Halland Map Anders Husa & Kaitlin Orr

From fika to fine dining, the west coast of Sweden is a region of culinary riches. Halland is home to some of the country’s top restaurants as well as casual eateries, world-class pizzerias, and luxurious spa hotels. Whether you’re looking for a beachfront eatery or a retreat to the Swedish woods, we’ve discovered the best eats in Halmstad, Falkenberg, Varberg, and beyond.

In this foodie map, we have gathered all our Halland favorites. Navigate the map easily either by scrolling through the list on the right or by clicking the points on the map. Places are listed in a geographical order.

Fyr is a restaurant from chef Jacob Holmström, the former head chef and owner of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Gastrologik in Stockholm. But don’t expect a fancy tasting menu here – Fyr is a casual eatery and local community spot in Halmstad, set right on the beach with a big terrace that’s perfect for sunny summer days. The name Fyr means both lighthouse and fire – grilling is the focus here, with a menu built around mostly wild, local fish. The selection changes depending on what the fishermen bring in. We enjoyed langoustines, shrimp, and blue mussels seasoned with ’nduja, before finishing with a larger cooked fish dish. Dry-aged local sea trout was grilled on the skin and served with a Michelin-star-worthy sauce made from white wine, turbot stock, chicken stock, trout roe, and caviar.

Michelin-starred restaurant Knystaforsen is located in an old sawmill in the Swedish forest. It’s run by the Danish couple Nicolai and Eva Tram, who brought their shared experiences as chefs, content creators, producers, cookbook authors, and food writers – and built their dream restaurant. The concept is all about cooking over an open fire, using seasonal, local ingredients from within a 40 km radius – either foraged or sourced from small farmers and producers nearby. One of our favorite dishes was charred leeks, with the skins removed and turned into a powder that’s sprinkled on top of the dish, served with a sauce of buttermilk whey, dill oil, and pike roe. We also loved the flambadou æbleskiver, cooked outside over the campfire.

In a charming farmhouse-style building with a red-painted wooden exterior, you’ll find Solhaga Stenugnsbageri – Halland’s best bakery. This is the perfect place for an afternoon fika, with blanket-covered chairs and tables set up in the garden among blooming flowers. We indulged in a platter of pastries alongside coffee from local roaster Slöinge Kafferosteri. Overall, we were really impressed with the viennoiserie – perfectly buttery, with crisp, crunchy croissant layers. The spandauer was our favorite, filled with rich vanilla custard and drizzled with icing for extra sweetness. The croissant and pain au chocolat were both excellent, as were the classic Swedish cardamom and cinnamon buns. A super cozy spot with buttery sweet treats!

The pride and joy of Falkenberg is Lilla Napoli – a little slice of Italy in Sweden. We first visited this humble pizza shack back in 2016, and now we make a point to stop by every time we’re in the area. Ville Ilola and Besmir Balaj are arguably two of the most passionate pizzaiolos in the world. Their obsession with dough is so intense that if they’re not completely happy with it on a given day, they’ll give it away for free. Their goal isn’t to get rich – it’s to make the most perfect pizza they can. Over the years, they’ve refined their recipes, custom-built their ideal pizza oven, and continue to make small tweaks to their operations daily – all in pursuit of perfection. Taking a bite of Lilla Napoli’s pizza is like sinking your teeth into a soft, fluffy pillow: bouncy, chewy, and light as air. Note: Be sure to reserve your dough online before visiting – they’re usually fully booked a month in advance.

When in Falkenberg, your first stop should be fika! Borgmästargården Kafé & Konditori is located in the house where the beloved former mayor, Anders Lundberg, lived. The coffee shop’s name (translated: “the mayor’s farm”) is a tribute to him. Our favorite item here was their signature porridge with vanilla whipped cream, caramel, and fresh raspberries. They also offer an abundance of cardamom buns, pastries, as well as coffee from Slöinge Coffee Roastery.

An old dairy farmhouse has been converted into a pop-up restaurant, where the Blidberg family hosts weekly dinners during the summer. The experience begins with welcome drinks in the garden, where seating options include bohemian daybeds, a horse-drawn carriage, and a large plastic cow with a saddle on top. The eclectic dining room is filled with retro touches, vintage furniture, and even a mannequin sitting at one of the tables. The servers sing and dance while serving food made with seasonal ingredients from local farms. One of the courses was a kale semla – a savory twist on the Swedish classic – served with incredibly juicy fried chicken. But our favorite dish of all was the buttery spelt and salted caramel cake – served with toasted oat ice cream and strawberries. The dessert was extra delicious with a pole-dancing strawberry and exploding confetti on the side.

Down a long walkway in the middle of a meadow lies Michelin-starred restaurant ÄNG. Inside a stunning modern greenhouse is a lounge with gorgeous Nordic design – plush cream-colored couches, light wood tables, and a large chef’s counter made from stone. The experience continues through an impressive wine cellar into a spacious dining room with tables facing the lake. It’s one of our favorite restaurant spaces of all time – and the exceptional food rivals the fantastic setting. Chef Filip Gemzell uses only local ingredients from small farms and producers in Scandinavia, along with creative substitutes for things they don’t have available (like Solaris grapes for acidity instead of lemon). Favorite dishes have included a Norwegian scallop brushed with chili caramel and served with a beurre blanc, and wood-fired Swedish quail with a potato terrine and a sauce of fermented honey and brown butter.

Ästad Vingård is a luxury hotel, spa, and organic Swedish winery. Sinnenas Spa is like the Disneyland of spas, with both indoor and outdoor areas, pools, natural lakes, a rain room, a hammock room, and five different saunas at varying temperatures – including an underwater sauna with views into the lake. This place is truly a paradise. We’ve stayed in a few different room types here, including the “Kvarnbäcken Premium” room, which features a massive stone bathtub and private sauna, as well as the “Sjöparken” room, which also has a private sauna and direct access from the room to a natural bathing pool. The hotel’s casual restaurant, Logen, is located in a charming old farmhouse. The style is rustic and rural, with hearty dishes rooted in Nordic cuisine.

Bar Glou Glou is a charming natural wine bar in Varberg. The design is minimalistic and hipster, with natural wine posters on the walls and empty bottles repurposed as candlesticks, thick streams of wax clinging to their sides. The bar offers quite a few wines by the glass, along with an even larger selection of bottles. The owners are sweet and knowledgeable, but the friendliest face that will greet you is Tosca – the shop’s resident mascot and cuddliest pup – who’s more than happy to help clean up any crumbs. On the food side, Bar Glou Glou serves a daily pasta dish, along with snacks and small plates like hummus and bread, potatoes with cheese, and even a croque monsieur.

Hotel Gästis is the oldest hotel in Varberg – and one of the most unique we’ve ever stayed in. The lobby feels more like a library than a hotel entrance: the property is home to over 15,000 books, and each guest is invited to take one home. The rooms are individually decorated with antique furniture, giving each space a quirky, personal feel. There are DVD players in every room and a binder full of DVDs to choose from – perfect for a movie night. In the basement, you’ll find Leninbadet: a Russian-inspired spa adorned with vibrant blue tiles, featuring cold baths, hot baths, bubble baths, steam rooms, saunas, and foot baths. A breakfast buffet is included for all guests, and there’s also an on-site restaurant and bar.

Bränn Pizzeria is run by Fredrik Johnsson, formerly the head chef of Michelin-starred Volt in Stockholm. There are only a handful of pizzas to choose from – they’re vegetarian by default, with the option to add meat. Our favorite was a white pizza with sour cream, fried onions, smoked ’shrooms, cheese, and guanciale so fatty you could see through it. We also loved a seasonal pizza topped with potato, chives, dill, and lumpfish roe. Bränn’s pizza crust is the tallest we’ve ever seen. With its extremely high sides and deep base, it looks more like a bread bowl than a pizza. The dough is incredible – spongey, fluffy, and tangy. (It’s especially good dipped in the garlic, ramson, and chili crust dips.) Be sure to save room for dessert. On the menu is Volt’s signature sweet vernal grass sponge cake – a moist, airy cake with a sugary crust. It pairs perfectly with the sweet vernal grass ice cream, which tastes like a mix of tonka bean and woodruff.

One of the owners of Bränn Pizzeria also runs Kustbageriet – a gem of a bakery in Varberg. The Kouign-amann was our favorite pastry, with buttery croissant layers and a super crispy, caramelized sugar base. The shakshuka croissant was a fun savory option (one we hadn’t seen before!) with the classic flavors of shakshuka – tomato and egg – on a buttery croissant. The cardamom bun was moist and flavorful, and even better when filled with vanilla custard. The seasonal munk doughnut was light and fluffy, filled with vanilla cream and strawberry jam.