Where's the craic in Malmö?

Having spent almost 3 months living in Malmö I am beginning to understand why the Irish pub scene is so famous.  I've never been a big drinker, nor a huge fan of pubs, so I have never understood what the big deal was.  Now I do.

Pubs in Sweden are very different to those in Ireland.  I'm still figuring out the reasoning, but I think it has a lot to do with controlling alcohol consumption.  In Sweden, it seems that any establishment that sells alcohol must also sell food.  Bars are designed to allow patrons to eat, so seating is dining rather than lounge style.  Everyone has a seat, so they can drink and eat at the same time if they choose to.  The result is (in my limited experience) a fairly relaxed bistro style dining experience, seating is laid out in very distinct groups, which does little to encourage an exchange between strangers.  The very high price of alcohol in bars & restaurants ensures that most socialising is done at home, with only an occasional drink shared in pubs (usually on the weekend of pay day!) 

In Ireland, a pub which is jam packed tends to be favoured over one where standing is discouraged.  Some of the best conversations take place while waiting for a pint of Guinness to settle at the bar or standing in the sunshine outside a busy pub, drink in hand, shoulder to shoulder with someone you don't know from Adam.  This approach may lead to excessive consumption, but it also leads to 'the craic' for which we are famous.  I never thought I'd say it, but I miss Irish pubs!

So, where is 'the craic 'to be found here?  I think it may be in cafés.  Of course, there are big chains here, just like home - Starbucks et al - but there are lots of independent cafés too, and they take coffee really seriously.  It's pricey, with a latté costing anything from 25-40kr (that's roughly €3-5 a cup) but boy is it good. So far I have sampled incredibly good, organic fairtrade coffee in Dolce Siciliana where they also sell gorgeous home made ice cream.  Not the most happening part of the city, but damn good coffee and a must if you are planning a trip to Malmö.

Possibly the fanciest and most aromatic coffee I have ever had was in Rosie's (mentioned in a previous post) hidden away in the posh end of Malmö.  This is clearly where the trendy types hang out, with skinny jeans, coiffed beards and thick framed glasses.   Children are welcome, which seems important here as everyone seems to have at least one.  Where we Irish might spend an afternoon supping on a few pints in a pub, the locals here choose coffee and spend hours sipping on theirs.  How a café with room for 12 people makes any money I don't know.

My favourite place so far has to be the teeny tiny Number 6, located just on the edge of central Malmö and within walking distance of my apartment (bonus).  The coffee is really really good, the atmosphere is welcoming and cosy and Steven (an Irish man, from Dunshaughlin via more countries than I can remember) is cooler than the locals.  Yep, he is.  His bicycle hangs on the wall inside and there's a bench seat outside for soaking up the sun, when we get it.   On cold wet days there are a handful of tables squeezed in the corner which are almost always full of Swedish locals, having, it seems, 'the craic'.

I don't particularly want to swap my alcohol habit for a coffee habit, but if that's where 'the craic' is at it's mightiest, then I may have to...

When in Rome...go to Rosie's

When I started writing this blog, while we were still living in Cork, I was really looking forward to trying out all of what Malmo has to offer; from bakeries and cafes to farmers markets and restaurants.  

It's taking longer than I had hoped it would.  Moving country is expensive.  We saved and saved for this adventure, knowing it would cost a pretty penny, and just about managed to make it last until Mountain Man's first paycheck came through the postbox (Yippee!).  Eating out, buying expensive coffees and gourmet treats hasn't really been an option, so I've been cooking and eating in a lot.  

On Friday night, we borrowed a friend's car (Thanks Lars!) and made our third trip to IKEA since we arrived here.  As tends to happen when you visit IKEA after work on a Friday, neither of us had eaten and realised on arrival that we might not make it to the cash desks if we didn't get some food into our bellies.  I use the word 'food' lightly here.  Maybe it's a rite of passage...I'm really not sure, but I figured 'When in Rome...' and queued up for an IKEA hotdog.  Never again.  I think it must be the most revolting piece of 'foodlike substance' I have ever put in my mouth.  Nasty nasty nasty.  I know it's IKEA and it's cheap, but this stuff shouldn't be called food.

On a happier note, a dear friend from home arrived on Saturday afternoon to visit for a few days.  Delighted to have an excuse to explore the city, yesterday we got her a rental bike and cycled around Malmö.  Before she left Ireland, her brother in law had begged her to find a little place called Rosie's Coffee & Wine, where they sell Coffee Collective beans from Copenhagen (he’s a bit of a connoisseur it seems). 

With a little help from Google we found it and cycled there after a lazy trip around Vastra Hamnen - Malmö's old harbour district which has been completely redeveloped and is well worth a visit, with views of the Oresund Bridge and Copenhagen.  

Rosie's is a hidden gem!  Canadian Jake explained to us how and why he spends, oh, at least 8 minutes making hand filtered coffee and how it is more like an aromatic cup of tea than the coffee most of us have grown up with.  I have never observed such ceremony associated with making coffee.  I was entranced. 

Jake also explained why Coffee Collective is so special - they visit coffee growers around the world, strike up a deal with the farmers and sell beans direct to cafes and retailers.  No coffee brokers, no middle men.  A fair price for the farmer and real fair trade in action, 25% more than the fair trade price in fact; we like.  Sadly, he had underestimated his coffee needs for that week and was only willing to part with one bag of beans for the brother in law (Other bags on the shelf had been roasted 2 weeks previously and were just too old to be sold as they would be sure to disappoint.  Holy moses, that’s dedication)

Along with a very tasty latte I had an incredibly good Croque Monsieur, which really wasn’t a Croque Monsieur at all, as it had tomato, leek and mustard as well as ham and cheese, but boy was it gooooood.  A beautiful side salad with fennel shavings, carrot, cherry tomatoes and salad leaves accompanied it, all for the price of 50SEK.  Not bad for a very filling lunch plus some coffee education! 

As far as I could tell, Rosie’s also sometimes sell organic veggies on the pavement outside, but on Sunday their focus was on coffee, tea, amazing cakes and buns and gorgeous savoury sandwiches and salads.  They opened in April of this year, so they’re still a fledgling business, but I, for one, will definitely be back.  Even if I have to cycle across town for the experience!  Find them on Beridaregatan 8, Malmö, Sweden.