Gothenburg Great brews and food make this coastal city the perfect weekend break
Craft beer and coastal cool
Known for its canals, bustling seaport and idyllic islands, Gothenburg, on Sweden’s west coast, is fast becoming the Nordic beer capital. As of five years ago, it’s even been host to the country’s first Beer Week ( gbgbeerweek.se), where a large number of the city’s 200-or-so breweries and microbreweries get involved, including local beer legends Vega and Stigbergets. But outside this annual event, there are plenty of hotspots around the city that pair great brews with fantastic food – making Gothenburg a perfect weekend break. If you’re arriving on a Saturday, make your first stop the Lindholmen Street Food & Design Market.
It attracts a local crowd and serves delicious street food alongside homegrown arts and contemporary crafts. Set in an old warehouse in the hip Science Park area just north of the river, its food stalls sell everything from local fish platters to gourmet burgers, creative menus from a rotating roster of top chefs to classic Swedish waffles with whipped cream and sour cherry compote (dishes from around £5.50; lindholmenstreetfoodanddesignmarket.se). Local breweries are also represented, including Wet Whistle. Even if you’re not a beer fan, this outfit prides itself on having a brew to tempt everyone – from Light & Delicious APA to Smooth & Spicy wheat saison (beers from £6 per pint; wetwhistlebrewery.se). Head to Gamlestaden, the old meat packing district north-east of the city centre, for more locally made and loved beers. At Spike Brewery, the newly opened taproom serves wood-fired pizzas and fantastic brews, including Fresh Prince APA and seasonal Mango Fandango (mains from £11.50; tasting beers from £3.30 per 15cl; spikebrewery.com). You’ll find Gothenburg’s first urban winery in this area, too. Wine Mechanics uses grapes from Pfalz in Germany and the northern Rhône region in France to make white, red and rosé wines that are best enjoyed in the restaurant – it’s set in a stylishly converted pigsty influenced by American West Coast design. You’ll find plenty of local fish on the menu, which includes herring, and at least one of the Swedish ‘seafood big five’ – lobster, crayfish, mussels, oysters and shrimp – depending on the season. There’s also steak and pasta on offer, if fish isn’t your thing (mains from £10; winemechanics.se). Anna Glover