It’s commonly understood that the best way to explore a new place is to go straight to the locals. Each week in the Urbanist, we take that wisdom one step further by seeking out not just locals but local experts — those who are especially well versed in their cities’ newest and most noteworthy scenes — to give us insider recommendations. This week, we asked interior stylist Elin Odnegård, for her picks in the Swedish city.
“Gothenburg is Sweden’s best coast. In Swedish, we call it bästkusten (best coast) instead of västkusten (west coast). It’s probably also because we have a ‘little brother complex’ compared to Stockholm. I really enjoy visiting our capital, but for me there is something special about Gothenburg. People are very interested in clothes and home decoration and how they express themselves. The Swedish philosophy of lagom, which means just the right amount, not too much or too little, is at play here. Gothenburg is known for Liseberg amusement park, Botaniska Trädgården (Gothenburg Botanical Garden), the historic Haga neighborhood, and the Skansen kronan fortress. It’s also full of trams. The electric trams have been transporting people since 1902. Today there are four types in use, and I especially like to travel in the oldest ones from 1965, though they are not very wheelchair or stroller-friendly. ”
Her Other Musts
Hotel
“Hotel Pigalle (Södra Hamngatan 2A) is a popular hotel that’s very non-Swedish. It’s decoration is inspired by 1920s Paris. The rooms are very luxe-looking with jacquard wallpaper, velvet furniture, and heavy curtains. The lobby bar, Bar Amuse, focuses on organic wines and is the perfect place to stop by before you head out. In the summertime you can enjoy their rooftop bar with a view over the central parts of Gothenburg. The hotel’s Restaurant Atelier also has one of the best breakfasts in town, a buffet with fresh pastries, cheeses and cold meats, lamb sausages, omelettes, yogurt, fruits, and nuts.”
Boutiques and Secondhand Shops
“Ted & Teresa (Järntorgsgatan 8) has my favorite brands such as Rodebjer, Toteme, Eytys, and Ganni. Grandpa (Vallgatan 3) is a Scandanvian lifestyle store that has really nice clothes with a lot of Swedish brands, like Sandqvist, Tretorn, and A Part Of The Art. There is some good secondhand shopping both at Myrornas (Järntorgsgatan 10) and BjörkåSecondhand (Linnégatan 9), as well as Ragtime (Magasinsgatan 15) and Pop Boutique (Magasinsgatan 22). Both Myrornas and Emmaus Björkå carry vintage clothes, shoes, and accessories. Myrorna also has furniture and home decoration. I like to look for special glass or ceramic objects there.”
Design Stores
“Artilleriet (Magasinsgatan 19) is an extremely popular interior design store that people from all over the world comes to visit. It could be the one thing that Stockholm really envies about Gothenburg. Artilleriet sells very exclusive and handpicked furniture, lighting and home décor from around the world. It feels more like an exhibition and a source of inspiration rather than an actual store. But of course everything is for sale. You can find more Scandinavian interior design at Norrgavel (Magasinsgatan 22), which is maybe the opposite of Artilleriet. It’s very Nordic and minimalistic with a focus on pure and long lasting materials. Norrgavel probably has more older and traditional customers.”
Restaurants
“My all-time favorite local restaurant is Hagabions Café (Linnégatan 21), which is located inside the Hagabion (or Haga Cinema). You can enjoy independent films before or after your dinner. I have been going there on a regular basis for 15 years, and I eat the same vegetarian meatloaf, made with mushrooms and red curry, every time. It’s the best. The owners of Hagabion also own Stigbergets Brewery (Gamla Varvsgatan 1) and therefore serve the best beer I have ever tasted, called ‘Stigbergets Amazing Haze.’ Another go-to restaurant is Dubbel-Dubbel (Kastellgatan 14). It feels like a trendy alpine chalet with super good and affordable dim sum and dumplings and a good drink list. The shrimp sandwich at Heaven 23 (Mässans gata 22) is a quintessential dish in Gothenburg that must be tried. It’s called the King Size Deluxe Shrimp sandwich, served on fresh baked rye bread with mayonnaise, egg, salad, and salmon roe. Other tips for restaurants: Koizen (Aschebergsgatan 26) for the best luxury sushi ever, try the fish Hälleflundra at Bord 27 (Haga kyrkogata 14), Swedish restaurant Mellanrummet (Tredje Långgatan 13), and fine dining restaurant Natur (Geijersgatan 12), all located in the inner city.”
Nightlife
“The bar and venue Pustervik (Järntorgsgatan 12) has always been great at booking bands like Local Natives, Noah and the Whale, Band of Horses, and Okkervil River. Also the bar Oceanen (Stigbergstorget 8) hosts a lot of concerts in their basement venue. Cate Le Bon, Soccer Mommy, and Weyes Blood have all played there. In the Slottsskogen park, the city music festival, Way Out West, delivers great music every August. Next year, Bon Iver, Khalid, and FKA Twigs are on the line-up. Slottsskogen is nice to visit even when it is not hosting a festival, to bring a picnic and just relax.”
Museums
“The go-to museums are Göteborgs Stadsmuseum (Norra Hamngatan 12) and Sjöhistoriska Museet (Karl Johansgatan 1-3). At Göteborgs Stadsmuseum, you can learn about the history of the city of Gothenburg and its development from its founding in 1621 to today. I like their permanent exhibitions that show how the habitants of Gothenburg where living in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as exhibits on Vikings and their Valhallian mythology. Gothenburg has, due to its important harbor, a rich history of shipbuilding and shipping companies. To learn more of this, a visit to Sjöfartsmuseet is a time well spent. Right now, it has an exhibition about the Swedish East India Company, and there are many displays with model boats, and one of Sweden’s largest collections of figureheads, which adorned the bows of ships.”
Galleries
“One of the most interesting galleries in the local art scene is Galleri Backlund (Karl Gustavsgatan 13) in Vasastaden, which has its focus on contemporary paintings, sculptures, and graphics. The range is broad and includes both mainstream and less-known artists. Röda Stens Konsthall, which used to be a boiler plant, in the cultural district Majorna is also a must-sees. During the ’80s and ’90s, it was a home for rave parties and was renovated in 2000 to host exhibitions and contemporary art shows that show painting, photography, performance art, video installations, and sound art.”
Spa
“The winter weather in Gothenburg isn’t great. It’s mostly dark and gray, so the perfect activity is to visit a day spa with a couple of friends. Two of my favorites are Art Garden Spa at the Arken Hotel (Oljevägen 100) and St. Jörgen Spa (Knipplekullen 8-10). Both are luxurious, calm, and minimalistic. At the Arken spa you can sit in the sauna and really relax and enjoy the view of the ocean and cliffs. They also have an amazing breakfast/brunch. At Sankt Jörgen, they have a guided sauna ritual as a part of their experience. You get a small kit with products and an approximately two-hour routine to get you through the spa.”
Day Trip
“It’s really easy to experience the archipelago. Take the tram to Saltholmen and from there a boat to an island, only a 15-minute ride. The island Knarrholmen is really nice and there you can enjoy Knarrholmens Restaurant. The restaurant is very beautifully placed next to a small beach and cliffs and the decoration reminds you of rust, driftwood, and ocean. The menu changes every weak, but of course contains lots of seafood. Knarrholmen is really idyllic during the summer. There are plenty of spots for bathing and cliffs to relax on, so don’t forget to bring your swimming suit.”
More Destinations
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- The Urbanist’s Guide to the Beaches of New Jersey
- The Urbanist’s Guide to Tucson