It’s one of the most expensive meals in the world and a bargain at the same time. The world’s best breakfast is served at 9 AM in the morning at Fäviken Magasinet in Järpen – far into the Swedish forests in Jämtland. I cannot think of a better way to start a morning, than waking up at this remote location. Far from all the troubles of the world. Walking out from the hotel room in the southern wing of the old farmhouse, into the blistering cold winter air outside, and quickly back in again at the northern restaurant end.
Note: Fäviken has closed permanently.
Alone, the breakfast costs only SEK 250 per person, but consider this: you have to fly there first from wherever you live, rent a car, and drive three additional hours into the forest. That’s assuming you’ve managed to book a table at Fäviken Magasinet first, including getting one of their limited accommodation rooms – thus having dined there the night before. Sum up all these costs, and you are closer to SEK 12250. With transportation costs calculated from Norway or Sweden as starting points. So sadly, the world’s best breakfast is quite unavailable for the majority of people, most of the time. However, if you plan a visit to Fäviken Magasinet, this is an absolute must experience.
The breakfast is served in the main dining room of Fäviken Magasinet. That’s upstairs on the second floor – the same place you enjoyed your dinner the night before. Unless you were seated at “Slagbordet.” You can read more about these details in my report on Fäviken Magasinet.
The morning meal at Fäviken is not only the world’s best breakfast because of the surroundings (although they help a lot). It’s also due to the fantastic food. From the warm sourdough bread with a slightly burnt crust to a porridge of various grains that you top with a sweet and acidic cloudberry jam. There’s a cold bottle of locally produced apple juice placed on the table, but an insider’s tip is to ask for a taste of the unpasteurized milk if they have any available. One waiter serves all the tables (there’s only five), and she’ll make sure your mug is always filled with coffee. She’ll also handle the payment part later and get your car out from valet parking.
My favorite toppings for the insanely tasty Fäviken bread (the burnt crust gives it a somewhat bitter flavor – in a good way) is the smoked trout with caramelized butter. Imagine browned butter, but in the form of a caramel spread! Either that or the Fäviken butter with local smoked ham and the cheese on milk from old cows. However, you can’t really go wrong with anything in front of you. Lastly, the lovely meal ends with a traditional Swedish “hallongrotta” – a cookie with raspberry jam. Surprised at how few elements the world’s best breakfast has? I prefer this any day over a hotel buffet with hundreds of mediocre options.
After the breakfast, you should explore the forest surrounding Fäviken. It was -10 degrees C this morning, but we braved the weather and went for a walk anyhow. We fought the biting cold by focusing on taking in all the expressions: The sound of the birds, a woodchopper chucking on a tree, the cracking noises of the snowy ground that we walked on, and the beautiful view as the sun slowly lit up the landscape around us. It’s always sad to leave Fäviken.
What’s the best breakfast you ever ate? Please share in a comment below.
Agreed, that smoked trout with caramelized brown butter was one of the best things we had a Faviken, period. Amazing dinner, breakfast, and experience.
It’s so good! Almost everything with browned butter is …