Delightfully scrumptious scanian dishes

The convivial atmosphere of grandma’s hostelry etched itself indelibly on young Mats and he took the experiences, flavours and feelings, though with a modern touch and more refined cooking methods, as his role model when he turned his dream of opening a restaurant into reality in Malmö in the summer of 2011.

Prior to this Mats had embarked on a culinary journey that took him to a number of prestigious restaurants including Le Sommelier and Herman in Copenhagen in addition to a period at Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road before returning to Sweden. Several more years of culinary exploration followed until the opening of Vollmers restaurant in Malmö. It is described as “An intimate, elegant restaurant with charming, professional service, set in a pretty 19th century townhouse.” This is where “The talented Mats Vollmer showcases some of the area’s finest seasonal ingredients in set 4, 6 or 8 course menus of intricate and elaborate modern dishes, which are innovative, perfectly balanced and full of flavour.”

The expertly crafted dishes which reflect the personal philosophy and talent of the chef and his team is evident in the distinct flavours and characteristics which marry local, carefully selected produce with modern cooking techniques to enhance its natural flavours, represent the region’s distinct seasons and take the Scanian cuisine to new heights.

Not surprisingly, the team behind Vollmers is thrilled, and Mats says, “This is so huge for me. I can’t even grasp it. I have worked so hard for this. It’s amazing to get two stars in a small town like Malmö. My deepest thanks to the team. There are not many restaurants that have such a dedicated team. It’s absolutely phenomenal and further recognition that what I’m doing is right. The customer experience is always my top priority. I work hard every day to fill the restaurant with happy and loyal guests. Getting a second star in the Michelin Guide is fantastic. It means even more work. Even now the brain never gets a day off. There’s not a single thing you put in your mouth without the brain registering and analysing it.”

Mats is ultra-competitive and aims to be the best, while always putting the customer first. He hones his methods every day to achieve this, totally without compromise and with an unswerving focus on serving food that is closest to his own heart. Great food, without any fuss, using crockery that is custommade for every dish, the menu includes dishes such as cod served with kohlrabi and mustard; pointed cabbage, pork and sherry; beef, black radish and garlic; mussels, rhubarb and lemon thyme; raspberry, beetroot and cream. For each dish, the Vollmers’ menu indicates the distance from the restaurant to the ingredients’ source.

Experience Sweden’s best Scanian cuisine, featuring simple, sharp, natural flavours, as served by guest chef Mats Vollmer at Restaurant Ikarus in September 2018.