Malmö’s best restaurants – your ultimate dining guide

What is it? Open-fire cooking in the legendary old shipyard area. Where ships were once built, chefs now create imaginative dishes using seasonal ingredients.

Why we love it? Today, it’s hard to believe the building once belonged to the shipbuilding industry. These days you step straight into the bar area, where the staff serve their award-winning drinks. Alongside the classics, there are house cocktails featuring quince, blueberry vermouth, rowanberries and rye, among other things. But most people come for the food. For a slightly more secluded meal, the dining room is just a few steps away. At Aster, fun dishes are served in which the main ingredient has been cooked either on the grill or in the wood-fired oven. The rest is made up of sauces, seasonings and sides with no limits. Rabbit with XO sauce? Broccoli with mole? Tartare with fish sauce and furikake? Everything is as surprising as it is delicious.

Time Out tip: Fancy more drinks? Just around the corner is the newly opened Vinmagasinet, with an intimate atmosphere, conversation-friendly music and excellent wines.

Jagaregatan 6. Open for dinner Tue–Sat. Also lunch on Saturdays. Expect to pay around SEK 300 for a main course, while a medium-sized dish costs half as much.

What is it? An institution in Malmö’s restaurant scene. Once pioneers of nose-to-tail cooking, now serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a modern European touch.

Why we love it? No one reinvents themselves quite like Ruths. The restaurant opened many years ago under the name Bastard, serving pig’s trotter pie, offal and experimental natural wines to the most die-hard foodies. Today, it’s a place for everyone, at all times of day. Breakfast is wonderful, with semolina porridge, house rye bread and Turkish eggs as staples. Lunch resembles dinner, whose menu is constantly changing. The focus is on generous dishes with mainly European roots, filtered through the clever culinary minds of owner Andreas Dahlberg and his team. There’s always an interesting fish dish and a meat dish on the mains menu, and the semifreddo is a classic by now.

Time Out tip: Try the breakfast! And pick up a loaf to take home afterwards – there’s an in-house bakery upstairs.

Mäster Johansgatan 11. Open Mon–Thu 07–23, Fri–Sat 07–00, Sun 07–16. Expect to pay just under SEK 200 for medium-sized dishes, just over SEK 300 for a main course.

What is it? A professional hummus bar at lunchtime, and the city’s only serious and inventive Middle Eastern restaurant in the evening.

Why we love it? Chef Matan Levy and his wife Charlotte Nycander started with urban farming a few years ago, and have since opened the restaurant Malmö should have had long ago. At lunchtime, Two Forks serves the best hummus in town, and in the evening the menu expands with dishes you’ll constantly crave. Many ingredients are staples of Middle Eastern cuisines, such as harissa, tahini, labneh, za’atar and the spicy herb sauce zhoug. Combined with meat, fish and local vegetables, they create a personal, exciting and delicious cuisine you won’t find anywhere else.

Time Out tip: In the evening, the hummus is served with ghee and pine nuts – and it’s absolutely fantastic.

Gibraltargatan 3 B. Open for lunch Mon–Sat and evenings Wed–Sat. Expect to pay around SEK 200 for a dish.

What is it? Scanian bistronomy served by a genuinely lovely team. Simply lovely.

Why we love it? It may be one of the city’s dullest street stretches, but chef and restaurateur David Kjellstenius and his team have transformed their corner into one of the neighbourhood’s cosiest spots. The interior hints at the concept, where natural wine bottles sit alongside Tore Wretman cookbooks. Kjellstenius previously worked at the Paris restaurant Au Passage, but Sauvage isn’t about French classics – instead, it’s innovative, local interpretations of French bistronomy. It was also in Paris that he met his Japanese wife, who runs restaurant Mygel, and that connection shows up now and then. You might find yuzukoshō and hamachi alongside cockerel, steak tartare, asparagus and chocolate ganache.

Time Out tip: Sit at the bar so you can chat with the cheerful staff while you eat.

Spångatan 32 A. Open Mon 11:30–14, Tue–Fri 11:30–14 and 17–23, Sat 17–23, Sun closed. Expect to pay SEK 150, or SEK 500 for larger dishes.

What is it? A slice of Lyon in Malmö. Hearty portions of French home cooking served in a dining room that feels just as French.

Why we love it? Forget modern French cuisine with its neatly arranged asparagus spears – at Bouchon you get food that actually fills you up. Inspired by Lyon’s bouchons – cosy restaurants serving authentic, hearty dishes – the chefs cook classic French food for a loyal crowd. The signature dish is onglet with béarnaise sauce and fries, but you’ll often also find baked snails, soufflé, steak tartare, île flottante and other French favourites on the menu. Pressed duck is served to larger groups who pre-order it, and the wine list features both classic reds and newer natural wines.

Time Out tip: The best wines are by the bottle. Come with a group so you can share.

Andréelundsvägen 5. Open Mon–Fri from 17:30, Sat–Sun from 17. Expect to pay SEK 200–400 for a main course.

What is it? A restaurant that’s been around for over ten years but still delivers high quality. No fixed dishes – just a list of the evening’s ingredients.

Why we love it? In a charming corner space, Lyran sets the table each evening with the best seasonal ingredients. The menu draws strength from small-scale growers and wild produce, but also from market stalls, the Mediterranean and nearby local shops. It might be violets, stracciatella, gooseberries, pistachios, fish or finger lime. From these, the chefs create creative and slightly unexpected dishes where vegetables take centre stage, but without shying away from butter, acidity or umami. The seven dishes work harmoniously together while retaining their own character, and dinner almost always ends with some kind of sorbet with cream. The wines are natural, and if you don’t go for the wine pairing, the sommelier will always find something you’ll love.

Time Out tip: Don’t forget to visit the bathroom – it has the best scented candles in town.

Simrishamnsgatan 36 A. Tue–Sat 17:00–late. Expect to pay just under SEK 700 for a seven-course menu.

What is it? A newly opened Japanese omakase restaurant with 15 guests per seating. The interior is designed by architect Jonas Lindvall.

Why we love it? It’s been a while since Malmö saw such a stripped-back and exquisite omakase restaurant. At Umenoya, guests sit around the counter, watching Japanese chef Takao Fujii and his sous chef work quietly and with focus. The stylish, minimalist interior in natural materials matches the beautifully presented dishes, and you can drink both sake and wine with your meal. It’s not just sushi on the menu, but other Japanese dishes too: silky chawanmushi, seasonal vegetables, juicy pork with noodles and a soy milk ice cream. And even though the dining room is refined, the experience never feels snobbish.

Time Out tip: Drink sake with your meal – it pairs better than wine.

Västergatan 18 A. Open evenings Wed–Sat, with first seating at 17:00 or 13:00 on Saturdays. Expect to pay SEK 850 for 11 courses.

What is it? British seasonal comfort food. English muffins in summer, flaky pies in winter.

Why we love it? After working in Malmö for a few years, Brit Matthew Young decided to open his own restaurant, Marvin. He moved into a small space by Davidshallstorg, where the menu shifts with the change between summer and winter time. During the warmer months, English muffins are served like chicken burgers. Between the halves you’ll find ultra-crispy fried chicken along with changing weekly flavours. Inspiration comes from Sichuan, India, Italy – or anywhere, really. The same goes for the hearty pies, which can include anything from beer-braised beef to mushrooms or chicken and leek.

Time Out tip: Save room for dessert and go for the kitchen’s ice cream sandwich – the flavours between the freshly baked cookies change too.

Storgatan 41 B. Open Wed–Sat 11:30 until evening. Expect to pay SEK 170 for a pie.

What is it? A constantly packed neighbourhood bar with a Spanish tapas vibe. If there’s no seat, no one will stop you from eating standing up.

Why we love it? Even though Bar Kiosko is only a few years old, it feels like it’s always been here. It attracts not just the neighbourhood’s younger crowd, but also their parents for a bit of hygge or a full evening with friends. You can have a beer and a plate of fried potatoes at the bar, or sit down for a more complete meal. Then you’ll get small plates perfect for sharing – often something tasty with squid or mussels, or perhaps a great sandwich. Some of the owners also run a food import business, so much of what ends up on the plates comes from Spain or Italy.

Time Out tip: The team behind the bar also opened Kiosko Import, a deli and casual restaurant where you can both eat and buy southern European produce to take home.

Nobelvägen 73 B. Open Tue–Sat 16:00–late, Sun 15:00–00:00. Expect to pay SEK 100 for a hearty medium-sized dish.

What is it? A pan-Asian restaurant tucked slightly out of the way. Don’t be fooled by the dull surroundings – inside, you’ll find bold, creative food in a hip setting.

Why we love it? A group of young chefs, siblings and friends with deep knowledge of Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and other Southeast Asian cuisines are behind Byn Matbar. They cook at a level rarely found in places with a similar focus. From the outside, the venue looks unremarkable – it’s located in a shopping centre – but inside you’ll find rows of natural wine bottles and the scent of fish sauce, coriander and grilled prawns. The atmosphere is gentle and relaxed, but the dishes are not. Here, chilli, fermented tofu and gochujang wake up your taste buds.

Time Out tip: Order lots of different dishes and share everything. Orange wine pairs well with Asian food.

Fredsgatan 12. Open Mon–Tue 11–14, Wed–Thu 11–14 and 16:30–21, Fri–Sat 11–14 and 16:30–22, Sun 12–16. Expect to pay around SEK 150 for a main course.

What is it? A lunch restaurant that draws crowds to Malmö’s old salt import district every weekday.

Why we love it? In a cool concrete space with large windows overlooking the water, friends and colleagues Ola Rudin and Sebastian Persson have been serving excellent lunches for over a decade. They previously ran one of Malmö’s first fine-dining restaurants, Trio, but now focus on feeding the city’s creative crowd during the working day. At Saltimporten Canteen, guests sit at communal tables with a soundtrack of Swedish pop or Scanian rock. The dishes could be described as contemporary Swedish home cooking, where some kind of meat or fish is paired with something unexpected. Think pork collar with ’nduja and white beans, or pork cheek with cauliflower and miso. Even the weekly vegetarian option is better than most.

Time Out tip: Leave some room for the soft serve ice cream served as dessert in summer.

Grimsbygatan 24. Open Mon–Fri 11–14. Expect to pay just over SEK 125 for lunch.

What is it? The city’s best-value three-course dinner, served in an elegant space overlooking the old shipyard.

Why we love it? Co-working platform Media Evolution City, home to some of the city’s most innovative companies, has gained a beautiful dining room that also welcomes outsiders. It’s mainly open for lunch, but also for breakfast and dinner on certain days. At Varv you’ll find everything from sandwiches made with bread from the in-house bakery to speciality coffee from Solde roastery and creative lunches blending cuisines from around the world. One day it’s gnocchi with peas, another it’s lamb shoulder with chickpeas or meatloaf. The dinner menu is short but ever-changing, and for just over €30 you get a starter, main and dessert with bold flavours and seasonal ingredients at the centre.

Time Out tip: The space alone is worth a visit, with its lovely palette of light wood and pale pink.

Stora Varvsgatan 3 A. Open Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00, Thu–Sat dinner from 17. Expect to pay SEK 350 for a three-course meal.