I dream about this restaurant's perfect plate of meatballs swimming in a pool of brown gravy and paired with delicious mashed potatoes. Thank you to Yelpers for getting me here! This was our last meal in Gothenberg on our trip this spring and it was perfect. We started our meal with a shrimp salad with toast which was well seasoned and wasn't too creamy. My boyfriend ordered the seafood au gratin which had mussels, shrimp and fish. There was a good amount of veggie on it as well. My meatballs were luscious. The lingonberry sauce was the perfect tart addition to the creamy dish. This is what they're talking about when they're talking about Swedish meatballs! Overall great dining experience for a reasonable price! read more

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Visited the restaurant with the group for dinner. As anywhere in Gothenburg, good selection of beer, and it is the easiest to share in the company unless you have a group of oenophiles, so beer it was - something local. The Cream of Mushroom soup was good, even though it didn't have a very strong mushroom flavor. My main dish was cod, which was described as lightly salted. I understand that "lightly salted" has no definition, and everyone's perception of saltiness differs - but for me, while the cod was perfectly cooked, it was also very, very salted, as well as most of the elements of the dish, with the exception of few pieces of potatoes. I guess someone simple went heavy-handed finishing the dish. Good, prompt and friendly service. read more

Smaka - filet of cod - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

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We came here because we heard the meatballs were super good and we were not disappointed. It was so delicious, definitely one of the best meatballs I've ever had. Definitely will be back again if we're in town! read more

Smaka - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

Loved their assortment of crackers in the appetizer. They tasted so good. We ordered the venison medallions and the fish. The venison was too dry and tough, but the fish was delicious and cooked perfectly :) read more

Smaka - Venison Medallions and Fish au Gratin - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

This restaurant punches above it's weight. We walked him from a hotel by the main train station, a quick 15 mims walk. Started with the herring sampler and a glass of aquqvit. What a lovely surprise, all so good but so different, the creme fresh was to die for. Next up was oysters, fresh super briny, nice minionette. Next venison tartar. Great flavor but the variety of textures is what makes the dish. Mains were the meatballs, the picked cucumber and lingonberries make this dish, rich gravy, buttery potatoes and tasty flavorful meatballs. Also had the chopped elk (big elk meatball!), cooked medium rare on a bed of chopped mushrooms, so rich and lovely. Desert, went for the comedy duo of the two candy bars! So fun. Can't wait to come back in my next trip. read more

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I question 5 star ratings, and so this is hard for me. Here is the low down. Very nice atmosphere with a beautiful atrium. Service is just fine. I waited too long for wine refills but I will give them a break since they gave me privacy. I had oyster appetizer and scallop appetizer. The oyster is a very mild French oyster. Very nice and easy to eat. I didn't think twice on the flavor. The scallops were perfect. Main course was cod. WOW. Cappers were light in taste and abundant. Potatoes small and with mushrooms very abundant. The portion is large like American, but with fine European taste. House wine was a delicate white, not too sharp. Cappers were a lite earthy citrus flavor, and I wanted more!!! I usually leave them behind. It was so quiet I could hear the chef singing to herself. This means two things, she knows what she's doing, and she's comfortable in what she's doing. I asked her what she thinks is the best. Her reply was suprising and perfect. I just prepare it, and it is so comfortable to me I have no preference as to what is better. Hmmm, a chef who does not struggle with anything! Perfect! I will be back. read more

Smaka - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

Pretty good spot. Some local dishes and good local beers too. Service was good and relaxed atmosphere. read more

Slightly off the beaten path from the tourist areas, but those seem to be the best places. Great sweedish meatballs, don't skip them, even if you have to share. The sampler was insane - 3 levels of choices, including some of the best caviar you'd find anywhere, all different kinds of herring, and all the meats of the area (whale, reindeer, etc). Great local beer selection, knowledgable servers. read more

Smaka - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

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Their food is soooooo good! High quality ingredients elevated by masterful preparations. We really enjoyed the Swedish dishes. One quick note- we went without a reservation and it was the slowest service we have had in a LONG while... like people at the next table got up and left slow service. But their food was totally worth it and I think that their kitchen service was just slammed by the crowd of guests. The waiters were really nice overall and we left quite happy with our meal. read more

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Great for the Swedish meatballs. They also have really friendly staff . Overall had a great experience here. read more

Smaka - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

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While my Swedish husband was out at his high school reunion in Göteborg, I took the opportunity to head off alone and play tourist in search of "traditional Swedish food". My Lonely Planet guide suggested Smacka as a restaurant that offers fresh updates on homestyle dishes. The restaurant seemed cozy and laid back, with the wooden table and chalkboard aesthetic similarly popular among hip young restaurants in San Francisco. The menu (available in English and Swedish) offered a variety of options - many different takes on meat-and-potatoes, enlivened with the use of nettles or lingonberries or pickled beets. There was at least one vegetarian option, although meat and fish dishes dominated. I decided to play up my own stereotypes about Swedish food and ordered the matjes herring appetizer and the meatballs-and-potatoes entree. The herring was fantastic - brightly flavored pickled herring, crumbled egg, and dill topped new potato coins in a pool of browned butter. The meatballs were nicely seasoned, served in a cream sauce with mashed potatoes and generous bowls of lingonberries and quick pickled cucumber slices on the side. I particularly liked that the lingonberries were served unsweetened, tart little explosions of flavor similar to cranberries, which contrasts the dessert-like jellied lingonberry compotes I normally have been served in this dish. Even the basket of fresh bread, knäckebröd, and (especially) butter was excellent. (There's something special about the butter in Sweden; it's amazing which much be why it is in everything...which causes me to wonder how everyone stays slim...). I hope to return while we are here in Göteborg to try some of their other items. read more

When in Sweden, one must get a plate of meatballs! After canvassing through Yelp in search of meatballs, we landed at Smaka. We didn't have a reservation that evening but there was fortunately a table available on their patio (Scandinavians love their outdoor seating!). You're started off with a bread basket with two different kinds of whipped butter: salted and caviar. The caviar is actually a caviar spread which is a pantry staple in most Swedish households. It was actually quite mild in taste and not fishy at all; we really enjoyed it with the bread. Now onto the entrees: -Swedish Meatballs with classic sides of mashers, rich gravy, lingonberry, and pickles. This whole dish is such a perfect symphony of flavors with the rich meat and potatoes that are offset with the pickles and sour lingonberries. It's truly a knockout dish. -Seafood Gratin with Dauphinoise potatoes, salmon, white fish, shrimp, and mussels. Super velvety, rich, comforting, and the whole dish is bursting with fresh seafood. Our server was excellent and super informative about the menu. This was one of our top 3 meals during our trip to Scandinavia - TACK to Smaka for the wonderful experience! read more

Smaka - Seafood gratin - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

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So fantastic! It was quite an experience as a Swedish-American to experience Smaka. The ambience was casual and the waitstaff friendly and helpful. My family celebrates a "Swedish" Christmas Eve every year, but this was truly special. We started with a plate of three different herrings, and Swedish cheese. The crayfish herring was simply the best I've ever had. For the main course my wife had meatballs, and I had elk (moose). Both were very well prepared. Dessert was Swedish cheesecake (dance), and chocolate mouse...of course with two shots of ice cold snaps. read more

Smaka - Elk! - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

This dinner was one of the highlight meals of our eight night stay in Gothenburg. We sat outside on the cozy but relaxing patio on a cool summer evening, and the atmosphere was casual and welcoming. My father and I decided to share three dishes between us and my two-year-old daughter. Wow were we impressed! First, the bread basket comes with whipped butter and caviar butter. So good. On to the main courses. Meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries was scrumptious. The gravy was flavorful but not at all heavy, and the entire dish was super fresh. (And I loved the sweet pickled cucumbers on the side.) Veal patty was very moist thanks to the cream they mixed in (according to the server). And the brown butter and, of course, lingonberries were a perfect touch. Lastly, the seafood au gratin was superb. Not too big or rich, the seafood was so fresh it tasted of the sea. It had salmon, cod, shrimp, and a mussel! All three of us enjoyed every last bite. If you're visiting Gothenburg, be sure to fit this place into your itinerary! read more

Smaka - Well-balanced meatball plate. Excellent! - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

We walked here from the Liseberg Hotel and it was worth every step. Great local eatery, friendly people and great food. We had the Swedish meatballs, which were outstanding! The bread basket has a yummy variety of breads and crackers. We would definitely recommend eating here! Enjoy!! read more

Found this place about 2 years ago on a biz trip. Food is amazing, service too. Have eaten here numerous times and does not disappoint. Probably have tried about mostly everything and wish I could tell you the best thing is....but it's all great!!! Whenever I come this is a go to place for me. read more

After having had many excellent seafood centric meals, we asked our hotel concierge for a "meaty" recommendation. They pointed to Smaka. Tavern like atmosphere, wooden tables, no table cloth. Very welcoming and relaxed. There was a large group dining there at the same time as we were, so service staff were hustling to meet demands but kind enough to help us with menu recommendations. We went all out traditional, ordering herring tray, pickled beets, meat balls with smashed potato and lingonberry, and another meat dish with dumplings which I can't remember now. Oh those MEAT BALLS, I am afraid they've become the yardstick for measuring any future meat ball attempts, and I shall be disappointed time after time. Smaka is a great place if you are after typical home-style Swedish food. read more

A friend recommended Smacka & we were not disappointed. You get fresh bread & crisp breads with butter on arrival. Our starters were beautifully presented (pickled beets with goats cheese cream and creamy smoked reindeer on rye toast) and delicious. We both had meatballs with gravy and mash which was served with lingonberries & pickled cucumbers which were delicious. We didn't have dessert as we were so full! If you convert the cost to £ it is expensive but comparatively speaking in Gothenburg it is not expensive. Highly recommend for delicious traditional food. Also should note staff were very friendly & spoke perfect English. read more

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Was highly recommended for their Swedish meatballs and was not disappointed. Get the shrimp spread appetizer as well. Yum!

When I embarked on the trip to Gothenburg in search of new and delicious food, people told me that there is no good food in sweden. Even after I got there, my airbnb host told me there is nothing special about swedish food and that I should try other cuisine. Luckily, I would have none of that. I managed to find several good restaurants searching both traditional and more fusion style swedish food. Smaka tops that list. I could be wrong, but most of the dishes here are more fusion than traditional, but it didn't stop me from order enough for 3 people. (yes, I was alone and I just had to sample as much as I could). They have this appetizer that presents herring in 4 different tastes that was just divine. And at the end of the night, I topped it all off with the best meatballs I ever had. No, don't even think about comparing to the frozen swedish meatballs in IKEA! Smaka made my 1 day trip to Gothenburg totally worth it. I have been thinking about making the long flight one more time just to get another taste. And yes, I have been known to make a day trip (very very long in this case) just to enjoy one dish:p read more

This place was amazing! Best food I had the whole week I was there. Got the salmon dish and it was incredible, possibly the best fish I ever had. So flavorful. The breads were so good and they brought 2 butters that were both outstanding. It's a nice place to get together. We stumbled on this place because the parking was good we were looking to go elsewhere and I'm glad we wound up here. read more

This is a nice place to get Swedish food in Vasastan. I've been here a couple of times with friends and family. It's one of the places I recommend to my friends visiting from abroad if they want nice Swedish food for a reasonable price. They have their menu in Swedish and English. The meatballs are quite popular, but they have other nice dishes as well. The staff is always very friendly and nice and you feel very welcome here. read more

We were a company of seven people who ordered everything from meat to fish and it tasted amazing! Will definitely visit here again. The food portions were generous or a bit heavy for us, so make sure you are really hungry before you come here. The only thing which I didn't like about the restaurant was the bad seating, it was too noisy and we couldn't hear each other because the bar was not far away from where we were sitting, other than that no complaints. read more

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Great authentic Swedish meal! Everything was fabulous that our table ordered. Good portions. Lots of options and our waiter was excellent at telling us about the dishes and making recommendations. Slightly small and noisy inside. But the food was wonderful read more

We dined here on our first night in Gothenberg. The server was very helpful in selecting our dinners and very knowledgable about the local beers. I had the shrimp sandwich which was loaded with fresh shrimp. My wife had the Swedish meatballs which were very good. Large portions and reasonable prices made this restaurant a great choice for our first taste of Swedish foods. read more

We ended up stumbling upon this place, after the other yelp restaurants turn out to be closed :-( This place was wonderful. Cozy atmosphere; elegant, but dressed down to comfortable. It was a Sunday night, so the restaurant wasn't so crowded-- that might have helped with our service. It just fine for us We started with the herring platter-- four styles of Herring were delicious. For main course we had a fish soup that was rich and tasty, And a seared salmon with pickles and Seasoned breadcrumbs--so good. Dessert was a French chocolate and hazelnut torte; perfect end to the meal. read more

We found this on yelp and was our first real meal in Sweden. We are really impressed with the rich deep flavors in both our dishes: the rump tail and the pork belly. The Zinfandel was full bodied and well rounded with a delicious nose. You cannot go wrong coming here read more

Smaka - Pork belly: outstanding. And somehow light - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

Good quality Swedish food accompanied by friendly service. Simple and relaxing environment. Appears to be quite busy so it's a good idea to make a reservation. read more

Smaka - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

So good I had to go on a yelp and leave a 5-star review before I left the restaurant. Meatballs are so delicious. Tomato and red onion salad balanced the richness of the meatballs with some citrus and salt. I asked for a beer recommendation and the Avenyn Ale (Dugges) was on point. Outdoor seating was charming. Overall very excellent. read more

Smaka - Meatballs and tomato/red onion salad. Will dream of this meal. - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

Nice restaurant. The place is a bit dark and not really welcoming. Nevertheless you will enjoy their typical Swedish meals, well cooked and dressed. The meatballs (their top dish) are really good, especially the sauce. The service could be a bit warmer. read more

- tasty food (seemed to be authentic swedish) but a little greasy - nice to sit outside (they have heating when it gets colder) - staff is nice but seemed to have a lot to do (wasn't around so we could order more) - close to the center but when we were there not to crowded (perfect mixture) - recommendation: kötbollar with mashed potatoe read more

We read about Smaka in a tourist brochure, LOVED the name (cue lots of jokes about being Smakaed upside the head) and were also intrigued by an online review that described it as having a blue mileau. It is quite blue indeed, but not like the inside of a Smurf house or anything a funky bar area and lovely restaurant. We started off with a smörgåsbord (another just brilliant word) of herring which was absolutely delicious, melt-in-your-mouth with amazing sauces, little boiled potatoes, cheese and bread. Good wine list and a range of Swedish and other dishes. Some vegetarian options as well. We went for fish and lamb dishes, both of which were great. Very reasonably priced for the quality of the food. Highly recommended! read more

Smaka was highly recommended to me as a great spot to taste authentic Swedish food. Though I'm not a salted herring fan, I'm glad I tried it! I loved everything else I tried and the service was so helpful and friendly. read more

We were in Gothenburg and found this restaurant on Yelp. We were very pleased with the atmosphere, wait staff, and food. We had the meatballs and potatoes. It was served with a basket of bread, pickled cucumbers, and a lingonberry side. It was very nice. Great prices. Overall a lovely experience. We were so glad to find it! read more

Smaka - Meatballs and potatoes with nice sauce. - Bars Near Me - Göteborg, O

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Great music. Decent wine list. Bad beer list. Nice space to hang out with friends though the groups take over like locousts.

Really enjoyed our meal here: started with an IPA, vegetarian appetizer with beets, vegetarian entree and smoked salmon entree. It was all delicious. read more

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I would say this is the best Swedish mid-range restaurant in Göteborg. The price is good for what you get even though I can never avoid the meatballs. The place is dim lit and cozy. For those visiting Sweden not for a very long time, I would go here for a taste of a nice Swedish dinner. If you're looking to have lunch, go to Fisk Kyrkan (Fish Church). The food is really great there. read more

Wow! I was totally blown away by the food here. I had only ever tried the kjøttboller at Smaka before and while they have always been great, I didn't realize how truly top notch the other dishes were. The elg steak with reduction, forest mushrooms, pearl onions and new potatoes was delicious. As an aside, I'm always a little sceptical when a restaurant makes into a guide book like lonely planet because it can turn into a tourist trap. While there were a handful of english speakers, the crowd was quite local. Go here, eat here, and don't be afraid to order something other than the kjøttboller. You won't be disappointed. read more

We went here last night because of the good reviews for their Kottbullar dish. We went straight for the XL and though it was way too much, ate it all 'cause it was just so damn good! read more

If you are buying a Volvo in Goteborg go to this restaurant. It is the perfect place to experience authentic Swedish food at reasonable prices. My wife and I purchased a Volvo through the overseas purchase program. While touring the factory we met another couple and we hit it off right away. That night we decided to have dinner together. We asked a hotel employee where to go and he said his favorite place was Smaka.It served local food and it was good. We went, we ate, we drank and we fell in love with the place. It has outside seating, but with warmers and rain protection if needed. The restaurant is located in a great part of town and has excellent street and people watching views. The food and drink prices were great and we went back again when we returned to Goteborg before heading to the US. If you are in the area, go to Smaka! The name says it all. read more