Food and drink in Gothenburg

Gothenburg has been ranked the most sustainable destination in the world for six years in a row, an honour that inevitably has rubbed off on the city’s food scene. Local and seasonal produce from small-scale farms is the rule rather than the exception, especially among Gothenburg’s Michelin-starred restaurants.

Michelin restaurants

There are six fine dining establishments with star credentials in and around Gothenburg.

Bhoga * The mantra at Bhoga is to ‘use everything and waste nothing’. The cuisine is built on Nordic flavours and seasonal produce from small, nearby farms, which makes the menu change daily.

Koka * Koka aims to be a playful and nice restaurant rather than a fine dining room. The menu is Swedish and modern, completely meat-free, with 90 per cent organic products.

Project * Relaxed and cosy bistro that started as a café. Project is run by a husband-and-wife team that wants to create a second home with well-prepared European food at reasonable prices.

28+ * Classic restaurant with white tablecloths and candles. 28+ has had a Michelin star for over 30 years(!) and is equally renowned for its well-stocked wine cellar. The menu is a blend of French and Swedish cuisine.

SK Mat & Människor * Intimate restaurant with dishes based on Swedish food heritage. Here, you can be sure to get all your foodie questions answered – the chefs deliver the dishes, and there are no walls between you and the kitchen.

Signum * Signum is a part of Hällsnäs Manor and idyllically located by a lake outside Gothenburg. The tasting menu is inspired by the four elements – earth, fire, air and water – and the restaurant aims to be self-sustaining when it comes to ingredients.

Affordable bistros

Bib Gourmand is a part of Guide Michelin and award establishments noted for excellent and affordable dining. Gothenburg has two Bib Gourmand restaurants:

• Familjen: Selected the most loveable restaurant of the year in 2018. The cooking is contemporary West Swedish, and the portions are generous.
• Somm: Restaurant and wine bar where the combination of food and drink is key. The set menus are based on Nordic cuisine, with international influences.

Classic restaurants

Longing for Swedish comfort food? Gothenburg has many restaurants serving traditional ‘husmanskost’ like meatballs and herring.

Swedish brasserie Berzelius Bar & Matsal is renowned for its meatballs. The lunch menu consists of hearty traditional dishes, while the à la carte menu also includes modern influences like Swedish tapas.

Kåges Hörna is situated in Stora Saluhallen, Gothenburg’s largest indoor market hall. The lunch menu focuses on affordable, traditional food and always has a daily ‘husman’ dish. You can also order food to go at Kågebaren, just around the corner.

Another classic Gothenburg restaurant, Kometen has attracted the city’s creative crowd since 1934. The menu is packed with traditional dishes, small and large, and spiced with Austrian elements as a tribute to Hans Breitneder, who once started this historic eatery.

For traditional Swedish food with a modern twist, head to the centrally located restaurant Tvåkanten. What started as a café is now one of the most well-known restaurants in Gothenburg, complete with a Swedish charcuterie selection.

Vegan and vegetarian restaurants

There’s no shortage of tasty vegan restaurants in Gothenburg – the trend is in full bloom. The following selection includes both vegetarian-friendly bistros and food trucks praised for their vegan dishes.

• Hagabions Café – vegetarian restaurant with a brewery and a cinema. A popular spot among locals.
• Blackbird – a cooperative restaurant run by vegans. The food is cooked from scratch, with Swedish and international flavours.
• Ilse Grøn Krog – intimate and international restaurant with vegetarian food and natural wines. Many of the dishes can also be made vegan.
• For vegan street food, try the food trucks at Magasinsgatan. Jinx Food Truck offers Asian-inspired vegan buns, and Crave Street Food serves vegan sliders, wraps and dogs.

Hip hangouts

Gothenburg’s restaurant scene is vibrant and new places are opening all the time. The area around Magasinsgatan is a particularly sizzling hotspot for locals to eat and drink out.

Fiskbar 17 nails what food in Gothenburg is much about; freshly caught fish and seafood, served street food-style. Add a relaxed atmosphere with DJ sessions and quizzes, and it’s easy to understand why this is a local favourite year after year.

A stone’s throw away awaits an utterly different dinner experience. Located in a historic garage and crowned with a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Cavallo di Forcione, Tavolo is a tribute to Italian food and décor, with a twist of New York.

Over at Stora Saluhallen market hall, Bar Bulot is a small yet much-appreciated lunch- and wine bar. Natural wines from the old world are in the majority on the menu and paired with dishes influenced by classic French cuisine.