Johan P at Malmö Central Station has a very nice location in the old part of the waiting hall, sharing the space with a variety of cafés and restaurants. People come and go, which makes it an excellent spot for people watching.
I stopped by on a late Saturday afternoon, joining a few diners. The dining area was half full, while the bar was packed.
There is some confusion if you can just sit down in the dining area. In Sweden, white table cloth and napkins often signals the patron to "wait to be seated" in the absence of a sign. So I asked at the counter and they didn't seem to know. When I seated myself, the waiter seemed missive, however service markedly improved throughout the dinner.
The bread arrived and what a disappointment, crisp bread and baguette. I like dinner rolls or baguette to served warm and have some type of crisp to it. Doughy baguettes are simply sub par. There are two great artisan bread bakeries in Malmö and Lund, and a few more in surrounding region. I know I've become a bread snob, but investing in a good relationship with local bread bakeries is a win-win situation for all restaurants. The butter was soft, so thumbs up there.
Nice jazz duo started performing...really nice with live music.
Fish was delivered, plaice with capers and pickled red beets and boiled potatoes. Decorated with dill and a grilled lemon half, nice touch.
The plaice was fresh and melted like butter. The skin could have been crispier. It was a little uneven in that department. I did not eat the roe. Capers and thinly diced red beets are perfect complements to fish and the boiled potatoes were cooked perfectly.
Ordered creme brûlée for dessert. Not my favourite dessert, but it was either that or a chocolate fondant. It was good so no complaints whatsoever.
There is something, I'll never understand in regards to restaurants. Why do they insist on serving hot tea in glasses?* No napkin will ever make it look great. A nice porcelain cup with an ear is much more desired for those of us who are tea drinkers. Johan P is also a restaurant, which I would expect more choice of tea, not just green or black. Why don't they serve Kusmi Tea?
To sum up, it was a pleasant atmosphere with attentive service and I felt no rush to leave. The live Jazz lured more people into the restaurant hall, which as nice. The fish was fresh, cooked well except for some unevenness of the skin, but it was still succulent. The bread was a disappointment, but the dessert excellent.
I will give Johan P at the Central Station a solid 4. The bill came in at 242 kr, which I didn't think was too bad. read more
