A day tour to Malmö from Copenhagen is well worth it. It’s an easy 40-minute commute by train via the Øresund Bridge, part of which is a tunnel that goes under the Øresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden. Malmö is a quaint, charming and calming coastal city in the south of Sweden with a lot to appreciate in terms of history and beauty. And then there was the food. One meal is all we had, and one meal was all it took to leave a lasting impression.

Our guide Lesley had picked a fabulous lunch spot – Gustav Adolf restaurant, which gets its name from the square at which it is located. Elegant as it was inside, the outdoor dining space was chilled and ideal for the good weather we were enjoying on the day. We ordered a variety of three dishes to get a feel for Swedish cuisine.

With summer around the corner, it was the perfect time to try a Swedish summer classic, räkmacka – their much looked-forward-to seasonal open prawn sandwich. A bite in, and it was apparent why it was so looked-forward-to. To begin with, it looked monumentally pretty – a mound of fresh prawns on a bed of fresh lettuce with a pillow of mayo, boiled egg, cherry tomato, olives, dill, bread, and a wedge of lemon on the side. Colourful, monument-like and pretty. And then there was the fact that it tasted like a cool (and delicious) summer breeze. Taste, freshness, texture and goodness, all in one.

Apparently, the Swedes enjoy a good wienerschnitzel – a Viennese-style pork schnitzel. So, we thought we’d order one, too. The schnitzel itself was top-notch, its taste enhanced by the knob of herb butter that melted into it as we watched, and the red wine sauce was excellent for both the crumbed meat and the fries. It came with a refreshing veggie mix of cherry tomatoes, Brussel sprouts and fennel bulb.

And then came the meatballs. Sten Broman whiskyköttbullar (whisky meatballs) named after the Swedish composer/actor who created them. They were simply delicious. You wouldn’t guess they were beef if you didn’t already know, they felt like a white meat. The cream sauce in which they were doused was a complete winner, and the traditional combination with mash, lingonberry compôte and pickled gherkin was excellent.

Lesley also introduced us to Briska, a local 0.5% cider (which the Swedes refer to as ‘alcohol-free’) that was the best beverage that we could possibly have ordered. So smooth, so refreshing and so good.

Later on in the afternoon, we made a stop at Slottsträdgårdens Kafé at the serene Malmö Castle Gardens, where we tried a couple of local sweet favourites. One of these was kokostopp, an almost-conical coconut cake of sorts, with a covering of desiccated coconut.

The second, scrumptious item was kladdkaka, a fudgy chocolate cake with a crisp exterior and a double dose of happiness. Apparently quite popular in Sweden – I so understood why!