Coffee, winter and Gothenburg: rating fika spots

Coffee and Sweden are inseparable and it’s pretty clear why. Coffee has been embedded in Swedish culture since the 17th century when it first arrived and it became even more popular with ‘fika culture‘. Fika is a break during which you connect with others, and enjoy a cup of coffee/tea and a treat like cinnamon buns. This is how coffee became a part of academic life too. In Gothenburg, we have a lot of opportunities for fika, so I decided to introduce some cafés I visited. I will not consider Espresso House as that’s a classic. Disclosure: Lot of coffee pictures incoming

Da Matteo

I visited Da Matteo with two of my good friends. Da Matteo is very famous in Gothenburg for brewing its own coffee beans. I have to say that the coffee is really good as well as the pastry but I would take away a few points for how crowded it was inside. We barely found a place to sit. Swedes are known for valuing their personal space, but fika is the exception – a moment where everyone unites over a mutual love of coffee.
Rate: 7/10

SeaCup

We visited this small café when we were freezing from the cold winter air in Gothenburg. It is located in Eriksberg, a popular part of town near the Gothenburg canal. It is a cute little café, very spacious. The hot chocolate was more a hot cocoa but it did warm up the soul on the cold day. I have not visited since and I don’t think I’ll come up with a reason to go there again. Some places just remain in the memories.
Rate: 6/10

Portens Bageri

This café is located in Munkebäck, where I used to live. (It’s a great area to live in by the way – calm and close to nature and the city) Some people say Portens Bageri is one of the best bakeries in Gothenburg. It has a nice atmosphere but higher prices. I was thinking about why it is so popular and I came up with two answers:
1. The pastry is amazing and Swedish people love their pastry.
2. It’s a great place to meet friends in a good atmosphere for breakfast or a quick coffee.
I have to however take off some points for the price.
Rate: 8/10

Alkemisten

This café is located at the Lindholmen campus, where I have my faculty (right by the sea). It’s one of my favourite cafés because it has a good atmosphere for studying or working, nice staff, and good offers. I particularly enjoy their sandwiches and soups for lunch.

Sometimes, we end up here after school to study or work on group projects. Although it’s not budget-friendly, it is sometimes important to change the environment when you spend a lot of time focusing on your studies. The library often comes to mind first but there you don’t have chill background music or snacks, and also you can’t really talk, so then a café is a nice alternative.
Rate: 9/10

Hebe Lelle

The cakes here, wow! This is a small café in Haga, the old town of Gothenburg. Gothenburg doesn’t have a long history since the city was built only in 1621 but Haga is still a cute little city centre with a unique atmosphere. Definitely worth visiting! There are so many nice small cafés and shops there that it’s hard to choose. My French friend I worked with part-time brought me here because they have sensational cakes, and even the coffee was really good. She used to work there so she knows.

Rate: 10/10

HappyMe

This is a vegan café/restaurant I visited with my vegan friend. HappyMe is a place with healthy, clean, vegan ingredients. This reflects the Sweden’s focus on sustainability. More and more cafés need to consider this aspect in their business plan as people are becoming more environmentally conscious. It also shows how restaurants in Sweden try to accommodate people with allergies or food intolerances. You can almost always find a gluten-free, lactose-free, or vegan alternative wherever you go. At HappyMe, we ordered matcha late, golden latte, and tiramisu. I would particularly recommend the beverages and the vegan food they offer, even though it comes at a slightly higher price for a student.
Rate: 7/10

Popsicle

Okay, this is one of my favourite summer cafés. It’s technically not in Gothenburg but in the archipelago, on an island called Dönsö. Popsicle is a cute café right by the sea with yummy cakes, nice coffee, and homemade ice cream. I stop by every year and never regret it. It just gives you the proper summer vibe that everyone craves after the long winter months.

Rate: 10/10

Kafestugan Lyckan

Oh, this one’s lovely. It’s right next to Stora Delsjön, one of Gothenburg’s bigger lakes. They offer Swedish waffles with a hot chocolate combo! The hot chocolate is amazing! I like how cosy this café is since it’s basically just a little cottage by the lake. It’s the nice treat you need after a walk around the nature reserve. We often end up here during the autumn weekends to enjoy the last drops of sunshine.

Rate: 9/10

Fun facts about Sweden and coffee

While writing this review, I ran into two fun facts that I believe people should know about coffee and Sweden.
1. Sweden is one of the largest consumer of coffee per capita in the world, no wonder they love it so much
2. A Swedish king, Gustav III hated coffee and believed it to be harmful
The king conducted an infamous experiment to prove coffee’s detrimental effects. He had two identical twins, one forced to drink several cups of coffee daily and the other tea, to observe who would die first. Ironically, both outlived Gustav III and the coffee-drinking twin was said to live the longest.

I’ll leave you with these fun facts, so you never forget about the importance of coffee culture in Sweden.
Anyway, do you have any other café recommendations?