On my recent trip to Sweden (in collaboration with Visit Sweden), I got to spend some time in Gothenburg. This is a town I haven't been to in years, as my family and I used to drive past it every summer on our way to visit my grandfather in southern Sweden. As my brother and I got older, we no longer needed that break for driving and eventually started passing. That's why I was excited to visit Gothenburg this time and dine at some of Gothenburg's best restaurants!
The theme of the trip was sustainability, so you can bet the places we stopped at had great plans to make sure everything was run as eco-friendly as possible. For example, the Upper House, which I will mention below, had its own beehives on the roof of the building! These are actually the tallest hives in Sweden (given that the building is quite tall). And at the vRÅ restaurant in Gothenburg, we went up to the roof to see their herb gardens and watch them pick the herbs for our meal.
Viking sights in Sweden
Don't miss this post!9 unique things to do in Gothenburg!
Sweden is an amazing country, with many wonderful places to explore! If you visit the capital, don't miss itThree-day itinerary Stockholm!
After visiting such great restaurants in Gothenburg, I thought it was only right to share them with you, in case any of you are planning a trip to Sweden (I hope you are, the trip was amazing).
TOP TIP:Pass Nabavite Gothenburgbefore your trip to save $$$ on activities around town (with free entry to over 30 attractions, activities and museums)! You must work up that appetite during your visit.
7 amazing restaurants in Gothenburg you don't want to miss!
A little disclaimer before you read on. I'm not a foodie. I was never good at cooking and I was so picky. But I love great culinary and taste experiences that excite me (so maybe I'm a foodie?), so I want to share these restaurants in Gothenburg. In my opinion, each had something unique to offer, and I know you'll find the right place for you on this list. They also come in a variety of budgets, which should help too!
If you're traveling outside of Gothenburg, don't miss itmy little guide to Varbergif your trip takes you there (highly recommend, such a beautiful place!).
Are you going somewhere else in Sweden? I can't recommend Småland enough, thereforedon't miss this guideif you are planning a trip to Sweden's garden. This isthe hotel where I stayed.
#1 Restoran vRÅ
vRÅ is the kind of restaurant you'll be talking to your friends about for a while. Today this is an intimate little restaurant with only 45 seats (originally a pop-up restaurant), but it soon moves to larger premises in the same building. Located atClarion Hotel Post, right next to the station in the center of Gothenburg. The hotel has two excellent restaurants. vRÅ and Norda. Both have great, unique meanings steeped in the Nordic language. The hotel itself is in Gothenburg's old post office building and it's worth looking at the outside of the building itself before entering.
Restoran vRÅit's unique in that it combines Japanese food with Swedish ingredients and taste, and I admit I wasn't sure what to expect when we first arrived at the restaurant. Our table was set with chopsticks, which surprised me a bit (although I liked it).
Fun fact: on the roof of the hotel, vRÅ have a kitchen garden, where they grow herbs and greens used in the restaurant! We got to visit the garden and pick some of our own herbs during the trip, and it was a great experience.
At vRÅ they offer an a la carte menu and a 4-course menu. The latter we enjoyed, and it was accompanied by a suitable drink. The drinks consisted mostly of sake, which was fun to try (I haven't had much sake in my life). The food was amazing and I loved how they took traditional Japanese techniques and dishes and replaced the ingredients with Swedish and Scandinavian cuisine.
If you are visiting Gothenburg, I recommend you book in advance and choose the tasting menu!please notethat vRÅ will be closing for a while in the summer of 2019 to move to a newer (and bigger) space. Check before visitingtheir websiteto make sure you can reserve your table and that they are open.
#2 Upper House
While I was in Gothenburg, I stayed atCool Gothia, which was such an amazing hotel experience (highly recommended). Towers of Gothia consists of 3 towers and you will also find in the towersUpper House. This is a 5 star hotel and restaurant that I was lucky enough to visit during my stay. We enjoyed our breakfast at Upper House Dining and I can say that the view of the city alone was worth the visit. I mean, how impressive is this table setting?
Upper House offers two different dining concepts. Casual food and top cuisine. Both can (and should) be booked in advance viatheir website. The concept of Casual Dining is a little more relaxed, but a great opportunity to enjoy a meal in this wonderful restaurant, while Fine Dining allows you to try the tasting menu in an elegant and exclusive atmosphere. I admit I would love to go back to Gothenburg for a few nights to try them both.
One of my favorite things about the Upper House, and what makes it so unique, isn't just the view from our table (and the amazing, local eggs served for breakfast). This is their commitment to sustainability! During the visit I learned that they have beehives on the roof and a kitchen where they produce their own herbs and honey. The beehives are actually the tallest beehives in Sweden (which makes sense, given the tower's height)!
Not only that, but the hotels in the towers (bothGothia Towers HotelIUpper House) actually recycle 94% of their waste! It's amazing and it's been great to know that I've stayed and dined at places that are doing their best to stay sustainable and take care of the environment. But I'll end with the best initiative they've taken (in my opinion). all their food scraps and compost are turned into biogas, which they then use to power the stoves in their kitchens! How amazing is that?
So if you're looking for a truly sustainable dining experience to tell your friends about, visit Upper House (or any other restaurant in Gothia Towers, there are 5 in total).
No. 3 from Matthew
Want real Swedish fika during your trip? Well, in my opinion, this is one of the best restaurants in Gothenburg.from Matthewit's actually a small coffee chain where they are incredibly in love with coffee and quality snacks. They have 5 stores scattered around Gothenburg (so it's not a huge chain and the atmosphere is perfectly local), each serving freshly brewed coffee and (even better, some might say) daily baked pastries and bread.
As they say intheir website, are "passionate about coffee", and if youyou know meeven the smallest, you'll know it's something I can get behind. In each of the cafes you will find information about their different blends and the staff will be happy to talk to you about each of them. Their main cafe, on Magasingatan (click here for Google Maps location) is actually where they roast all their coffee! So if you want to have your Fika somewhere special and have a killer coffee while you're at it, da Matteo is where you want to go.
#4 Natural restaurant
This cool restaurant is located right next to Götaplatsen in Gothenburg. I was intrigued to visit this restaurant because I was told they only serve natural wines. You knowI love my wine, and this is something I have never tried before! But more on that below.
Natural restaurantserves a selection of dishes made from fresh, seasonal and Swedish ingredients. It quickly became one of my favorite restaurants in Gothenburg and I loved the dark, intimate and cozy atmosphere. The staff were extremely friendly and seemed more than happy to answer all my (probably boring) natural wine questions. Again, more on that below.
They serve an a la carte menu, with a daily chef's selection, where the chef prepares a 3-course meal from the menu for you. For main I had an amazing salad with fried (I think it was) broccoli, cream of broccoli (didn't even know that was a thing), chevre cheese (yum) and greens, andI swear it was the best salad I've ever had in my life. And this is coming from a girl who has said (multiple times) that "salads are boring." I will not say it again!
I would also like to praise the bathroom at the Natur restaurant. Seriously, they somehow managed to bring the warm and charming atmosphere of a restaurant into a small bathroom, and I'm really impressed with that. I won't share anything else, so you'll have to experience it for yourself. Find a restauranthere(link to Google Maps).
Now, let's talk about the wine. Natural wine is wine produced without the addition of any form of preservatives or additives. It is made only from the natural yeast found in the grapes and no additional yeast is added to speed up or aid the fermentation process (don't quote me on it). They also do not add sugar, enzymes or acids to the wine.
Before our visit to Restaurant Natur, I was told that many people either love or hate natural wine. But I've found that, as with all wines, there's a wide variety to choose from and you're sure to find something you like. I personally like heavier, fuller reds, which I told the waiter. I also told him that my favorite grape is Malbec (if I get cats, I'll call them Malbec and Valpolicella,seriously), to know what to bring me. It came back in the red pictured below and it was absolute heaven. Recommended!
My friend, however, ordered another red wine with her meal and I swear it tasted similarrose and red wine in acid together.An explosion of flavors in the mouth, from red berries to lavender. She liked it, I didn't, and I stuck with my dark, full Tierra.
#5 Cafe River
Ready for some color? Because that's exactly what you'll get at Café Fluss (or Fluß, if you have a German double S on your keyboard)! This fun restaurant is located in Jubilee Park, Jubileumsparken, Gothenburg and is worth a visit during your trip. A visit to the park, which is being built to celebrate Gothenburg's 400th birthday in 2021, is free and features a public sauna and a (slightly) heated pool that is free for all. So why not swim before you bite?
I lovedRijeka Cafebecause of the fun interior and simple (but great) menu. So whether you're there to sip a cocktail in the sun or try their tacos, be sure to pay attention to all the artwork that surrounds you. What was great was when we noticed that the tables and benches were made of recycled material, like old pallets. If you are looking for some of thein CopenhagenFreetown Christiania vibes, Cafe Fluss is the place to be.
Go to Jubileumsparken and Cafe Fluss by bus to Frihamnsporten (including buses 16, 55 and 58) or take a tram to Frihamnen. Jubileumsparken is a 2-3 minute walk away.
#6 Café Magasinet
Wondering where that nice photo at the top of the article came from? Is fromCafé Magasinet. Located in the laid-back Linné quarter, this lovely restaurant/café is just the vibe you need on a Sunday (or any other cold day, to be fair). Kafé Magasinet can be used as an all-day cafe for those who just need to get work done with a kombucha or one of their organic coffees, or as a meeting point for lunch or dinner.
They serve pizza in the evening and have great breakfast deals in the morning. During the day you can enjoy a simple (and delicious) pastry or one of their delicious salads (the Caesar salad is to die for). No matter how you feel, Kafé Magasinet has you covered. Oh, and it's one of the pet-friendly restaurants in Gothenburg, so if you want to bring your four-legged friend, go for it!
#7 Sales showroom
This is not a traditional restaurant, but more like a diner. However, I think it's worth mentioning because it's a great place to grab a bite to eat on the go while exploring the city (or out shopping). Of course, some of the stands have seats, so it is also possible to have a seated lunch in the Saluhallen.
This market/food market is Gothenburg's largest indoor market and you can bet they have everything you could possibly need. From local cheeses, chocolates, pastas and meats, in addition to eating here, I also recommend that you take the time to see all the amazing things on offer. I personally went home with a bag of fresh truffle and cheese ravioli!
Learn more aboutSales showroom here!
Here you have some of my favorite restaurants in Gothenburg! I really enjoyed writing this post (almost as much as I enjoyed visiting and eating at these restaurants, haha), and I hope you do too. Have you been to Gothenburg? What are your favorite restaurants in Gothenburg? Leave them in the comments below so anyone planning a trip to Sweden can give them a try!
Do not forgetI am doingbook the Gothenburg passin advance for free access to more than 30 museums, attractions and activities in the city!
Read this next:9 unique things to do in Gothenburg!
