Restaurant in Varberg, Sweden
Sweden's top wine list, outside the city.
Spiseriet is the top-ranked wine restaurant in Sweden on Star Wine List for 2023 and 2024, built by a former Thörnströms Kök sommelier at a farm setting outside Varberg. Book if wine is central to your plans — this is the only wine-first destination of this standard on the Swedish west coast outside Gothenburg. Not a takeout option; the experience only works at the table.
Yes — if wine is central to your dining priorities. Spiseriet, located at Vare 47 Johnssons Gård outside Varberg, has earned the leading position on Star Wine List for Sweden in both 2023 and 2024, a credential that places it in the same conversation as the leading wine-focused restaurants anywhere in Scandinavia. That is not a claim many restaurants outside a capital city can make. The food-and-wine pairing experience here is the reason to book, and it is leading experienced in person at the table rather than as a takeout proposition.
The restaurant was founded by Peter Halldén, a sommelier and restaurant manager with experience at Michelin-starred Thörnströms Kök in Gothenburg, who chose a farm setting near his hometown of Varberg as the site for this project. That professional pedigree matters because it explains the wine program's depth: this is not a casual country restaurant that happens to have a decent list. It is a sommelier-led operation where the wine selection is the primary differentiator, built by someone who has worked at the level where those choices are taken seriously.
The setting at Johnssons Gård, a farm property outside the town centre, reinforces the experience. Arriving at a rural address rather than a high street location is part of the point. For food and wine explorers willing to make the trip, the combination of a curated list and a deliberate, unhurried pace of service is the draw. Diners looking for a quick in-and-out meal in central Varberg should look elsewhere — try Fridas Restaurang or Prästgatan instead.
Spiseriet is not a venue to consider for takeout or delivery. A restaurant that has won Star Wine List's leading Sweden ranking twice running is built around the experience of wine selection at the table, with guidance from a sommelier who knows the list in depth. That interaction, and the context of the farm setting, cannot travel. If you are weighing whether to book a table versus ordering in from somewhere else in Varberg, the answer is direct: Spiseriet is only worth the price of admission when you are physically present for the full experience. The wine program is the product, and it is inseparable from the room.
For wine-focused dining in western Sweden, Spiseriet sits at the leading of a short list. 28+ in Gothenburg is the closest comparable , it also carries serious wine credentials and operates in a similar sommelier-led register. For New Nordic cuisine with strong wine pairings further down the Swedish coast, Vollmers in Malmö and VYN in Simrishamn are the benchmarks. Within driving distance of Varberg, ÄNG in Tvååker offers a farm-to-table format with Michelin recognition. Spiseriet's distinction is the wine list itself: no comparable restaurant at this size and location in Sweden has been ranked this consistently by Star Wine List. If wine is your primary lens, Spiseriet is the specific answer. If it is food-first with wine as context, one of those alternatives may serve you better depending on what you want from the cuisine.
Spiseriet has now held Star Wine List's number one Sweden ranking for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024), which places it at a point of established recognition rather than early-stage discovery. Restaurants at this stage of their reputation arc tend to become harder to book as word consolidates. The venue is not in a city with abundant comparable options , Varberg is a smaller coastal town, and this level of wine program is not replicated locally. Booking sooner rather than later is the practical advice, particularly for weekend evenings or special-occasion dates. See our full Varberg restaurants guide for context on the broader dining scene, and our Varberg hotels guide if you are travelling from outside the region.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spiseriet | Easy | ||
| Operakällaren | Swedish, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| AIRA | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Vollmers | New Nordic, Contemporary | €€€€ | Unknown |
| VYN | New Nordic, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Adam / Albin | New Nordic | €€€€ | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Within Varberg itself, there is no direct comparable for wine-focused fine dining. The closest peer is 28+ in Gothenburg, which also carries serious wine credentials but sits in a larger city context. If the drive to Varberg feels long, Gothenburg gives you more options at the top end — but none currently hold Star Wine List's #1 Sweden ranking the way Spiseriet does.
Spiseriet is located at a farmstead property outside Varberg, which typically suits smaller, more intimate bookings better than large group seatings. check the venue's official channels before planning any group event — venue data does not confirm private dining capacity. A wine-led format like this generally works best for groups of four to eight who share an interest in the list rather than large celebratory parties.
It can work for solo diners, particularly those who are wine-focused and comfortable with a destination-dining format. The rural Varberg setting makes it more of a deliberate solo trip than a casual drop-in, so factor in travel and the commitment that requires. If solo and city-based, 28+ in Gothenburg is an easier logistical option with comparable wine seriousness.
Book as early as you can — holding Star Wine List's #1 Sweden ranking for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) means demand runs ahead of what the rural location might suggest. Last-minute availability is unlikely on weekends. Aim for at least three to four weeks out, and check the venue's official channels as no online booking link is available in current venue data.
Yes, if the occasion is built around wine. Spiseriet's Star Wine List #1 Sweden status (2023 and 2024) and its roots in Michelin-starred Thörnströms Kök in Gothenburg give it the kind of credentials that justify a milestone booking. The farmstead location outside Varberg adds a sense of occasion that a city restaurant cannot replicate — you're making a trip of it, which fits birthdays, anniversaries, or any event where the experience is the point.
No dietary information is documented in available venue data. Given the restaurant's format and scale, it is worth raising restrictions when booking rather than assuming flexibility. check the venue's official channels and be specific — a venue operating at this level of wine focus likely builds menus around a set structure that may need advance notice to adjust.
This is a destination restaurant, not a neighbourhood spot — Vare 47 Johnssons Gård is outside Varberg and requires a deliberate trip. Peter Halldén built it around wine, bringing experience from Michelin-starred Thörnströms Kök in Gothenburg, so come expecting the wine list to be central to the meal, not an afterthought. Plan your transport in advance and book ahead; walking in is not a realistic strategy for Sweden's current #1 wine restaurant.
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