Sweden Guide
Gothenburg
Cafés and restaurants
1 Ahlstroms Konditori Korsgatan 2 Dating from 1901, this traditional-style café/bakery is very much of the old school, as are many of its patrons. While modernization has watered down the original features, it's still worth a visit for its good selection of cakes, plus lunches for 72kr.
2 Froken Olssons Kafe Östra Larmgatan 14 Heaps of sandwiches, salads and sumptuous desserts served up in a rural-style atmosphere. Look out for the mountains of giant meringues on tiered, silver cake trays. Sandwiches for 30–60kr, and a good-value lunchtime vegetarian salad buffet for 50kr.
3 Gabriel at Feskekörka Feskekörkan fish market 
31/13 90 51 www.restauranggabriel.se Excellent fish restaurant overlooking the stalls below, with mains from 145kr.
4 Grande E.t.c. Kungsgatan 12 031/701 77 84 www.etcrestauranger.com Big brother to E.t.c. at Vasaplatsen, serving similar, very fresh pasta dishes from 95kr.
5 Greta's Drottninggatan 35 www.gretas.nu Stylish, casual and popular bar-restaurant drawing a mixed gay and straight clientele. The wide-ranging menu has fish, meat and vegetarian options. Small salads start at 60kr, with more substantial meals of meat, fish or shellfish costing 130–170kr.
6 Mauritz Kaffehus Fredgatan 2 Small and unassuming café run by the great grandson of its founder, who began importing coffee into Gothenburg in 1888. Come here for espressos and cappuccinos; there's hardly room to sit down, but the owner will tell you that standing makes the ambience more Italian.
7 28+ Götabergsgatan 28 31/20 21 61 Very fine French-style gourmet restaurant, whose name refers to the fat percentage of its renowned cheese, sold in the shop near the entrance (9am–11pm). Service is excellent. Opening time: Closed Sun
8 Café Dali Vasagatan 42 Friendly, studenty and stylish basement café with good sandwiches and cakes.
9 Café Teatergatan Teatergatan 36 Somewhat artsy place where you can sit at one of the black-and-white swivel chairs and try sandwiches and salads.
10 Condeco Avenyn 4 www.condeco.se Excellent café with its own bakery. Worth visiting for the funky toilets alone.
11 E.t.c. Vasaplatsen 4 This cool, elegant grey-painted basement is the best place in town for superb home-made pasta. Lunch 55kr; dinner menu also offers meat and fish dishes.
12 
Eva's Paley Avenyn 39 A popular sprawling café/bar with great cakes and muffins, reasonably priced food and Avenyn's largest and nicest terrace.
13 Frågetecknet Södravägen 20 Very popular spot just a minute's walk from Götaplatsen, with a name that translates as "the question mark". Eat out in the conservatory, or inside to watch the chefs at work, carefully preparing Balkan-influenced food. Steak at 230kr is the most expensive thing on the menu, but there's also pasta for 89kr.
14 Java Café Vasagatan 23 Studenty, bookshelf-filled Parisian-style coffee house decorated with such things as a collection of thermos flasks. Serves a wide range of coffees, and breakfasts for 39kr – a good Sunday morning hangout.
15 Junggrens Café Avenyn 37 One of only a couple of decently priced Avenyn cafés, with good snacks and sandwiches. Atmospheric and convivial, it's been run for decades by a charismatic old Polish woman and her sulky staff.
16 Lai Wa Storgatan 11 One of Gothenburg's better Chinese restaurants, with a wide variety of dishes (from 90kr) – try the Peking soup. Good lunch for just 45kr.
17 Smaka Vasaplatsen 3 31/13 22 47 www.smaka.se Traditional Swedish dishes (mains 140–180kr) enjoyed by a lively, young crowd in a striking blue interior.
18 Tai Pak Arkivsgatan 4, just off Avenyn near Götaplatsen Decent Chinese restaurant serving a three-course special for 69kr, and individual dishes for 80–120kr. Opening time: 24hr
19 Tintin Engelbrektsgatan 22 Very busy café with mounds of food and cheap coffee, and a laid-back, student atmosphere.
20 Café Kringlan Haga Nygatan 13 The best spot in town for wonderful chocolate pies, bagels, strudels, generous open sandwiches and people-watching. Great breakfast (50kr) and lunch (59kr) deals. Opening time: 24hr
21 Cyrano Prinsgatan 7 31/14 31 10 This superb, authentic Provençal bistro is a must, specializing in wood-fired pizzas and French cooking with three-course pizza (145kr) and meat (195kr) menus. There's a smaller, more central sister restaurant at Viktoriagatan 26.
22 Hemma Hos Haga Nygatan 12 31/13 40 90 www.hemmahos.net Popular restaurant full of quaint old furniture, serving upmarket Swedish food including fish dishes (mains from 145kr) till midnight. Opening time: Closed Sun
23 Hos Pelle Djupedalsgatan 2 31/12 10 31 Sophisticated wine bar off Linnégatan, not cheap at over 259kr for a main course, but serving snacks as well as more economical bar meals, and decorated with intriguing abstract artwork. Opening time: Closed mid– June to mid– Aug
24 Jacob's Café Opening time: 24hrHaga Nygatan 10 The place to sit outside and people-watch; inside, the decor is fabulous, with some fine Art Nouveau lamps.
25 Krakow Karl Gustavsgatan 28 31/20 33 74 www.krakow.nu Burly staff serving big, basic and very filling Polish food in a large, dark restaurant. Cheap, too, with mains from 95kr. Opening time: Closed Sun & July
26 Linné Terassen Corner of Linnégatan and Landsvägsgatan 31/24 08 90 Sit at polished tables beneath chandeliers in this beautifully restored wooden house nestling in rough-hewn rock. Fish and meat dishes go for 160–180kr, and there's a wide drinks list and terrace seating.
27 Louice Värmlandsgatan 18 Justifiably popular and unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant, with occasional live music. Standard main courses are expensive, but look out for the excellent-value specials at 79kr. There's a full children's menu (35kr) in English, too. Opening time: Closed July
28 Pasta Gambero Övre Husargatan 5 31/13 78 38 The best of a number of good, reasonably priced Italian eateries on this long street just south of Skansparken. The servings are generous and the service very obliging.
29 Publik Andra Långgatan 20 Young, funky and unashamedly retro place where people come to drink and lounge, with old velvet sofas and scores of LPs to leaf through on a nostalgia trip. Coffee and muffins, or nachos and ciabattas, cost 35–50kr.
30 Rumpanbar Linnégatan 38b 031/775 83 00 www.rumpanbar.se Lovely café/restaurant on the up-and-coming section of Linnégatan, with outdoor seating and great-value meals (mains from 90kr, pizza from 50kr).
31 Sjöbaren Haga Nygatan 27 www.sjobaren.se Small fish and shellfish restaurant on the ground floor of a traditional Governor's house building. Moderate Prices (dagens 75kr).
32 Solrosen Kaponjargatan 4a 31/711 66 97 The oldest vegetarian restaurant in Gothenburg, this is the place to come for well-prepared veggie and vegan delights; snacks from 40kr and mains from 90kr. The dagens costs 65kr.
33 Thai Garden Andra Långgatan 18 Nothing special to look at, but big portions and excellent service at good prices – stuff yourself silly at the 65kr lunch buffet.