Gothenburg City Map Anders Husa & Kaitlin Orr

Gothenburg is Sweden’s second largest city, situated equidistant from Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm. This metropolis has a booming food scene, with restaurants highlighting the abundance of ingredients available on Sweden’s West Coast. From specialty coffee shops, to natural wine and cocktail bars, to Michelin-starred tasting menus, we’ve found the best spots in town. 

Together we have compiled all our Gothenburg favorites in this foodie map. You’ll find lots of natural wine bars, high-end restaurants, and coffee shops. Navigate the map easily either by scrolling through the list on the right or by clicking the points on the map. Places are listed in geographical order.

Gringo was founded in 2018 by Johan Ekfeldt who previously founded Sweden’s first specialty coffee roastery, Johan & Nyström. Together with his wife Pernilla and business partner Magnus, he runs this roastery on the outskirts of Gothenburg. The name “gringo” stuck after years spent traveling in search of the best coffee farmers to work with, and they also have a farm of their own in Colombia. Gringo has a café at their roastery where espresso drinks and pour-overs are available, and they also host free cuppings (coffee tastings) on Saturdays.

Diket is a super cozy neighborhood restaurant, filled with lots of leafy green plants which make the space feel alive. It’s a great value-for-money spot – you can pick the four-course set menu or go à la carte. The dishes are inspired by all over – we particularly liked the housemade pasta in doubanjiang sauce with chanterelles, and the crab with potatoes, tomatillo, and Mexican hollandaise. Their wine list has lots of our favorite producers, including Gut Oggau, Tschida, Frank Cornelissen, Le Coste, Strohmeier, Costador, Tony Bornard, and Partida Creus. They also serve Gringo coffee!

Restaurant Hoze is Gothenburg's smallest restaurant with only six seats. Sit down at Chef José Cerdá's sushi counter and prepare for a one-man show – two if you count his dad, Gabriel Cerdá, who helps out as a waiter, and three if you include their dog who guards the door. Enjoy a masterfully executed Nordic-Japanese tasting menu with flavors, techniques, and presentations in line with the old Edomae traditions of Japan.

We’re always craving authentic Mexican food, so we had to visit Tizne when in Gothenburg. The restaurant is run by a very passionate couple from Mexico, who are actually serving spicy food in Scandinavia! (They’re not holding back!) We dropped in for lunch, when they serve more casual fare and an à la carte menu. We loved the huevos divorciados (divorced eggs) with red and green salsas, the guacamole and salsa macha tostada, the chilaquiles, and the Mexican short ribs. In the evening, you can pick from either a five- or seven-course set menu, and they offer a cocktail pairing as well. Their margaritas are as dangerously delicious as their food – we tried a spicy one with tequila and orange juice, and another with mezcal, pineapple, and tarragon.

This adorable eatery cheekily has “a very serious restaurant” as their tagline, but don’t be fooled – Poppy is a very laid-back, easy-to-love spot. Part wine bar, part restaurant, Poppy serves a daily set menu from their tiny but mighty kitchen. Our favorite dish on our visit was the sinful beef tartare, served on a buttery brioche toast, and topped with chives and grated duck liver. We also loved the baked haddock with a buttery mussel sauce and potatoes, and the cheesy, creamy mushroom croquettes with leeks. We loved the food and loved the vibe – Poppy is a darling place!

Although it looks more like a coffee gear shop than a café, Kaffelabbet has a small brew bar – and it was actually here that we had the best cup of coffee in Gothenburg. The barista was as passionate as we are, so he made us a Kenyan coffee from Koppi on Aeropress, as well as a V60 of a Nicaraguan coffee from Gringo. They have an impressive selection of beans from local roasters that you can buy to take home, as well as a rotating selection you can choose from for hand brews, in addition to the espresso bar. Of course, you can also stock up on all the coffee equipment you might need for home brewing.

Fine dining restaurant Human serves a lunch menu that is such a good deal it feels like a steal. Priced at half the cost of the dinner menu, the lunch includes snacks, a bread serving, three savory courses, a dessert, and fika (petits fours) with coffee. The cuisine is modern New Nordic, highlighting local ingredients. The menu changes frequently – on our visit, our favorite dishes were the hamachi with green strawberries, marigold, ginger, ponzu, and brown butter, and the celeriac with Swedish truffles, champignon mushrooms, brown butter, and almonds. Chef Martin Moses previously won the “Chef of the Year” award in Sweden, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he soon adds a Michelin star to his list of accolades.

Modern Swedish restaurant Koka is a semi-casual fine dining restaurant with one Michelin star. Koka serves a New Nordic tasting menu based on local and seasonal ingredients from the west of Sweden. Stand-out dishes on our last visit included the carrots with goat cheese, marigold, and quinoa, and the beef with string beans and coriander. Added bonus: the wines are mostly natural!

Chef Thomas Sjögren and his brother Christoffer run restaurant Grano, which specializes in a thin, crispy style of sourdough pizza. When testing a new pizza place, we always go for a simpler and more classic pie. Thus, the natural choice for us was their take on a Margherita, with tomato, garlic, basil, and a whole sphere of burrata in the center. We'd come back for the pizza, but we also loved their small plates, especially the silky smooth potato cream with brown butter, white onion, dill & Kalix "löjrom." Ridiculously good!

Even though Trattoria La Strega is an old school, authentic Italian trattoria, the restaurant owner, Andrea Consonni, is obsessed with natural wines. On our last visit, he had a couple of favorites on the list: "Panda" from Lammidia and “Emma” from Marco Buratti, both delicious, juicy, tart, funky and fun orange wines. On the food side, don’t miss the signature pasta dish with pappardelle and king crab.

The wine, the food, the vibe – Bar La Lune is a little piece of Paris in Sweden. This natural wine bar was one of our favorite hangouts in Gothenburg, a place we’d be regulars at if we lived in the city. They serve so many of our favorite wines (Gut Oggau and Serragghia, to name a couple), delectable small plates, and have a fun vibe. Some standout dishes for us included the pork fat and duck liver rillette with pickles on toasted bread, the galette du Provence with herb salad and Parmesan cream, and the chicken liver mousse on grilled bread. Thirsty for more? Check out their next-door wine bar, Angeli.

As you might have guessed from the name, Natur is a great place to grab a glass of natural wine in Gothenburg. We enjoyed an orange wine from Valentina Passalacqua, and a juicy, light red from Foradori. We didn’t try any of the savory dishes on this visit, but we did have a delicious raspberry tart from the dessert menu.

Are you down to fika? Viktors Kaffe is the place to have a fika (coffee + something to eat) in Gothenburg. If you’re looking for specialty coffee, Viktors Kaffe has some of the best coffee in town. From the brunch menu, we loved the open-faced sandwich with lox, cream cheese, horseradish, pickled, dill & capers, as well as the poached egg and avocado sandwich on brioche, with sriracha sauce. Juicy, creamy, buttery, and not too spicy.

Ciao bella! We loved all the cute design details at Hotel Bellora in Gothenburg, from the floral wallpaper to the silk sleep masks and Italian candies left in your room. There’s unlimited free coffee in the lobby, a state-of-the-art gym complete with a boxing ring (!), and the cutest rooftop bar with a sweeping view of the city! The hotel is located right in the city center, so we were within walking distance to everything we wanted to check out.

Fine dining restaurant Carbon serves a tasting menu that reads a bit like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. Eager to please diners with all kinds of palates, Carbon offers three different choices for each course, catering to various allergies and dietary restrictions. The team is clearly driven by their passion for hospitality. Stand-out dishes on our visit included their signature duck liver brûlée, a Norwegian scallop with salsify purée and aged soy sauce, and a seasonal pumpkin mille-feuille. Looking for something more casual? Head to their sister restaurant Buteco down the block for Brazilian fare and creative cocktails.

Bar Bulot started as a temporary pop-up in Saluhallen (Gothenburg’s main food market), but the concept was so popular that they decided to stay – even after opening their more formal restaurant, Bulot. The food hall is home to their casual wine bar, with mostly counter seating and a decadent à la carte menu. We loved the whole vibe of this place, and the food was astonishing. Must-order dishes include the whipped chicken liver mousse with beetroots, and the signature steak tartare, which is served on crispy, heart-shaped waffles. We also enjoyed the sourdough crêpe with lobster and béchamel, and the ridiculously rich puff pastry pie, filled with minced pork and served with an entire bone sticking out of it. Scrape the bone marrow into the (already insanely buttery) pie for an added level of naughtiness.

After a trip to Italy, owner and founder Matts Johansson was inspired to open Da Matteo, meaning “at Matteo’s place." Although it started as an espresso bar, Da Matteo later helped pave the way for the specialty coffee scene in Gothenburg, characterized by its light-roasted, almost tea-like style of brewing. Today, Da Matteo has a handful of locations, its own roastery, and a bakery.

Bar Bruno is one of the tiniest cocktail bars we’ve been to, a small, cozy space tucked away in a back courtyard. The neon red sign marks the spot, which highlights the red-painted interior. The vibe matches the fun decor – there’s a buzzy, upbeat energy from the staff that spreads to the happy drinkers. Bruno serves a seasonal cocktail menu as well as some signature drinks – our favorite was “The Showstopper,” with gin, Aperol, peach liqueur, lemon, and grapefruit foam. And, of course, when in Sweden, you can’t leave without having a hot shot! Bruno makes a great one.

Chefs Gustav Knutsson and Niclas Yngvesson's restaurant Bhoga has held a Michelin star since 2014. This New Nordic restaurant offers great value-for-money tasting menus highlighting local, seasonal ingredients from Sweden. You can choose between a five-course, seven-course, or nine-course menu. All wines are natural, organic, and biodynamic wines from small producers.

It’s a quick ferry ride from the city center over the Göta river to one of Gothenburg’s best coffee roasters. Morgon was founded in 2018 by three friends and passionate coffee lovers, with decades of combined experience in the industry. At their roastery, they also operate a café where they serve their delicious brews alongside freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. We tried a couple different coffees as pour-overs; our favorite was a washed Ethiopian with notes of grapefruit, flowers, and Earl Grey.

Over the bridge from the city center of Gothenburg, in the Kvillebäcken neighborhood, you find the cozy coffee shop Alkemisten. Sit outside if the weather allows, and enjoy one of their V60-brewed coffees.

Signum is located in the lakeside Hällsnäs Hotel in Mölnlycke, about a twenty minute drive from Gothenburg. In charge of the restaurant is chef Thomas Sjögren, who has a few casual restaurants along the West Coast and previously won the “Chef of the Year” award in Sweden. Your experience at Signum begins with snacks and Champagne in a luxurious lounge, before you move to the dining room, which boasts a beautiful view of the lake. The elaborate tasting menu highlights the best of Scandinavian seafood, and also includes some game meat hunted by Sjögren himself. It's easy to see why Signum got a Michelin star less than a year after they opened – this was an exceptional meal. In our opinion, it won’t be long before they’re upgraded to two stars.