Number 9 : Tvåkanten

It is not always easy to compare restaurants. Often you are comparing different types and tastes of food and then ultimately also you find yourself comparing price and most of all the question "do you get what you paid for?" If I was to go to a McDonalds I could receive a main course, dessert and drink for a minimal price and be content with what I received for the price I had paid. At Restaurang Tvåkanten I found myself paying around 10 times the cost of a McDonalds for my drink, main course and dessert... so the question is, was it worth it?

The experience was professionalism from start to finish. From the way I was met at the door, the way I was served, right down to the way the waitresses presented and explained each course to me as it was  delivered to the table. Not only was the menu delightfully selective but still varied, to match it all the food tasted exquisitely divine and the wine recommended to me was the perfect complement. You often find that the more money you pay for your food the smaller the portion sizes become. With this in mind I'm not sure I would have been full up on just a main course alone, so be sure to take along an extra bank note in your wallet and order one of the desserts on offer, the cheesecake certainly carries my reccomendation.

The restaurant itself was was cosy and spacious. A log fire warmed the room and the mood was light and relaxed. The service was friendly but at the same time unobtrusive. Despite being a Tuesday evening in February the restaurant was still full, a popular choice by many it seems.

So back to the question.... Was it worth it, did I get value for money?
Answer: Yes!

Rating: 9 / 10

Price: Expensive... but well worth it!

Would I go back here? Yes :) 

Address:  Kungsportsavenyn 27

Link

Date of visit: Monday 26th February 2013

Number 8 : Restaurang Ming

Just by chance I ended up eating Chinese food again. I say by chance because the intended restaurant was supposed to be Japanese, however due to the restaurant being closed for renovations and the rain starting to fall it was Restaurang Ming that I found myself dining at on this Monday evening. 

Decoration wise this restaurant is really nice, don't base your first impressions from what you see when you enter the door as once you go round the corner in to the eating areas it is extremely pleasant and has a real taste of the Orient. The food was also really lovely and looking around the restaurant other diners seemed to be saying the same thing and heartily tucking in to their dishes. You can choose from either a set meal from the menu or from a Mongolian BBQ  (where you choose your own raw ingredients and then they cook it for you). 

A down side was the service. If you have seen Fawlty Towers (Pang i Bygget) then my welcome was reminiscent of Basil Fawlty having a bad day. On arrival at the restaurant I waited by the door to be seated (as you tend to do) only for the waiter to shout over to me from the bar "Do you want to eat? Well come over here then." Then when it came to paying I thought I would be gracious and thank him for a nice meal and all I got in reply was some kind of grunting noise as my credit card was pushed back to me and I went on my way. Service with a smile? Not on this evening but I guess everyone can have an off night.

Another thing that I dislike (and I am going to sound really particular here) is when after your first course you are made to hold on to your knife and fork before the main dish arrives. And when I say hold on to I mean "hold on to" as apart from putting my soy sauce dripping cutlery down on the white table cloth there was no other option than to hold them in my hand until the main course arrived. I tried to give them away with my empty starter plate but this wasn't accepted. I think in general I always like a new knife and fork for my main course, when you go to a restaurant and pay good money you expect to be spoilt... I can't imagine guests at the Royal Palace or Nobel Dinner sitting holding their knifes and forks between each course, or maybe I am wrong. Yes, I know that it saves on washing up and the environment but on the other side me putting a soy stained fork down on a white table cloth, what is the environmental consequences of that? OK, that's my rant over now.

Rating: 5.5 / 10

Price: Medium

Would I go back here? Food was nice, decor nice but the service left a lot to be desired. 

Address: Kristinelundsgatan 9 · Göteborg

Link

Date of visit: Monday 18th February 2013

Number 7 : Hereford Beefstouw

As to how someone who has been vegetarian for 28 years ended up in a Steak House is something that I am not really sure about. From the entire menu my options of a main course were limited to one dish (main course salad bar) but still after reading the menu outside the main door I was still lured inside. 

I really enjoyed coming here. I would recommend this place.

What attracted me most was the decoration. Looking in from the outside the restaurant seemed pleasantly exclusive and I was not disappointed once I stepped inside. The place was clean and fresh and nicely laid out. The staff were professional, polite and friendly.

The menu although naturally full of meat looked fun and wide ranging. I say fun because to place your order you had fill in a little piece of paper describing how you want your steak and the side dishes you would like with it. It was also fun as while you wait for your food there is also place on the menu to write a postcard to a friend which the restaurant pays for the cost of the postage.

Sadly for us vegetarians, If you choose the main course salad then the fun is slightly taken away...
Would I like my salad "well done", "rare" of "half cooked"? Also as the salad buffet was all prepared and waiting then my time for writing postcards was indeed limited. I never realised how much I was missing out from by not eating meat ;-) 

Having said that though I was impressed by the selection of salad dishes I could choose from and from the variety of sauces available. I managed to fill myself up with salad, chips,  bread and wine and was delightfully full after all of this. My stomach could not resist having a dessert though and the choice on offer was also delicious and mouth watering.

A great evening, I wonder if all Steak Houses are like this?

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Price: Expensive

Would I go back here? It was expensive for a salad but I think I would definitely visit again if I was with a group of carnivores who were looking for a nice evening out 

Address: Linnégatan 5

Link

Date of visit: Wednesday 13th February 2013

Number 6 : La Terrazza

After eating Italian the week before and not being overly impressed I was a bit apprehensive to explore the tastes of the Mediterranean again... but a recommendation brought me here and I was pleased that I took it up. 

Fresh pasta spilled with spinach in a mushroom cream sauce

La Terrazza is a spacious restaurant with a warm and light covered terrace on the front side. The decoration was nice and homely and the service exceptional. 

On arrival the waitress introduced herself to me my name which kind of actually threw me a bit as I wasn't really sure if I had to reply by saying my name as well. As you may know from previous entries I think it is nice to build up a rapport with the person serving or preparing your food. Some places you go to the food is just shoved in front of your face like pig feed being thrown in a trough. At La Terrazza though the food was explained to me on arrival and finely presented and I was made to feel most welcome...  the waitress duly earned her service tip. 

The food was exquisite and full of taste and I left feeling content and having rediscovered my love for Italian food. The wine list was also expansive and it is nice to be able to choose a fitting accomplice to my food rather from a well stocked cellar. 

Rating: 8/10

Price: Medium to expensive

Would I go back here? Tasty food, fine wine, good service, nice setting. Yes I would :)

Address: Sten Sturegatan 19

Link

Date of visit: 

Number 5 : Vino Pasta Due

La cucina piccola fal la casa grande... Or roughly translated "A small kitchen makes a big house". Vino Pasta Due is discretely tucked away in the basement of a building on Södra Vägen. On the outside it looks inconspicuous and I almost wondered if I was going in the right entrance as I entered. On walking inside however the restaurant was very quaint and well decorated and made a cosy alternative from the winter weather outside.

I love fresh pasta... so much so that I bought a pasta maker in the summer and have been making my own ever since. The pasta at Vino Pasta Due was very fresh and succulent. On the downside thought I found the vegetarian option I chose a bit unimaginative. It wasn't "not nice" but was more the case that the taste was a bit bland for my liking. The tomato sauce was quite neutral and the chosen vegetables didn't really do much to give it a kick. The service was professional and efficient, no more, no less.

This was a nice environment to eat in though and I would be a pleasant place to go to for a quite evening. The restaurant was full, even on a Tuesday night so I'm sure that the food can't be all that bad, even if I wasn't overly impressed by what I had to eat. 

Rating: 5.5 / 10
Price: Medium
Would I go back here? For a nice place to eat, yes. I would not eat the same dish again though.

Address: Södra Vägen 26
Link

Date of visit: January 29th 2013