serve bibimbap al pastor and burritos with kimchi. The bar, which is situated in the middle of the restaurant, boasts more than 35 different types of tequila, and it’s perhaps not a surprise that so many of their cocktails include tequila, too.

Here, you can try a chili margarita with a gochugaru-salted rim, or order a pitcher of the spicy Mexican beer and tomato-juice based cocktail michelada to share while you tuck into some kimchi fries.

Address: Bergsgatan 18

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 5pm-3am. Lunch Tues-Fri 11:30am-2pm.

KOL

KOL is a meat-centric restaurant specialising in food cooked on the grill – kol is the Swedish word for coal or charcoal. 

They have a wide range of drinks to go with your dinner, including wines, beers, non-alcoholic options and, yes, cocktails, which they make using their own freshly-pressed juices. You can choose a pre-dinner cocktail, like the Marilyn Monroe featuring vanilla vodka, passionfruit liqueur and sparkling wine, post dinner cocktails like the Port O’Berry – port spiked with blackberry and raspberry, or a whenever-you-feel-like-it cocktail off their drinks menu. Why not the aptly-name Dala Horse, with Swedish lingonberries paired with vodka, lime and ginger beer, or something from their gin menu, where you can choose from garnishes like dill, coffee beans, juniper and thyme? Don’t feel like cocktails? They have a good wine list too.

Address: Kalendegatan 16

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-late, Fri-Sat 5pm-3am. Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm

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EUROVISION

How safe will it be to visit Malmö during Eurovision?

Eurovision week is coming up in Malmö, Sweden, with tensions high due to Israel's participation in the contest. What should visitors be aware of during the week?

Published: 3 May 2024 14:12 CEST
How safe will it be to visit Malmö during Eurovision?

What’s the situation like in Sweden in general?

Sweden’s terror threat level was raised from a level three (elevated) to a level four (high) on a five-point scale in August last year.

This is based on an assessment by the Security Service (Säpo) and Swedish police following a spate of Quran burnings last summer, combined with a global disinformation campaign which grabbed headlines the previous year after it alleged that Sweden’s social services routinely “kidnap” Muslim children to secularise them.

Sweden’s terror threat level had previously remained at three (“elevated threat”) since 2010, with the exception of a period in 2015 when it was temporarily raised to four (“high”). Level five, the highest level, has never been used in Sweden.

A level four means that there is a high chance that actors have both the intent and capability to carry out an attack.

At the time of the announcement, Säpo chief Charlotte von Essen stressed that the decision to raise the level was not linked to a specific incident, but should be seen as “a strategic and long-term assessment”. She urged the general public to keep living their lives as normal, but pay attention to information from Swedish authorities.

Police have been working together with government agencies and the event organisers to ensure that Eurovision goes smoothly. A national special incident (nationell särskild händelse) was activated on April 12th stretching until May 24th, in order to allow Swedish police to better allocate resources during Eurovision and other big events occurring afterwards, like Taylor Swift’s concerts in Stockholm later in May.

These are often set up to deal with sudden incidents, like wildfires or the refugee crisis in 2015, but can also be used for planned events, like the visit of then-US President Barack Obama to Sweden in 2013.

The police operation commander for Eurovision, Petra Stenkula, told a press conference in April that the police had “built a robust system with different areas of responsibility to ensure a safe and secure event”.

“The Swedish police are ready for Eurovision,” she added.

“One thing that we can almost certainly assume will happen is that rumours will spread about Eurovision, and possibly that more coordinated disinformation campaigns will take place. Do not believe everything you hear and do not spread information without critical thinking. If there is information on threats, let the police assess information that concerns the safety of the event.”

An example of a rumour that quickly spun out of control was the hunt for a snake in the Eurovision Village in Malmö’s Folkets Park on Thursday evening, after it had been spotted by a security guard. Sparking concerns it had escaped from a nearby reptile centre, it quickly grabbed headlines, but in the end it turned out to be a so-called slow worm, a legless lizard which is not dangerous.

A banner at a May Day parade in Malmö, calling for the boycott of Israel and Eurovision. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Are there any rules I should be aware of?

In November last year, Sweden announced a ban on bags at all major events due to the heightened terror threat, with exceptions for people who have a medical need to bring a bag, on-duty journalists, or those with accompanying children who need a changing bag.

This means that you won’t be able to take a bag into any shows at Malmö Arena itself or into the Eurovision Village at Folkets Park, unless you can prove that you qualify for an exemption. If you are allowed to bring your bag in, security staff will check it before you enter.

Palestinian flags are also banned at the Malmö Arena shows – you can only wave flags of participating countries or the Pride flag. That rule has been in place at Eurovision events in previous years as well, so it’s not a new rule due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Malmö police are also bringing in reinforcements from Denmark and Norway during Eurovision week, promising that there will be “visible” security measures, including police with submachine guns. Swedish police write on their website that this is a precautionary measure and nothing to worry about.

What about demos or protests?

There are a number of demonstrations and protests which have been approved during the Eurovision week, with police saying that “most of them” are related to the war between Israel and Hamas, and the row over whether or not Israel should be allowed to participate. 

Malmö is a city with a large Palestinian population, and several protests have already been held in the city in recent months.

Police will be in attendance at protests coming up this week, both in order to protect demonstrators exercising their right to freedom of speech, but also to ensure that things don’t get out of hand if the demonstration presents a danger to those present, or disrupts traffic. 

A Quran burning protest led by two people, one of whom has carried out such protests in Sweden before, is planned for Friday May 3rd on Gustav Adolfs torg, with another application submitted by the same pair to burn a Quran in Rosengård, an area of the city with a large Muslim population, on Sunday.

They also applied for a permit to walk through Malmö on Saturday wearing Israeli flags and dragging a Quran behind them on a leash, but this was thrown out by police on the grounds that it didn’t classify as the kind of public gathering for which a permit is required.

The programme for Eurovision week kicks off on Saturday May 4th.

There are also two pro-Palestine demonstrations scheduled for May 9th and May 11th, both starting at 3pm at Stortorget and walking to Mölleplatsen via Pildammsvägen, and one pro-Israel demonstration planned for May 9th on the central Davidshalltorg.

Sweden’s Eurovision entry, Marcus and Martinus, taking selfies with a fan in Malmö on April 3rd. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Is there any specific advice for visitors?

Police encourage visitors to report anything suspicious to security guards or police officers, either in person or on +46 77 114 14 00, if it’s not an emergency situation. Sweden’s emergency number is 112.

There’s no specific advice when it comes to terror threats or protests, but general advice for visitors includes keeping phones and wallets safe, being aware of possible pickpockets and not leaving drinks unattended while in bars. Criminals may also target people who are visibly drunk.

General advice for visitors is available in English on the police’s website.

Israel has advised its citizens against travelling to Malmö during Eurovision week, defining it as a “moderate” threat.

“[There are] credible concerns that terrorist factions will take advantage of the demonstrations and the anti-Israel atmosphere to execute attacks on Israelis coming to Sweden for the Eurovision,” the National Security Council writes. “Swedish authorities have bolstered security measures in Malmö, but it is important to note that unlike the Israeli delegation to the contest, individual Israelis are not protected,” it writes.

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