The 16 Must-Try Restaurants in Halland, Sweden
Nestled on Sweden's west coast, between the vibrant city of Gothenburg and the agricultural heartland of Skåne, lies Halland. This county, slightly larger than Delaware, boasts a rich history of agriculture and culinary excellence. With its rolling hills, fertile fields, grazing livestock, dense forests, majestic rivers, and stunning coastline, every Mytoury benefits from an abundance of fresh local ingredients.
This bounty has drawn food enthusiasts from near and far. At Feldts Bröd & Konfekt in Halmstad, innovative entrepreneur My Feldt crafts pastries using locally milled flour and regional fruits. Further north in Falkenberg, an old fish export facility has transformed into the natural wine bar Glou Glou. Deep in the woods, Eva and Nicolai Tram present a remarkable tasting menu of over 15 courses, featuring ingredients sourced from the land and surrounding nature at their Michelin-starred restaurant, Knystaforsen. Throughout the region, there’s a unique bond between diners and hosts; many restaurateurs live on-site, and some of the finest dining experiences are found within hotels and resorts, alongside wineries, nature reserves, and floating saunas. Dining and drinking in Halland guarantees delightful company.
Per Styregård is a journalist and author from Sweden currently based in Stockholm.
Cosa Table
Located in Kungsbacka, just north of Halland and near Gothenburg, Cosa Table offers a set menu featuring four or six courses that showcases the kitchen's take on Nordic cuisine. The ingredients are mainly sourced from small, local producers, with some selections from the neighboring regions of Skåne, Småland, and Östergötland. You can also drop in for a quick snack or choose a bottle from their curated list of nonintervention wines. The restaurant's light and airy Scandinavian-style furniture and decor are available for purchase at the adjacent store, Cosa Home Stories.
Bar Glou Glou
When Glou Glou wine bar debuted in June 2022 alongside Kustbageriet in the port of Varberg, the vision was to craft a sustainable setting for enjoying a casual glass of wine. Much of the decor is made from Euro pallets, repurposed fridge doors, stainless steel tables, and materials left behind by former tenants. The wine selection emphasizes easy-drinking, nonintervention options from artisanal producers, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Dishes meant for sharing are cooked in an Italian wood-fired stone oven, primarily featuring local vegetables.
Kustbageriet
Kustbageriet bakery is nestled in a historic fish export warehouse at the port of Varberg, right next to the wine bar Glou Glou. Every loaf is crafted using organic flour sourced from local millers Bengt Nybergh and Andreas Nielsen at the family-run Limabacka Kvarn. A standout offering is the Bamberg, a stunning three-pound sourdough rye loaf. The bakery also features a rotating selection of classic breads and pastries, including chausson au poire, caramelized apple doughnuts, burnt butter and Valrhona chocolate cookies, pizza topped with chanterelles, cheddar, and Breckland thyme, as well as cinnamon and cardamom buns.
Äng
Chef Filip Gemzell and restaurant manager Ann-Catrine Johansson first crossed paths at Huset, a restaurant on the rugged island of Svalbard in northern Norway. At Äng, they merge influences from that extreme environment with the fertile landscapes of Halland, creating a unique Michelin-starred experience since 2021. The tasting menu highlights ingredients from local fields, forests, and beaches, while culinary techniques draw from around the globe. Äng is part of the organic winery Ästad, featuring a well-stocked wine cellar filled with esteemed bottles from top producers worldwide. The estate also offers a hotel, a spa, and a second Mytoury, Logen (the Barn), which serves hearty comfort dishes made from local ingredients.
Björkängs Fisk
Once, it was common to buy fish directly from the boats in nearly every port of Halland. However, due to overfishing, that practice has largely faded. Still, a few coastal fish shacks with their own boats continue to offer fresh catches. Björkängs Fisk in Tvååker is managed by brothers Mattias Larsson and Mikael Bernhardt, who catch fish sustainably using a seine net. The seafood selection varies daily, featuring sometimes underrated mackerel, whose flavor diminishes quickly after being caught. Other days may present flat fish like sole, plaice, turbot, brill, and European flounder. Most frequently, they have shellfish prepared on-site, including langoustines, crabs, lobsters, and shrimp, perfect for picnics and beach outings.
Knystaforsen
In the Halland backwoods, owners Eva and Nicolai Tram transformed a dilapidated sawmill from the 1870s into a Michelin-starred dining destination. They also made it their home, living above the restaurant with their two sons. Opened in November 2020, Knystaforsen features an outdoor kitchen where the culinary team prepares dishes over an open fire. Most of the ingredients are sourced locally, including fish from nearby Lake Bolmen and game such as pheasant, duck, and fallow deer. Each multicourse meal—sometimes exceeding 15 dishes—includes beverage pairings exclusively from Sweden, featuring wine, mead, cider, and creative nonalcoholic options crafted from local herbs, fruits, berries, and weeds. Rydöbruk is a brukssamhälle, or company town, where a single business owns and operates everything, including the neighboring pizzeria Knystaria and a manor for overnight guests.
Knystaria
Evidence of this old barn's previous life as an artist studio is found in the colorful paint splatters on the softwood floor. Since 2021, it has been transformed into a pizzeria, also providing breakfast for guests staying at the manor on the property. In contrast to its sister establishment, Knystaforsen, which offers an exclusive fine dining experience with limited seating, the pizzeria is spacious, relaxed, and family-friendly. The sourdough pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven imported from Naples. Toppings include ’nduja with caramelized onion, cavolo nero with mushrooms, mortadella with pistachio, and tomato with grilled vegetables. For dessert, there's even a pizza topped with apple puree, pistachios, and sweet ricotta.
Lis Mejeri
At Lis Mejeri, few restaurants create a tasting menu experience quite like this. The team hands out ear protection to little ones and cranks up music tailored to each dish, before one of the owners makes a lively entrance dressed in a themed animal costume that matches the food. Housed in a historic two-story brick building that once served as a dairy, the owners have preserved much of its original charm while adding vintage decor and furniture, resulting in a surprisingly cozy atmosphere.
Stedsans
Originally situated in a greenhouse atop a Copenhagen rooftop, Stedsans focused on dishes crafted from plants and vegetables sourced from its own farm and nearby suppliers. In 2017, the Danish duo, chefs Mette Helbaek (sister of Eva Tram from Knystaforsen) and Flemming Schiøtt Hansen, relocated to the serene woods of eastern Halland. They transformed their concept into a sustainable resort featuring 16 wooden cabins, a floating sauna, lake water showers, and a forest gym. Dinner is served family-style at a large communal table, with a menu primarily sourced from the property’s regenerative garden, supplemented by foraged, caught, or hunted ingredients. The beverage offerings include natural wines and non-alcoholic drinks, all crafted with elements from Stedsans’ herbal garden and local plants.
Lilla Napoli
Securing a reservation at Lilla Napoli is quite a challenge, as this beloved pizzeria, set in a simple shack with outdoor seating in a parking lot, draws large crowds. It offers delicious, reasonably priced pizzas featuring a mix of local and exotic toppings such as mushrooms, pecorino, ’nduja, pancetta, smoked pork belly, and oregano. Don't miss the dessert pizza, topped with Nutella, mascarpone, hazelnuts, strawberries, and ice cream. The pizzeria's fame is amplified each summer during its wine festival, where prominent wine importers specializing in small-scale producers gather on weekends to serve wines and provide musical entertainment.
Prostens Pizza
Though named for its pizza and featuring a prominent pizza oven, Prostens Pizza serves more as a countryside retreat than a traditional pizzeria, offering solace for weary souls. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, with outdoor seating in the summer that provides views of grazing cows and lush fields. This idyllic setting complements the Roman-style pizzas and a rotating selection of small plates, including bao with pork, grilled broccoli drizzled with salted lemon curd, beef tartare topped with pickled chanterelle, and risotto featuring langoustine.
Slöinge Kafferosteri
Slöinge Kafferosteri, a micro-roastery, provides coffee to the lively café Solhaga Stenugnsbageri just across the street. Inspired by this neighbor, the team opened their own spot that offers coffee, tea, artisanal chocolate bars, and cakes. Housed in a well-maintained mid-1900s hotel, Slöinge Kafferosteri sources single-origin beans from around the globe, roasting them in small batches. Pair your coffee with a chocolate bar from Standout Chocolate in Kållered, known for its exquisite handmade bean-to-bar chocolates crafted from organic beans and cane sugar.
Solhaga Stenugnsbageri
Once, the village of Slöinge was known solely for Sia Glass, the largest Swedish-owned ice cream producer, whose factory outlet still draws crowds. However, the culinary landscape shifted when bakers Sara and Anders Wennerström transformed their summer house into a café, starting by renovating the old stone oven in one of their outbuildings. Now, Solhaga is one of Sweden's most renowned bakeries, featuring a menu that blends classic Swedish and French pastries. Be sure to try the frukt and nöt (fruit and nut) bread filled with apricots, muscat raisins, walnuts, and hazelnuts; the solbulle, a sweet bun with vanilla cream and jam; or the layered kouign amann. Recently, the Wennerströms have opened parts of the property on weekends, allowing guests to reserve tables for breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea.
Steninge Kuststation
Steninge's coastline is strikingly beautiful, characterized by an extensive stretch of untouched nature reserve along the beach, where sheep roam freely. The lush, low-lying vegetation is dotted with bog myrtle, beach rose, and wild blackberries. Nestled in this coastal area, near the sea, is the hotel Steninge Kuststation. Owners Catarina Arvidsson and Per Carlsson have a deep passion for porridge, hosting annual porridge-cooking competitions and featuring two delightful porridges on their three-course breakfast menu, which is available to all guests. The food served here is certified One Planet Plate by the World Wildlife Fund, recognizing their efforts to minimize climate impact and enhance biodiversity.
Feldts Tivolikiosk
My Feldt, a versatile baker and entrepreneur, is a vibrant force in the coastal town of Halmstad, located at the southern edge of Halland. Formerly the owner of a unique cafe and bicycle repair shop, she decided in 2021 to shift her focus entirely to culinary delights, removing the bikes from her establishment. The cafe now boasts a festive carnival theme and features an ice cream parlor, Feldts Glasskiosk (open from May to September), offering homemade organic ice cream, sprinkles, and freshly made cones. Lunch at Tivolikiosken is prepared by Fredrik Johnson, the former head chef and owner of the now-closed Michelin-starred Volt in Stockholm. Be sure to try the signature falafel crafted from Swedish heirloom yellow peas, pureed lemons, and quince juice.
Feldts Bröd & Konfekt
Since 2012, Halmstad baker My Feldt and her brother, Patrick Oscarsson, have been operating the city’s most popular bakery and cafe, Feldt’s Bröd & Konfekt. They prioritize organic ingredients, sourcing flour mainly from local mills, while seasonal items come from nearby farms and forests. Their enticing selection features raspberry mazarin, lemon tartlets, chocolate cookies, spelt brownies, rhubarb pie, French nougat, raspberry and licorice toffee, and apple doughnuts filled with vanilla cream. The bakery also provides a few cozy indoor seats and outdoor seating during the warmer months.
Evaluation :
5/5