When the idea of a girly weekend came up, Gothenburg City scored high on the radar; and not because we were hoping to track down Batman 😛

Cheap flights. Tick.    Gourmet food. Tick.    Gorgeous Vikings. Tick

Göteborg, as it is locally known, is Sweden’s second largest city. Over the last decade the city has become an exciting new gastronomic metropolis, often being cited as one of Northern Europe’s top culinary destinations in the New York Times, and other leading international publications.

Ideally positioned by North Atlantic waters, Göteborg and all of the west coast are famed especially for its shellfish. And on our brief lunch stop to the Feskekôrka Fish Market Hall, with Lobsters and Langoustines aplenty – it seemed our visit was perfectly timed for shellfish season. Drool!!!

So the girls and Gourmet Belly went on the hunt for the biggest Prawn Star of the city, and found Sjömagasinet.

Headed up by the highly acclaimed chef Leif Mannerström, Sjömagasinet has had a Michelin star since 1999 and is often regarded as the best seafood restaurant in Sweden.

Housed in a former shipping warehouse dating back to 1775, the oak beamed dining room and roaring fire to match was the perfect picturesque setting we hoped for on cold autumn’s evening.

The majority of the table ordered the Lobster soup and what was possibly the biggest and most beautifully presented Bouillabaisse I have ever encountered in my life. But the cod with truffled cauliflower was probably the winning dish of the evening for me, and one which almost pushed the Gourmet Belly into a button-popping third gear. But fear not…a true gastro-naught never leaves gorgeously prepared food on her plate!!

The food overall was very good, despite being slightly salty for my palate; but the service and whole dining experience was exceptional. I mean…which other Michelin restaurant offers to top up your Lobster soup when you have devoured the first bowl?

The impressive wall of fame is a nice touch too. Lined with awards for both service excellence and an outstanding wine list, this is testament to Sjömagasinet’s contribution to putting Gothenburg on the gastro map!

Did You Know?

• Chef Leif Mannerström ranks as one of Sweden’s top gastronomic professionals and is responsible for having fostered many of today’s leading Swedish chefs – he’s even been pictured on Swedish postage stamps!
• Of the star chefs who have been crowned Chef of the Year in Sweden over the past ten years, no less than seven have come from Gothenburg City. The current holder of the title is Gustav Tragardh from the Michelin starred Basement Restaurant which we also dined at on this same weekend 🙂