Faccia Grassa
At the ravioli restaurant and wine bar Faccia Grassa, which you’ll find at Kobbarnas väg 1C in the neighbourhood of Olskroken, you can both eat you full of first-class pasta and learn how to make it like a real pro through the restaurant’s own pasta course. The restaurant also has a fun wine list that goes perfectly with pasta dishes. It doesn’t get much more Bologna in Gothenburg than this!
BOV
Ok, so maybe the very best pizza is found in Naples, but BOV (short for “bread and wood”) on Gibraltargatan is not far behind. Choose between Margherita, Marinara and BOV of the day, while enjoying the rustic and cozy atmosphere. Want to try the same thing at home? Choose your pizza ingredients from the adjacent deli and greenery store.
Gibraltargatan 20
La Baracca Rossa
The first Italian workers who came to Gothenburg lived in barracks in Sävenäs, an area known as “Little Milano”. In a red barrack, the immigrant workers had access to food, bread and wine from their native country, an agreement between the Swedish and Italian governments. The sons of one of the immigrants, Alex and Adam Reggiano, have established a modern take on this red barrack in Sannegårdshamnen, presenting Italian culinary classics and a welcoming outdoor area.
Ceresgatan 9
Allora
The charming café Allora at Kaserntorget serves pasta, salads and panini just as they would taste in Rome or Palermo. The same goes for the atmosphere, which reaches its peak during the popular Friday aperitivo (the Italians’ happy hour) where you can sip on a Campari or Aperol Spritz and enjoy carefully selected snacks while getting ready for the weekend.
Kaserntorget 7
Trattoria La Strega
Trattoria la strega offers genuine food from Northern Italy, based on locally produced, seasonal and organic ingredients. The menu changes on a daily basis, and the beverage list presents a carefully selected range of natural wines. “Swedified” pizza and pasta is not allowed here, instead you will find things like quail, tripe and zucchini flowers on the menu, just as if you stepped into a trattoria in Lombardy or Piedmont.
Bar Centro
This daint little espresso bar next to the shopping mall NK is always crammed with people, in a good way, and more often than not you will hear lively discussions in Italian. The football scarves on the wall, and lunch courses like vitello tonnato indicates a genuine interest for the Mediterranean country and culture, and there is also a wide array of natural wines. Happen to be in town the third Thursday of November? Then this is your place to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day! (No lunch or regular dinner menu during the summer months, check out their Facebook page for the latest info.)
Sassi caffè enoteca
Just a few steps from the hectic party mode in the main boulevard Avenyn you will find Primo Pellgrinos intimate enoteca and restaurant. Here, the atmosphere is more relaxed and the staff familiar, as if you stepped into someone’s living room. The shelfs hold wines from every region in Italy, 120 in total, and the kitchen offer a mix of charcuteries, buffalo mozzarella, bruschette, gnoccho and tiramisù. A reservation is recommended, since the place usually fills up quickly.
Bar Robusta
Bar Robusta, next to the park Slottsskogen, is frequented by regulars as well as families with children and people who pop in for a quick drink. Enjoy a great cup of coffee, tasty Italian red wine or the popular signature ragout. On Wednesdays, Bar Robusta serves up La cucina povera (the poor man’s kitchen) – a two course meal featuring a very manageable price tag.
Bellora
The crew behind Bellora have created some of the city’s trendiest hang-outs, like Pigalle, Barabicu and Zamenhof. This hotel and restaurant on the main boulevard Avenyn is no exception – every detail is carefully crafted, from the La Dolce Vita-esque interiors to the Sicilian sourdough pizzas and concepts like Bellini Brunch, Serata Familiare and Magnifico Mondays. Don’t miss out on Cielo, one of the best rooftop bars in Gothenburg!
Moreno Pizza
Moreno Pizza on the square Stigbergstorget in the neighbourhood of Majorna can call itself the world’s largest pizzeria, which also has a huge roof terrace. You never need to book a table here, no matter how big your group is. In the worst case, you have to wait a little while at the bar.
Bar Italia
Right in the heart of the neighbourhood of Linné, at the street Prinsgatan 7, you’ll find the cosy espresso bar Bar Italia. Locals and coffee lovers gather here to have breakfast or lunch, or to have something refreshing at the outdoor terrace if the sun is out.
Robb
Pizzeria Robb can be found in Syster Marmelad’s old premises at the street Mariagatan 16 in the neighbourhood of Majorna, and here you can expect really good Neapolitan pizza combined with fun wines – both natural and classic wines.
Enoteca Roma
In the neighbourhood of Bagaregården in the eastern center of Gothenburg, on the street Stockholmsgatan 3 more specifically, you have the opportunity to visit Rome for a while. The small but well-thought-out menu offers Italian dishes influenced by the Italian capital, which is the chef’s and the owner’s old hometown.
