A Taste of Sweden

This tour gives you several culinary experiences at some of the best Swedish hotel restaurants. You will enjoy cuisine of the highest class at our hotels. All restaurants have their own seasonal dishes and have received good ratings from our partner, White Guide.

We offer tasty gourmet food, tasting menus, wine and champagne tastings and beautiful table settings. Combined with top class accommodations in natural surroundings, this is a tour filled with quality of life.

Malmö, Ängavallen

(White Guide 2010: total score, 66. Food 23).

We start this tour in the southern part of Sweden. The Nordström family runs Ängavallen Gård. The business started off as a reaction against intolerant, industrial animal husbandry. Now we have the opportunity to stay in the hotel and visit Örtagården Restaurant, a beautifully restored building from 1876.

“It’s easy to see that the Nordström family has a passion for organic food. Every component on the plate and in the glass is produced traditionally and in accordance with nature. For guests, this means good raw materials and a clear conscience. “ (White Guide -10)

The atmosphere tells us that this is a true family restaurant. But they always make sure to invite guest chefs with external qualifications.

In the beautiful rooms and lounges, we are invited to try out genuine, gourmet food from the southern part of Sweden, called Skåne. The dishes are made from their own raw materials; meat from their own animals, vegetables from the organic plantations and spices from the herb garden. All of the wines and beers are also organic.

Ängavallen – Karlaby Kro

(White Guide 2010: total score 70, food 28) 100 km trip.

After a stop at Smygehuk, the southernmost point in Sweden, we head to Karlaby Kro. Here we find an outstanding, soothing environment. Every detail is carefully planned. What can be better than staying in a cosy room and eating first class food? The White Guide describes Karlaby Kro as “a Mediterranean-scented oasis”.

The hotel not only has wonderful surroundings and an amazing atmosphere, but also a gourmet restaurant. You can start your dinner off with a glass of champagne at the bar or outside on the terrace. The restaurant and hotel are inspired by Mediterranean aesthetics and by the local food produced in this region.

Karlaby Kro – Hestravikens Wärdshus

(White Guide 2010: total score 66, food 24) 261 km, 3.5 hours.

The Hellström family has been at Hestraviken for three generations now. Malin Hellström is the chef and Johan, her husband, is the restaurateur. They will both make sure that our stay here is pleasant. We can enjoy a drink in front of the fireplace. The restaurant has a homely atmosphere with small, charming dining rooms and a winter porch. Ambitions are high in the kitchen. “We have a great love for food”, says the Hellström family. The ingredients they use are seasonal and they often use food gathered straight from the surrounding nature. With friendly and professional service, we are ensured a great dinner. The wine list is extensive with some select bottles sold at favourable prices.

Hestravikens Wärdshus – Halltorps Gästgiveri

(White Guide 2010 total score 71, food 28) 247 km, 3h 35 min.

On the way to Halltorps Gästgiveri, we recommend that you take a break and visit Karlskrona, a UNESCO world Heritage town. Some parts of the town’s naval installations are still used today, 300 years after the town was founded.

Halltorps Gästgiveri is located in the middle of an island called Öland, overlooking Kalmar Strait. The hotel’s closest neighbour is Vida Museum with an impressive art collection. The building used to be owned by the Royal Family, but today it’s a well-known hotel and restaurant with cosy rooms and comfortable lounges with 5 fire places.

Josef Weichl has been the chef at the restaurant for over 35 years and the menu is filled with small trips down memory lane. This is one of the best restaurants on the island of Öland. The menu reminds us of great French cuisine and the wine list is carefully selected.

Halltorps Gästgiveri – Villa Källhagen

(White Guide 2010: total score 70, food 29) 440 km, 4h 50 min.

Now we head for the capital of Sweden, Stockholm and Villa Källhagen. Situated in Djurgården just a few hundred metres from the stone buildings of the city, this still feels like the countryside. The first inn was established here in 1810 and the red cabin in the garden still reminds us of those days, but Villa Källhagen was built in 1990.

Stockholm offers a wide variety of magnificent restaurants, but we’ll stay at Villa Källhagen the first evening. During the warmer season, the garden, with its spectacular view, is the perfect place for dinner, and during the winter season, a glass of wine in front of the fire is a perfect start to the evening. But above all, the food is great. The menu has something for all tastes and the staff is very friendly.

The next day, after a relaxing breakfast, we head downtown. We recommend a visit to some of the restaurants around Stureplan for lunch, comfortably close to some of the best shops in Stockholm.

Villa Källhagen – Albert Kitchen Hotel & Conference

(White Guide) 420km, 5 h.

Our final stop is Albert Kitchen Hotel and Conference with a nice view of the city of Trollhättan and the boats passing through the lock. The main building is from 1857 and was built by Johan Dahlöf. Rickard Halleröd is in charge of the kitchen. He often works on official events and has won several awards. The chef’s ambition is to use fresh, locally produced, seasonal ingredients, and the kitchen is placed in the middle of the building so visitors can see exactly what’s going on in there. But if the weather is nice, we’ll have our dinner on the outdoor terrace. Before our meal, we taste Albert Hotel’s own high-quality champagne, imported from a small producer in France called Gaidoz-Forget. Then it’s time for dinner and we experience a perfect blend of carefully cooked food and wine or other beverages that match the dinner in the best possible way.