I Couldn’t Believe the Deliciousness I Enjoyed at Louisville’s Only Scandinavian Bakery

How far would you guess you'd have to go to visit an authentic Nordic bakery? You might think you'd have to travel quite far, perhaps even across an ocean. Lucky for us Kentuckians, the state has an authentic Nordic bakery. Smør Nordic Bakeri in Louisville, Kentucky, is the city's first Scandinavian bakery and delights its customers with high-quality sweets and breads. I visited Smør Nordic Bakeri one Friday around noon to see first-hand what the bakery is all about. I have never been to Scandinavia but have several friends with Scandinavian roots. I was excited to experience a small piece of their culture by visiting the bakery.

The bakery is near the corner of Trevillian Way and Poplar Level Road, and several parking spaces are out front. I entered the bakery's glass doors and quickly noticed the tables with home items and gifts for sale. There were Swedish dishcloths, printed notepads, printed towels, ornaments, children's toys, books, and more. Many of the items would make lovely gifts. A small black-and-white printed notepad caught my attention; the design was intricate and beautiful, and I thought it would make the everyday task of writing notes a little more special.

After browsing for a few minutes, I approached the bakery case. It held an assortment of pastries, each flavored with cinnamon, lingonberry, cardamom, almond, apple, and more. I wanted to try them all, but I ultimately decided on the almond-flavored pastry made with cardamom dough, almond paste, and pastry cream topped with thinly sliced and toasted almonds. It was out of this world; the light dough layered with rich, sweet pastry cream and topped with crunchy almonds was a fantastic combination. I planned to save some for later, but I just couldn't. It was too delicious!

The bakery also sells an assortment of freshly baked breads. There were beautiful loaves of brioche, potato bread, and potato sliders.

The bakery had indoor and outdoor seating areas for customers. The indoor tables were neatly arranged with unique black chairs with a cutout design. The indoor space was flooded with natural light from the bakery's big windows and would be a lovely place to sit with a friend or alone with a great book. Outdoors, there were a few two-person pink tables and chairs.

Liz and Jesse Huot own Smør Nordic Bakeri. The couple also owns two other Louisville restaurants: Grind Burger Kitchen and Oskar's Slider Bar. Oskar's Slider Bar is next door to the bakery at 3799 Poplar Level Road and serves a bevy of mouthwatering sliders.

Have you visited Smør Nordic Bakeri in Louisville? What is your favorite bakery in Kentucky?

For more information, visit Smør Nordic Bakeri's website and Facebook page.

Smør Nordic Bakeri is in the Poplar Level neighborhood of Louisville. It's a fantastic area with many restaurants, hikes, and things to do. The Louisville Zoo and Louisville Nature Center are very close by. Joe Creason Park, a wonderful city park with a walking trail and playground, is also nearby.

If you'd like to plan a weekend away to this part of Louisville, consider staying in this five-bedroom Airbnb with a stunning interior and convenient location.