Gothenburg’s best lunch spots – 10 places you don’t want to miss

What is it? A Moroccan lunch restaurant between Masthuggstorget and Stigbergstorget.

Why we love it? Because it’s incredibly rare to find food this well cooked, and slow-cooked, at lunchtime. Fatima mainly serves Moroccan tagine with lamb or chicken on a bed of couscous, roasted root vegetables and vegetables. It’s no more complicated than that, and it doesn’t need to be when it’s this delicious and hearty. There are vegetarian options and sometimes other dishes too, depending on the mood.

Despite Nadja Hashem having run the restaurant for almost 11 years, Fatima still flies somewhat under the radar. Maybe it’s down to the limited opening hours, or perhaps the semi-hidden location. Either way, it gives the place a genuinely homely feel, and it’s not unusual to exchange a few words with both the person at the next table and Nadja herself.

Time Out tip: Before the main course, you’ll get bread with dips. The red one can vary in heat depending on which chilli has been used that day, so it’s worth asking if you’re sensitive to spice. The green one is, for now, called ‘Nadja’s little green one’, and it’s a divine mix of herbs, garlic and several other things I’ve already forgotten but still dream about.

Expect to pay: Around SEK 150 for lunch.

Oskarsgatan 4, Masthugget. Open Monday 11:30-13:00, Tuesday to Friday 11:30-14:00 and Saturday 13:00-16:00.

What is it? A French-Nordic food and wine bar in Saluhallen.

Why we love it? Salut is the perfect combination of luxury and comfort. Everything on the plate is incredibly well cooked, and the menu ranges from familiar classics to more unexpected flavour combinations. The last time I was there, my friend had Toast Skagen (maximum comfort factor), while I went for Pomme Anna with matjes herring, parmesan, browned butter and hazelnuts (unexpected, and oh so delicious). Wash it down with a couple of glasses of refreshing crémant and you’ve got yourself a luxurious lunch. The restaurant is an oasis in the otherwise bustling food hall, and the service is absolutely top-notch.

Time Out tip: For the ultimate experience, grab a seat at the bar. There’s something special about having your food served straight from the kitchen. And yes, a couple of oysters to start are practically obligatory.

Expect to pay: The bill for two people having a few dishes and a couple of glasses of wine usually comes to around SEK 1,800.

Stora Saluhallen, Kungstorget, Centrum. Opening hours: Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 11:00-18:00, Thursday 11:00-19:00, Friday 11:00-20:00.

What is it? An all-day spot that’s as much a café as it is a wine bar and laid-back restaurant.

Why we love it? The courtyard at Kyrkogatan 13 is a little world of its own. Champagnebaren, Bruno Mathsson Center and Unity Jazz are so close together you could practically step out of one and straight into another. Café Imperiet was the only thing missing to make the courtyard feel complete.

There’s really good coffee here, as well as cakes and pastries, small plates, lunch salads, snacks and wine. There’s something for everyone, and the prices are pretty reasonable. The setting is just as inviting in the middle of the day as it is in the evening, and the place is child-friendly too (cobbles notwithstanding).

Expect to pay: You can keep things cheap here or go all in. Last time, the bill came to nearly SEK 700 for two people. That included a large baguette with cooked ham and comté, a substantial mozzarella and tomato salad, a non-alcoholic drink and affogato.

Kyrkogatan 13, Centrum. Opening hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11:00-23:00, Friday-Saturday 11:00-00:00, Sunday 11:00-22:00.

What is it? A floating café aboard Gothenburg’s oldest steamboat, built in 1882.

Why we love it? After almost ten years at the helm of acclaimed restaurant Vrå (where she still works part-time), Sofia B. Olsson has become known for her uncompromising approach to sustainability. She could have launched pretty much any project and I would have been first in line, and Ångbåtscaféet is no exception. When the boat sank to the bottom of the Göta river a few years ago, Sofia took over and painstakingly restored the vessel so the historic café could live on. Last summer, she was finally able to welcome the first guests aboard.

The food is simple but delicious. The menu includes waffles with jam and cream, substantial sandwiches, seafood and other treats. Whatever combination you put together for lunch, you’ll leave satisfied. This also happens to be one of Gothenburg’s most romantic cafés, complete with views of the river and Älvsborg Bridge.

Expect to pay: SEK 200-300 for a filling lunch made up of a few different things from the menu.

Time Out tip: Bag a table by the window for the best possible view of the ships passing along the river.

Klippans Ångbåtsbrygga (Adolf Edelsvärds gata), Majorna. Opening hours: Thursday-Sunday 11:00-22:00.

What is it? A food and wine bar in Saluhallen, now complete with a deli counter.

Why we love it? Bar Bulot opened in autumn 2021 while its larger sister restaurant, Bulot, was being readied for its 2022 opening. Three years later, however, owners Gabriel Melim Andersson and Emil Bjelke decided to close the larger restaurant and focus entirely on Bar Bulot, which by then had become hugely popular. It serves one of the city’s best-value three-course menus for SEK 345, including a starter soup and sourdough bread with house-churned kefir butter. Wash it down with a well-chosen wine and you’ve got yourself a celebratory long lunch.

A top tip, though, is to stray from the set menu and instead put together a selection of individual dishes from the board. For example, you won’t want to miss the now-iconic, and seriously peppery, steak tartare served between two heart-shaped waffles.

Time Out tip: You can buy the fantastic kefir butter to take home.

Expect to pay: From SEK 300 per person up to SEK 1,500, depending on your thirst and appetite.

Stora Saluhallen, Kungstorget, Centrum. Opening hours: Monday-Wednesday 11:30-18:00, Thursday-Friday 11:30-19:00, Saturday 11:30-17:00.

What is it? An artisan bakery and café with a distinctly restaurant-like feel.

Why we love it? Everything Fredrik Borgskog creates seems worth queuing for, at least if you ask Gothenburgers. After a stint on Ringön, Borgskogs has now returned to Linné, and demand is every bit as high as before.

And while the pastries are miniature works of art for both the eyes and the taste buds, there’s plenty on the savoury side of the menu to fill you up too.

Everything is made with maximum finesse. An ordinary ham and cheese sandwich, for example, is transformed into pure gastronomy: cooked ham made from gråbogris pork is paired with aged Guldklimp cheese from Arla Unika, coarse-grain mustard mayonnaise and a flavour-packed cream made with semi-dried tomatoes. The savoury onion croissant, served with smetana and herb oil, has also already become a modern classic in the city.

Time Out tip: Save a little room after your lunch sandwich and treat yourself to a serving of their soft serve. It’s divine.

Expect to pay: SEK 300-400 for a substantial sandwich, a pastry, a drink and coffee.

Nordenskiöldsgatan 18, Linnéstaden. Opening hours: Wednesday-Thursday 10:00-18:00, Friday 10:00-20:00, Saturday-Sunday 10:00-16:00 (hours may vary, check before visiting).

What is it? A semi-hidden noodle joint by Skanstorget.

Why we love it? Nooodle, run by Huiying Ma and her husband Ang Li, is the ultimate ‘if you know, you know’ kind of restaurant. Plenty of people overlook the unassuming spot by Skanstorget, but for those who find it, it quickly becomes the kind of favourite you want to take everyone you love to. Several people I know count this as their go-to local. The menu is stripped-back and straightforward: choose between noodle soup or noodle salad, with noodles made from either rice or wheat. The most popular dish is the traditional Chinese beef noodle soup.

Time Out tip: They offer takeaway, but eating in is highly recommended. The soup is at its best when it’s piping fresh.

Expect to pay: SEK 140 for a noodle soup, a little more if you add a drink.

Skanstorget 1, Haga/Linnéstaden. Opening hours: Monday-Friday 11:00-19:30, Saturday 11:00-15:00.

What is it? A Vietnamese fast-food spot in Saluhallen.

Why we love it? As the name suggests, Banh Mi Shop serves a wide variety of the Vietnamese classic banh mi: a light, crisp baguette packed with flavourful ingredients. The sandwiches are excellent, and the absolute favourite is the thịt nguội with pork marinated in char siu (a sweet Chinese barbecue glaze). It’s the perfect lunch on the go, but it’s also worth exploring the menu’s bao buns, fresh summer rolls and steaming bowls of phở. Best of all is to come with a small group and order a mix of dishes to share.

Time Out tip: Since you’re already in Saluhallen, pick up some good cheese and a few olives from one of the shops and your picnic lunch is sorted.

Expect to pay: SEK 115 for a banh mi, or around SEK 400 for two people sharing several dishes.

Stora Saluhallen, Kungstorget, Centrum. Opening hours: Monday-Wednesday 10:00-18:00, Thursday-Friday 10:00-19:00, Saturday 10:00-17:00.

What is it? Asian street food in the courtyard on Magasinsgatan.

Why we love it? Jinx has become something of a modern Gothenburg classic. The food is simple but incredibly tasty. The brand has spawned both Jinx Dynasty and Jinx Empire, but the original on four wheels is still the best of the bunch. The menu features fluffy bao buns with various fillings, with the pork belly and coriander version standing out in particular. There are also ‘thaicos’ (the brilliant collision of tacos and Thai food), kimchi fries and other rotating dishes. And while the bao buns are the big sellers, the spicy minced pork with chilli, lime and ginger, served on a bed of rice, herbs, crunchy vegetables and soy mayonnaise, is the real highlight of the menu.

Time Out tip: The courtyard on Magasinsgatan is a cosy little oasis. After lunch, head to Da Matteo for a coffee or Artilleriet for a spot of interiors shopping.

Expect to pay: SEK 150-200 for lunch, depending on your appetite.

Magasinsgatan 17, Innerstaden/Centrum. Opening hours: Sunday-Friday 11:00-15:00, Saturday 11:00-16:00.

What is it? An Iraqi fish and seafood restaurant with a charcoal grill in Gunnilse, just beyond Angered.

Why we love it? It’s best to be completely upfront: you don’t come here for the ambience. The building’s rather dubious-looking exterior makes it hard to believe there’s anything going on behind the doors at all. The interior is simple, worn and somehow still perfect.

But the fish. Good lord, the fish. A charcoal-grilled gilthead sea bream here is enough to knock anyone sideways. Alnahrayn Fisk is the kind of place you rarely come across in Sweden, and the prices are remarkably reasonable too. The fish is reminiscent of what you might be served at a bustling restaurant in a southern European seaside town: served whole, cleaned at the table, with perfectly tender flesh and fins crisped over the fire. The fish comes with rice, a flavourful bean stew seasoned with cardamom and pickled vegetables. This is a dining experience well worth the detour.

Time Out tip: Don’t come here merely peckish. Arrive ravenous, and even then, expect finishing everything on your plate to be a challenge.

Expect to pay: SEK 180 for a whole grilled fish with all the accompaniments.

Långavallsgatan 2B, Gunnilse/Angered. Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11:00-20:00.