Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden

Aug 16, 2015

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Tips: 

• Rent a bike. They are everywhere and inexpensive. You can be charged per hour or longer. There is so much to see in the city that it’s easiest to get around by bike.

• Taxis are expensive. Try not to use one if you can plan public transit in advance.

• If you need to take a bus make sure to stop into a Pressbyrån convenience store and ask how to purchase bus tickets. Many bus drivers get angry when you try to pay with cash so having some tickets in advance will prevent you from getting stuck somewhere you don’t want to be.

• Most places have lunch specials which make eating lunch at nice places a better option than dinner. It is cheaper and most include buffets.

• If you try to avoid dairy (milk) products then Sweden will be hard for you. They put creme fraiche and cheese in everything. Make sure to ask about this before you order anything.

• Sit outside. No matter the weather, Swede find a way to eat or drink outside. Many bars and restaurants have outdoor heaters and blankets for cold weather and there is nothing better than getting some fresh air no matter the time of year.

• MAKE DINNER RESERVATIONS as back up. It is nearly impossible to eat dinner last minute in Sweden. All places are booked which can leave you settling for whatever you can find. A back up reservation may come in handy if you don’t find what you want.

 

Common Phrases:

• Hej (hey)- Hello

• Hej då (hey doh)- Goodbye

• Tack- Thanks (and please)

• Ya- Yes

• Nej (nay)- No

 

Unique:

• By far my favorite place was Stranger x Stranger bar. It is very hard to find. It looks like a residential door directly to the left of the restaurant, Tranquilo. You have to press a buzzer to talk to someone who will unlock the door for you to enter- speakeasy style. The drinks are slightly higher priced than other bars in Sweden. Be prepared, cocktails in Sweden ARE higher priced than many other countries. you are looking at average $12 USD per drink. You MUST try the Quarter “Flip.” It’s one of though “so good I can down it in one go” type of drinks. Great atmosphere and worth checking out, even if for one drink. 

•  Pinchos bar and restaurant is an restaurant where you order your meal through an app on your phone. Yes, they have wifi. While this may be unique now I imagine that it will be common in a few years. The food is small tapas plates but far from typical Spanish tapas. Some have a gourmet flare to them. I can tell you one thing is for certain: It is hard to find spicy food in Sweden. Well the mac and cheese here actually has a spice to it. So if you miss spice then order this. This is a chain so you can find other locations throughout Sweden.

 

Food & Drink:

• Cuckoos Nest is a restaurant & bar that sits in the lobby of the Radisson Blu hotel. It’s location is not easy to get to on foot so bus or bike is recommended. The atmosphere of this place was so nice it almost made me wish I was staying in the hotel simply to I could relax in the bar daily. The bars specialty is Gin drinks. I’m not a gin fan myself but I managed to find a drink I liked with gin. Who knew? The food is on the high end of prices and a little too rich in flavor for my taste. I ordered the lobster bisque & found it to be very rich. I couldn’t handle it myself but I’m sure many people like a rich bisque so this is the place for you.

• Grill Grotesque is a very nice restaurant if you want very fresh and creative food. This is the place for someone who loves sharing food photos on social media. The decor is slightly different than other places around so it will give you something new to look at and enjoy. 

• Another plus of Grill Grotesque is its location. It is at the bottom of a street which has tons of bars and restaurants with outdoor seating. Linnégatan is the perfect street to bar hop.

• Brew Dogs has a bar & restaurant in Gothenburg that is worth a trip if you are a beer fan. It’s nothing fancy but perfect for beer time. Small bites to snack on too.

• Hola Ceviche is the perfect food truck snack. It hops around so its best to follow them on facebook. They post in English so they’ll be easy to find. They have a ceviche box or tostadas. Either one is worth a try.

 

Budget: 

• Stay at Hotel Bellora. It’s a small hotel with small rooms but its clean and modern and perfectly located on a popular street with bars and restaurants but just outside of the city center shopping area. Nightly prices can range from $63-$110 USD per night (*Update 2017: prices have increased ).

• There are free parks everywhere but my personal favorite is the Trädgårdsföreningen which has some wonderful botanical gardens. Take the entrance on Nya allén next to the Trädgård Restaurant. Bring a snack, drink and a book to enjoy the gardens and the weather if you are lucky to be there on a good day.

• If you want to slim down your spending on food then there are two places to try. 

1. 1. Beijing 8 is a great asian fast food type place and offers vegetarian options. The lunch special is a perfect size and includes unlimited tea.

   2. Inside the Saluhallen or indoor food market are many food options but specifically one is a soup place which has a variety of soups and less than $6 USD. I can’t remember the name but they have a bar type seating with the kitchen behind the seating and its in the middle of the hall.

 

Shopping:

The city center is a great little spot to shop because its small walking streets and fun to wander and window shop. Just be aware that in Sweden many stores close early on Saturdays (2pm) and remain closed all of Sunday. So shop early!

 

The Downfalls:

• We made reservations at the Cuckoos nest but didn’t allot for time to get there from our hotel. This resulted in an expensive cab ride there and a tough time finding a bus that allowed us to pay cash on the way back home. Plan ahead!

• If you aren’t used to city noise from a hotel room then pack some ear plugs. This is inevitable.

• I don’t like that hotels in Sweden do not supply washcloths for showers. I am always baffled by how they expect people to clean their bodies. For this reason I always back my own.

 

Travel Details:

• 3 day long weekend 

• End of April/beginning of May