We had dinner at Lilla Bjers last week when we were in Visby for a few days. Lilla Bjers is an…read moreorganic farm just a few minutes outside Visby. We arrived at the farm and immediately knew it would be a special place for dinner. The dinner is on and of the farm - everything we ate (with the exception of dairy) came from the farm! That means a meal at Lilla Bjers is hyper-seasonal. Asparagus made several appearances on our menu, so I assumed it was asparagus harvesting season! For dinner, they offer a 5-course tasting menu for 1,450 SEK (about $145). It really felt like more than 5 courses, because you get a couple of small bites to start and 2 or 3 desserts! It was a lot of food! The menu was vegetable heavy, but there were a few dishes with meat (beef and venison, if I remember correctly). Our favorite dish of the night was a vegetable dish - the asparagus dish, but we enjoyed most of the dishes quite a bit. We also did one wine pairing and one non-alcoholic pairing. I'm glad we tried both, because they were both very good. I'm so glad that they include a wine produced on Gotland as one of the wine pairings, because we didn't have time to make it down to the winery on Gotland during our visit! The service was good; they are able to serve in Swedish or English. The restaurant is just stunning. You eat in a greenhouse filled with plants and great light. It was really gorgeous. My only real complaint about what was still a very special meal is just how long the meal is. When you make a reservation, they make clear that it is a 3-hour reservation block, and our meal really took the whole three hours. It was just a little long. Our dinner started at 7:30 and we were exhausted by 10:30 when we left. And very full! Ido wish they had a shorter tasting menu option. The food is so carefully prepared and plated; I understand why the dishes take a while to prepare. But 3 hours is just a little longer than I wanted to spend at a restaurant for dinner on a vacation! Overall, our dinner at Lilla Bjers was really special Farm to table in the best way.

This was a great experience! The grounds, the restaurant, the food, the imagination- I really…read moreenjoyed it. Much (if not all) of the produce they use comes right from their farm, and I believe all the meat they use comes from purveyors on the island. And it shows- just such quality in everything. The dinner menu changes regularly (I assume almost daily), and we were given a choice of three course or five course tasting menu. To my understanding, there is no a la carte ordering available for dinner. You can also do an optional wine pairing, or just go by the glass. We did the the three course menu (570 SEK each), one wine pairing (450 SEK), and one glass of wine (155 SEK). For the quality, creativity, service, vibe/experience of the place, and relative to the cost of restaurants in Visby, I think it's a very fair deal. It's about five miles/seven km from the center of Visby. You can take a taxi, or I believe take a bus to nearby. We actually rented bikes and rode out there- there is dedicated bike path the whole way from just outside the fortress wall of Visby to the farm/restaurant. I highly recommend this mode if you can- the path is pretty flat, well-paved and safely separated from the roadway. It was a really nice ride at sunset, and safe even in the dark coming back to Visby (just make sure the light on your bike is working). Even the most basic-level rider should be able to handle the ride without incident.

Tasty Cheese Shop in the Gotland!…read more SITREP On our trek through the Gotland old country on the Swedish Island of Visby, we came across Stafva Gård and what a wonderful oasis of dairy delights this proved to be. THE SETUP Located deep in the countryside of the Gotland, this dairy farm is churning out some of the most delicious cheese - and Ice Cream! - in the whole of Sweden. * Our guide let us sample many of Stafva's wares as he explained the history of this region; https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/stafva-g%C3%A5rd-visby?select=kS2hjCihxOjqnPyFUpbsvA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * Jenny and I could not get enough cheese!; https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/stafva-g%C3%A5rd-visby?select=dcke8APFyf0WLasLXttXcg&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * It was quite impressive to see the dairy operation churning away; https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/stafva-g%C3%A5rd-visby?select=UB3wa1JJNtiAi-5gGLjKPg&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * He also let us sample one of their newest endeavors: Roasted Coffee! It's catching on all over the place (it's apparently a NEW phenomenon in this part of the world). THE LOWDOWN One of the products this farm produces is some very fragrant apple juice - this actually ended up being my favorite (mainly since it would travel well over the next few days). https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/stafva-g%C3%A5rd-visby?select=Nj_MWzEn--vQIMEkGX6Ezg&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w Come check out the cheeses and the other wonderful products.

The grilled mackerel is good. It comes with potatoes in cream (cold). Overall, I like the lunch…read morespecial

Every time I walked by this restaurant, it was completely packed inside and out (I also visited…read moreduring Week 29, when Gotland is flooded with tourists, so this definitely had something to do with it). We finally managed to get a table for a late lunch and had an amazing meal. You order/pay at the counter inside, and someone will bring out your food when it's ready. I had a huge bowl of fish stew, which came with plenty of seafood and little gnocchi, as well as a delicious slice of bread. We also tried a lamb dish that was essentially cured meat, served with potatoes and a cream sauce. Both were simple, but sososo good and reasonably priced! As there is plenty of outdoor seating, this is a great place to enjoy a beer and watch the crowds go by.

Gorgeous Flowers & Extreme Greens On A Beautiful Day!…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/karls%C3%B6-jagt-och-djurskyddsf%C3%B6renings-visby?select=VkKdk_RhJ2C_uh2MTJobJQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w SITREP Coming to visit Visby and taking in the beauty of the Gotland are joys to behold. Part of this tapestry of wonder are the Karlsö Jagt-och Djurskyddsförenings, or the Botanical Gardens right adjacent to the ancient walled fortress-castle. THE SETUP We had been touring all morning and afternoon, from buses to hiking, taking in old churches and vintage railways, but there was something quite exquisite to ending our excursions with a beautiful, meditative walk through the gardens here in Visby. * From fields of flowers https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/karls%C3%B6-jagt-och-djurskyddsf%C3%B6renings-visby?select=QSjoVHPhw1f9GSrG_mUpkQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * Through secret alcoves and broken ramparts; https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/karls%C3%B6-jagt-och-djurskyddsf%C3%B6renings-visby?select=9hofS_rKsg10HqlDRLJZUA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * And towering walls over historic gates; https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/karls%C3%B6-jagt-och-djurskyddsf%C3%B6renings-visby?select=NxLaVzmbCmhvr-xZAnYTJg&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w * Through and along cobblestone roads, the gardens were lush and in bloom. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/karls%C3%B6-jagt-och-djurskyddsf%C3%B6renings-visby?select=Sk_P4I7RgtUmijD365FulA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w This is a community garden that anyone can enjoy free of charge. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/karls%C3%B6-jagt-och-djurskyddsf%C3%B6renings-visby?select=PcT-29n6yVAV1QsTPPpYVw&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w THE LOWDOWN A beautiful ending to a busy day!

Calm and beautiful. We very much appreciated the pleasant setting in a remarkable, historical city.read more