EBG Rating: 7.5/10

Choice/Quality of Drinks:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Although most tap options are mainstream there are some superior options available and further still in bottles. Competent back bar covering bases.

Style/Décor:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Classic English style city tavern. Varnished wood fittings, booth seating around a large central bar with green lamps built into the high fixtures.

Atmosphere/Character:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Friendly and a reasonable tempo to the place too. Feels safe and welcoming also.

Amenities/Events:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Food, snacks, TV live music

Value For Money:
❤️❤️
Pricing is high, and some more democratic pricing in terms of range options would be an improvement.

Description:
A trip around Helsingborg’s good bars doesn’t take long. A prevailing sense of frustration builds. Is that it? For a city of 150,000 people. I’m afraid to say, yes it is. Helsingborg doesn’t really do suburban pubs, and what can be found in its city centre can be charitably described as the bare minimum you’d expect to find in a small Calderdale town, rather than one of Sweden’s bigger cities. This disgraceful state of affairs is of course partly due to the country’s relationship with alcohol and a temperance movement which annihilated Swedish pub culture.

While major cities have recovered to an extent, the scars can still be found in the provinces where finding even one good bar can be extremely tricky.

After the annihilation of native pub culture in the early 20th century, the loosening of restrictions in the 1970s left a void to fill, and so British and Irish pubs – their style and format – were imported to plug the gap. These pubs have done the heavy lifting for years.

Many, like the Bishops Arms chains are pretty ersatz feeling (although would be welcome somewhere like Halmstad where they are absent), but the odd one or two are genuinely effective pubs in their own right. Telegrafen belongs to the latter.

An effective city tavern with varnished wood fittings, booth seating around a large central bar, behind which you’ll find a decent drinks selection, albeit without many affordable options. Food in particular is rather over the top for what’s on offer.

The place takes on a bit more energy during live screenings of sport events and music performances too, but functions well outside of that.

There’s no point going over the top or expounding – it’s a decent pub and one to be aware of.

Be warned that the place clears out extremely quickly mid-week after football games finish – we found it moved from full to virtually empty within 15 minutes!

(Added May 2026)