It is no wonder Österlen, Sweden, is sometimes compared to Tuscany or Provence, with its gently rolling hills, dramatic coastlines and charming old villages. That said, this idyllic part of southern Sweden, or Skåne, set on the southeast coast just an hour and a half from Malmö (or less than two hours by car from Copenhagen Airport), may well be re-dubbed the Emilia-Romagna of Sweden—at least if its food credentials are anything to go by.

A culinary revolution is underway, and it is being led by Daniel Berlin. One of Sweden’s most-decorated chefs, Berlin closed his two-star Michelin Daniel Berlin Krog in September 2020 and opened Vyn in October 2023. The following year in May, less than a year after opening, the new restaurant was awarded two stars in the Nordic Michelin Guide.

Vyn, which translates as the view (and what a view!), overlooks the verdant Skåne landscape all the way down to the Baltic Sea. The space also features a casual wine bar, serving Swedish spins on tapas, and a 15-room boutique hotel. As for the food, it is 100% local, unfussy, yet at the same time flawlessly executed.

Fresh produce from Österlen, Sweden

But Österlen is not all fine dining. The region has long been celebrated for its agriculture, and, in particular, its apple trees. The area is home to some 80% of Swedish apple orchards, most of which are found around the quaint hamlet of Kivik. Don’t miss the famous an opportunity to sample Kivik cider and apple juice, available from fifth-generation family-run Kiviks Musteri.

A ten-minute drive from Kivik, among the wild heaths and sand dunes of the Haväng nature reserve, Fruktstereo grow fruit for organic wine and cider. Further inland, Fabian, a French farmer, runs a regenerative farm, where he has learned that the Österlen soil and sunshine lend themselves well to growing everything from tomatoes to eggplant and watermelon. Then there’s Österlenssaffran, with its robot that is set to revolutionize the way saffron is harvested. Its organic ‘red gold’ (saffron is the most expensive and delicate spice in the world) is already being supplied to some of the top fine-dining restaurants in Sweden and Denmark, including Vyn, of course.

“I love that you are very close to nature when you are in Österlen,” says Chef Daniel Berlin, adding: “Everything is in our surroundings—the producers, and what we actually serve in the restaurant. We have a long spring and summer, the climate is comparatively warm and the winter is relatively short, with a beautiful transition into the summer.”

Where to eat and drink in Österlen, Sweden

Vyn

Set in a stunningly restored former farmhouse, overlooking a landscape so postcard perfect it almost doesn’t feel real, Vyn is the new home of Swedish Chef Daniel Berlin. If his brand of sustainable, nose-to-tail gastronomy doesn’t feel forced or performative, it is because it isn’t.

“This is how people used to eat back in the day and it’s the most natural thing in the world to use the whole animal,” Chef Berlin says.

His approach is perfectly illustrated in dishes like the milk-fed lamb cooked over a fire (featuring heart, neck and sweetbreads), which would persuade even the most die-hard offal sceptics to acknowledge that this way of eating is not only good for the planet and respectful of the animal, but also downright delicious. Other standout plates include the decadent warm, brown-butter poached local langoustine, and the hot and cold scallop, a perfectly balanced dish of exciting contrasts and tantalizing flavors.

Gamla Bageriet

Gamla Bageriet translates as the old bakery and, while the bakery itself is far from ancient (it was set up by Jimmy, a photographer, and Linnea, a nurse, during the pandemic), the setting is steeped in history. Borrby’s long-since disused railway station from 1894 had housed a raggedy corner shop before Linnea and Jimmy turned it into the region’s top organic bakery. Stop by a coffee and a kardemummabulle, or cardamom roll, or for a still-warm loaf of fresh-baked sourdough bread.

Gustafs på Österlen

Things you don’t expect to find in in a sleepy village on Sweden’s Baltic coast: a top-notch Neapolitan-style pizzeria, and a dude called Gustaf singing in a band called The Pizza Bandits and turning out said top-notch Neapolitan pizzas. Yet, all this is a reality at Gustafs på Österlen, which has converted the entire region into music-loving pizza aficionados. ‘Jänkaren’ (the Yankee), topped with spicy salami is the one to home in on.

Talldungen

In Brösarps Backar, between Kivik and Haväng, Talldungen is a restaurant with rooms, but the restaurant is the part that deserves your attention. Serving rustic, local food with a Mediterranean-inspired twist, Talldungen is also known for its superb selection of wines. Think local lamb and beans served with salsa verde, or white seasonal asparagus with almond mayo. Try it all as part of the seasonally changing four-course set menu.

What to do in Österlen, Sweden

Culture lovers will be pleased to learn that Österlen is not all fields and sand dunes (although much of it is). The main urban centers are Simrishamn with some 19,000 inhabitants, a former fishing village where rows of low buildings in pastel hues line cobblestoned streets and herring is the most celebrated local fare, and Ystad, home to around 31,000 people. The latter, a picturesque town with bright-colored half-timbered houses and narrow cobbled roads, is best known internationally as home of fictional detective Kurt Wallander (played by Kenneth Branagh in the early-2000s film series Wallander).

Don’t miss Sandhammaren, one of the best beaches in Sweden with miles of fine golden sand, or Ales Stenar (Ale’s Stones), a megalithic iron-age monument consisting of 59 stones shaped like a Viking longship, like a Nordic Stonehenge. Book a visit at Kåseholm Castle, where Swedish Joakim and American Jamie have restored a stately home from 1632 and turned it into a guest house, events space, art gallery and antique furniture dealership.

Where to stay in Österlen, Sweden

Vyn is not just one of Sweden’s best fine-dining restaurants. The former farmhouse now also comprises an elegantly pared-back, yet superbly comfortable 15-room boutique hotel with two suites, and a casual wine bar. Apart from serving a classic Swedish breakfast to hotel guests, the latter specializes in bar bites with an emphasis on Nordic delicacies like Skrei cod, and Swedish vendace roe, also known as Kalix löjrom, also known as the gold of the sea. If you aren’t planning a trip all the way to Kalix in the Bay of Bothnia, you can sample this near-Artic delicacy at Vyn, in Österlen, Sweden, instead.