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Five tasty cheap eats in Sweden’s Gothenburg

Gothenburg’s eating and drinking scene is one of the most exciting in Sweden. But it can be tricky to dine out without breaking the bank. For this week's Local List, Steve Vickers from travel guide Routes North presents some top tips for cheap eats that will make your mouth water.

Published: 2 December 2014 13:48 CET
Updated: 2 December 2014 16:00 CET
Five tasty cheap eats in Sweden's Gothenburg
Lunch in a record store? Photo: Routes North
1. Feskekörka 
 
One of the most unusual and consistently delicious places to grab lunch in Gothenburg is Feskekörka – the fish church. It might look like a place of worship from the outside, but this A-framed local landmark was purpose-built as a place to buy fish. Takeaway is the cheapest option, but you can also tuck into the dish of the day at the upstairs restaurant for 169 kronor ($22).
 
 
2. Cafe Santo Domingo
 
The fact that there are so many independent record shops in Gothenburg, even in the age of Spotify, says a lot about locals’ love of music. One street in particular, Andra Långgatan, has a few great record shops all to itself. And one of these places – Dirty Records – doubles up as a decent café were you can sit down and slurp your way through a cup of organic Dominican coffee. It’s served in thick china cups without much ceremony but is strong enough that it fizzes on the tongue. Home-baked cakes are displayed on the front counter and there’s always a vegetarian or vegan soup steaming away just behind.
 
 
3. Gourmet Korv
 
Gourmet Korv lifts Sweden's takeaway hot dog tradition to new heights, with better quality ingredients and lots of unusual flavours. Here you can get a lamb chorizo made with cheese, a spicy garlic sausage, a German bierwurst, or even a ‘wild sausage’ made with venison, cognac and juniper. Lunch with a drink here should cost no more than about 80–100 kronor (from $11).
 
 
4. Språkcaféet
 
If you just want a coffee and some cake in cosy surroundings then there are better places in Gothenburg. However, if you’re interested in learning languages and meeting new people then this place is definitely worth a visit. Although the language sessions at Språkcaféet are free, the café asks that you spend at least 45 kronor ($6) on food or drink before you get stuck in. A sandwich or a beer should cover it.
 
 
 
5. Bönor och Bagels
 
Roughly halfway along Linnégatan, one of the city’s most attractive streets, this friendly café turns out great, reasonably priced coffee and squidgy-soft bagels that have been stuffed with fresh ingredients (if you didn’t already guess, the name means beans and bagels). There are around 18 different flavour combinations on offer, all with cute Swedish names such as Karin and Oscar. Fillings range from salami and brie to chicken with tzatziki and red onion. The veg and vegan options are generally a little bit cheaper. 
 

All photos: Routes North
 
Steve Vickers is the co-founder of Routes North, a new independent travel guide for Sweden.
 
 
 
 

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TRAVEL NEWS

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

Germany's Deutsche Bahn rail operator and the GDL train drivers' union have reached a deal in a wage dispute that has caused months of crippling strikes in the country, the union said.

Published: 26 March 2024 09:55 CET
German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

“The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn have reached a wage agreement,” GDL said in a statement.

Further details will be announced in a press conference on Tuesday, the union said. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

Train drivers have walked out six times since November, causing disruption for huge numbers of passengers.

The strikes have often lasted for several days and have also caused disruption to freight traffic, with the most recent walkout in mid-March.

In late January, rail traffic was paralysed for five days on the national network in one of the longest strikes in Deutsche Bahn’s history.

READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?

Europe’s largest economy has faced industrial action for months as workers and management across multiple sectors wrestle over terms amid high inflation and weak business activity.

The strikes have exacerbated an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent across the whole of last year.

What we know about the new offer so far

Through the new agreement, there will be optional reduction of a work week to 36 hours at the start of 2027, 35.5 hours from 2028 and then 35 hours from 2029. For the last three stages, employees must notify their employer themselves if they wish to take advantage of the reduction steps.

However, they can also opt to work the same or more hours – up to 40 hours per week are possible in under the new “optional model”.

“One thing is clear: if you work more, you get more money,” said Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Martin Seiler. Accordingly, employees will receive 2.7 percent more pay for each additional or unchanged working hour.

According to Deutsche Bahn, other parts of the agreement included a pay increase of €420 per month in two stages, a tax and duty-free inflation adjustment bonus of €2,850 and a term of 26 months.

Growing pressure

Last year’s walkouts cost Deutsche Bahn some €200 million, according to estimates by the operator, which overall recorded a net loss for 2023 of €2.35 billion.

Germany has historically been among the countries in Europe where workers went on strike the least.

But since the end of 2022, the country has seen growing labour unrest, while real wages have fallen by four percent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

German airline Lufthansa is also locked in wage disputes with ground staff and cabin crew.

Several strikes have severely disrupted the group’s business in recent weeks and will weigh on first-quarter results, according to the group’s management.

Airport security staff have also staged several walkouts since January.

Some politicians have called for Germany to put in place rules to restrict critical infrastructure like rail transport from industrial action.

But Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected the calls, arguing that “the right to strike is written in the constitution… and that is a democratic right for which unions and workers have fought”.

The strikes have piled growing pressure on the coalition government between Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, which has scored dismally in recent opinion polls.

The far-right AfD has been enjoying a boost in popularity amid the unrest with elections in three key former East German states due to take place later this year.

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