Ästad Vingård – two nights by the lake, a spa like a little hobbit-land and a bill we don't regret

Med på turen

The places we stopped at along the way — each with its own review.

Dinner · dag 1 Restaurant ÄNG 5.0 Restaurant · Tvååker Read the review → Dinner · dag 1 Restaurang Logen 4.0 Restaurant · Tvååker Logen – what a cosy, relaxed evening with really good bistro food, kind and unhurried staff and a bottle of Chablis alongside. Exactly the calm, classic counterpoint we needed after the big experience at ÄNG – and we'll definitely be back. Read the review → Dinner · dag 1 Restaurang Logen Morgenmad 4.0 Restaurant · Tvååker What a delicious way to start the day – breakfast at Logen was served at the table in a cosy room full of other guests, and it was included in our Gourmet package. The pork neck with scrambled eggs is the one we remember best, so read on if you want to know why a classic breakfast deserves its own review. Read the review → Dinner · dag 1 Restaurang ÄNG – Gourmet morgenmad 5.0 Restaurant · Tvååker What a breakfast that was – a classic breakfast reinterpreted as small Michelin-level courses in ÄNG's beautiful greenhouse, with outstanding service and a calm, lovely atmosphere. An hour and a half later we agreed it was the most remarkable breakfast we've ever had. Read the review →

Arrival

We arrived on a Friday in early September in slightly autumnal weather, and check-in was lightning quick. Finding our way around the grounds, on the other hand, was a bit tricky – the signage isn't very clear, and even though we were handed a map, it took us a while to find the right apartment. We got there in the end, but a small tip from us: do ask at reception one more time exactly where you need to go before you set off with the suitcases ;-)

The hotel and its surroundings

Ästad Vingård is an organic vineyard in the Åkulla Bokskogar nature reserve in Halland, about 25 km from Varberg, with a main focus on sparkling wine. The estate is home to hotel rooms, Sinnenas Spa and three restaurants: Logen, Smakbaren and the Michelin-starred Restaurang ÄNG, which sits like a greenhouse out in the meadow with the forest behind it. Everything is designed in timber, glass and turf roofs, and it is set so beautifully among lakes, fields and hills.

The room

We had booked a small apartment by the lake, where you're practically living in the middle of the water and can swim straight from a little terrace. Wow, that was wonderful. The room is decorated in a modern, warm Nordic style with plenty of oak, and there was a private sauna, a really lovely bed and a handsome bathroom with a skylight. On top of that there were toiletries, dressing gowns, a coffee machine and a small fridge – so hardly anything was missing.
You can also play music through two different speakers in the room and control when the sauna comes on, the temperature and the lighting yourself – all from a small panel on the wall.

The only downside was that there could have been more wardrobe space. The two of us pack generously, so it became a bit of a puzzle – but that's also the only thing I can fault.

Spa

Access to Sinnenas Spa was included in our booking, and it turned out to be one of the real highlights of the stay. The area is almost like a little "hobbit-land" with small turf-roofed houses, hot baths, steam rooms, a cold pool and lakes in between. There was even a sauna below water level, where you sit and gaze out into the green lake water – wow.

Now, we're not normally big spa people, but here there was plenty of space, calm and no crowded party atmosphere. You could move from bath to bath at your own pace, and it was truly beautiful. So if, like us, you're a little sceptical about spa stays, give it a chance here.

The restaurants

The estate is, of course, home to the Michelin-starred restaurant ÄNG, where we had their tasting menu in the evening and a separate gourmet breakfast. Both get their own reviews here on the site – they simply deserve it.

On the second evening we ate at Logen, as described under day 2. Here we had good bistro food in four courses – a set snack plus a choice of starter, main and dessert. It's a completely different and more relaxed experience than ÄNG, and it worked really well as evening number two.

Breakfast

Breakfast was also fantastic. The regular breakfast at Logen worked with served courses and choices, including eggs, instead of a classic buffet. The gourmet breakfast at ÄNG is something else entirely – I'm writing about that separately.

Full Experience and the wine bar

We had booked their 'Full Experience', and it's important to point out that wine is not included. The confirmation email said 'including wine bar all night long', which we honestly found misleading. In practice it meant access to the wine bar, not free wine. That's how it was – but it's definitely something we'll read extra carefully next time, and now you know ;-)

The bar

The bar by the spa area let things down a little. The cocktails were pre-mixed, and when the rest of the place is so well executed, we would have liked a proper bartender shaking up good cocktails. In the evening the bar area could also feel a bit deserted – a little more life and atmosphere would have suited the place.

Check-out

At check-out there was a long queue, and it was raining. We could check out on our phones, which in itself worked fine – but mobile check-out doesn't really work if you've taken anything from the minibar. Because of the queue, we sent an email instead listing what we'd taken. So a tip is to settle the minibar the evening before if you want to avoid the queue on Sunday morning.

Getting there

From Helsingborg it's about an hour and a half's drive, so if you take the ferry from Helsingør, the journey is easy. You need a car – the estate sits in the middle of the nature reserve, and that's the whole charm of it. There are no transport options on site, but then you don't need to go anywhere.

The price

We paid around 15,000 kr. for two days. That included the tasting menu at ÄNG, the gourmet breakfast, regular breakfast, dinner at Logen and access to the spa. It's expensive, no secret there – but we genuinely felt it was worth the money. An absolutely superb experience.