KOL & Cocktails in Helsingborg: charcoal-grilled wagyu, plenty of energy and Dom Pérignon at Swedish prices

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The place and the atmosphere

KOL sits centrally in Helsingborg on a charming street, and you feel the energy the moment you step inside. There's a bit of a nightclub vibe to the place, the music is playing, and the guests have often dressed up for the occasion. The seating is comfortable with plenty of room and large tables, so it never feels cramped, even when the house is full. The noise level is high, that's worth knowing, but honestly it works well precisely because the atmosphere is what it is. It's not the place for a quiet evening, but that's not what you come here for either ;-)

Sharing is Caring

The concept at KOL is simple. You order meat, fish or both and add a selection of side orders, and everything arrives on large wooden boards and in small cast-iron pans, so you share across the table. We went for their sharing menus, which require a minimum of two people. Mixed Meat at 399 SEK per person consists of dry-aged club steak from their own ageing cabinet, Iberian pork pluma and lamb racks. Mixed Wagyu at 845 SEK per person is Japanese A5 striploin, flap steak and zabuton.

And let's say it straight out: Mixed Wagyu was without doubt the highlight of the evening. It's simply something you have to try if you're at KOL. Alongside that we had a Halibut from Chef's Choices, which on the menu is seared halibut with cauliflower purée, brown butter, mushrooms and new potatoes tossed in herbs.

The sides

Sides are a big part of the experience here, and we didn't hold back. Béarnaise and pepper sauce came for the meat, along with tomato and mozzarella salad, crispy artichoke with truffle and parmesan, truffle and parmesan croquettes, potato gratin and a truffle risotto. Sides are priced between 39 and 49 SEK each, so it's easy to build an entire buffet of small pans in the middle of the table. A small note: with that many sides on the table you fill up quickly, so it's better to order a little at a time.

Desserts and espresso martini

We finished in the After Grill section of the menu. We ordered two Apple at 135 SEK each, an apple cake with almond, vanilla ice cream, oat crunch and caramel sauce, one Chocolate at 135 SEK with chocolate pavé, blackberry sorbet, chocolate mousse and crumble, and a crème brûlée at 129 SEK with raspberry sorbet and crumble. Plus a couple of extra scoops of ice cream at 39 SEK apiece. And of course you can't be at a place called KOL & Cocktails without an espresso martini to finish, so that became four of them at 155 SEK each.

The wine and the champagne

Then there's the wine list, which is one of the reasons we keep coming back. We ordered a bottle of Dom Pérignon at 3.195 SEK, and that sounds steep, but with the Swedish krona exchange rate the restaurant price is actually about what the bottle costs at a Danish wine merchant. So we've made that a little tradition from time to time. On top of that we had a Meursault at 1.400 SEK and a MacMurray at 845 SEK with the meat.

Service

The service is good and competent. It's young people running it, but they come across as sharp and well trained, and they know both the menu and the wines. Things move quickly, as they should in a place with this much energy, but we never felt forgotten.

Price and exchange rate

The bill came to 10.228,50 SEK for the whole evening - that was for 4 adults and 3 children. It's an expensive place, no point pretending otherwise, and the champagne was clearly the biggest item, but at a price we're happy to pay. Coming from Denmark, you really do get a lot for your money in Sweden right now, and that goes for wagyu, wine and desserts alike. So my recommendation is: make the most of the exchange rate and order what you'd normally steer clear of at home.

Children and booking

You absolutely must book a table, that's not up for debate at a place as popular as this. There isn't necessarily a proper children's menu, but with bread, olives, chips and the many sides there are still plenty of options for children. And KOL is also a really good place to start a night out with friends, because the atmosphere is already well under way before you get up from the table.