Either you’re on a shop ’til you drop mission and in need of an energy boost, or you just want to enjoy a weekend lunch, we’ve put together a guide to a few restaurants in the central parts of Gothenburg, open for lunch also on weekends. Of course there are many more options to explore. Please see each restaurant’s webpage for current opening hours and menues.
Nordstan and thereabouts
The shopping mall Nordstan boasts several restaurants and cafés. Here you’ll find, for example, street food from the north of Sweden in the form of Bastard Burgers.
Just outside of Nordstan, on Östra Hamngatan 19, you’ll find the vegetarian restaurant Andrum, and a couple of blocks from there, heading towards Kronhusbodarna, Sweden’s first Nepalese restaurant Himalaya is located on Smedjegatan 1c.
Hot dog restaurant
Luxury hot dog eatery taking fast food seriously.
Kungstorget, Domkyrkan and their neighbours
When at Kungstorget you’re really smack in the middle and can choose from an abundance of flavours and settings. Avalon, with its international character, offering great people-watching and a wide range of high-class food, South American bistro Tranquilo, with their barbecue-focus, and cosy Bee Kök & Bar featuring a relaxed atmosphere and a varied menu, are three options located at Kungstorget. Köttbullekällaren (Meatball basement) are well-known for their homemade meatballs, and Restaurang Kungstorget, where you for example can enjoy “smørrebrød”, seafood and Swedish delicacies, are two more.
Eco-certified design hotel
Avalon is a centrally located design hotel with a strong focus on interiors, art and atmosphere. The hotel features a renowned rooftop terrace and pool with views, as well as a restaurant with a generous outdoor seating area.
Restaurant and bar
South American bistro with a focus on grilled dishes. At Tranquilo, lunch, dinner, and cocktails are served with inspiration from Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and Mexico. On weekend evenings, the restaurant transforms into a dance floor.
Restaurant
Restaurant and bar at the market hall Saluhallen.
Restaurant
Restaurant known for its delicious meatballs.
Saluhallen, the Market Hall, is a beautiful building offering delicacies from all over the world and well worth a visit. And if you’re up for a tasty lunchbreak you can have Asian food at 14m2 Bao, or enjoy classic Swedish dishes at Kåges Hörna, among other treats. If you’re looking for a lunch experience out of the ordinary, the relaxed wine and food bar Bar Bulot focuses on natural wines and well-crafted dishes made with local ingredients.
Market with restaurants and specialist food shops
Stora Saluhallen is located in the heart of central Gothenburg and has been a bustling food market since the 19th century. Today, it is home to delicatessen traders, restaurants, wine bars, and specialist shops.
Restaurant in Stora Saluhallen
Traditional Swedish home cooked food in a historic setting.
Asian restaurant
Bao restaurant outside Stora Saluhallen in Gothenburg with handmade bao buns.
Restaurant & wine bar
Wine bar and restaurant in Stora Saluhallen.
If you head towards the cathedral Domkyrkan, French bistro Ma Cuisine on Kyrkogatan 32 is well-located for a weekend lunch. Kopps on Kungsgatan 40 serves food like pizza, burgers and pasta. And your dog is also welcome!
French bistro
Charming bistro with classic dishes from French cuisine.
The main boulevard Avenyn and the neighbouring streets
When walking along Gothenburg’s main boulevard and in the neighbouring areas, there are of course plenty of lunch options, even on weekends. For example you can find a classic, relaxed pub like Bryggeriet, located on Kungsportsavenyen 3. And in the city library at Götaplatsen 3, Roots Café serves fresh and filling sallads, soups and sandwiches.
If you go to Wrapped on Södra Vägen 55 just a short walk from Avenyn, you can pick and choose among the fillings to compose your own favourite wrap, or chose one from the menu, with or without bread. And if you walk just a bit further, to number 77, the burger place Holy Cow may tempt you with menu items such as Cheesy Cow, Confused Cow (chicken burger) and No Cow (vegetarian burger).
On the other side of the main boulevard Avenyn, at Engelbrektsgatan 39B, you’ll find John Scott’s Caleo, which has a classic pub menu.
Wide pavements, late-night buzz, culture at one end and nightlife at the other. Kungsportsavenyen – usually shortened to Avenyn – is Gothenburg’s most well-known street and a place where many things come together: restaurants and bars, theatres and concert halls, public gatherings and city life. Locals and visitors move side by side here, whether they’re heading out for dinner, a performance at Gothenburg City Theatre, or a late night out.
Café
Enjoy tasty sandwiches and hearty soups in the company of literary giants.
Järntorget, Haga and Linné
If you’re strolling around the Långgatorna streets, Yammy Kitchen is a good option. It serves Korean and Japanese food with a wide range of vegetarian and vegan dishes. And at Tredje Långgatan 3 Kafe Magasinet offers pizzas, bowls and bagels.
If instead you are in picturesque Haga when lunchtime comes, Sjöbaren is yet another suggestion for those inclined towards fresh seafood. And if you’re up for a burger with side orders like cheese fries or tomato and melon sallad, Burgersson at Skanstorget 4 is another great tip. If you’re looking for a place closer to the city center, on Esperantoplatsen 5 you’ll find Zamenhof and their all day dining-concept, perfect for hungry weekend-shoppers.
Restaurant with all-day-dining
Three restaurants in one.
Seafood restaurant
Classic Swedish seafood restaurant.
café and bar
Relaxed café and bar on thestreets Långgatorna, Gothenburg’s former harbour district. Enjoy food, beer and coffee from early morning until late at night.
Backaplan and Kvillebäcken on Hisingen
The neighbourhoods around Backaplan and Kvillebäcken are continuously developing, sprouting new shops and interesting restaurants, which makes the lunch options numerous, not least in the market hall Kville Saluhall.
Kvilletorget also offers well-tasting possibilities for a weekend lunch, for example Duy-Tan where you can choose from a large selection of traditional Vietnamese dishes. And on Herkulesgatan 3A where one of Ölstugan Tullens restaurants is located, a focus on Swedish classics, prepared with in-season ingredients, attracts hungry guests. A few blocks down the same street, popular Tildas Krog offers a varied menu with items such as duck breast, fish au gratin and the somewhat iconic Tilda’s Schnitzel.
Other popular places are Turkish restaurant Sultan Grill on Hisingsgatan 28 and Jenin Grill, with no less than three restaurants a stone’s throw from Backaplan, offering delicacies from the eastern Mediterranean.
Up for discovering more of what Gothenburg has to offer food-wise? Have a look at The culinary city, where you’ll find lots to explore!
More and more people are discovering the neighbourhood around Kvillebäcken in Hisingen, where genuine food from Peru, the Balkans and the Middle East is mixed with charming vintage shops and cosy cafés. In ‘Kville’ you will find a bohemic atmosphere – like in Berlin’s Neukölln or New York’s Williamsburg – and the tram journey here, with a dazzling view from the bridge Hisingsbron, is an attraction in itself.