8 reasons to visit this underrated Scandinavian city

Sweden’s second-largest city is often overshadowed by the capital of Stockholm, but Gothenburg, on the country’s scenic west coast, has a character all its own.

With a youthful energy — many universities are here — a vibrant food scene, plus sleek hotels and wine bars, this dynamic town is worth a look.

From historic to contemporary cutting-edge, here are eight places to check out now.

Feskekörka Fish Market

A shrine to all things seafood, this

“fish church” — the building’s design mimics a Gothic cathedral — is where fishmongers have hawked langoustines, lobster, monkfish, mackerel and other edible ocean creatures since 1847. Get a view of the hustle and bustle from the second-level Restaurant Gabriel, lunch only), where the seafood doesn’t get much fresher unless you pulled it from the water yourself. Try the famous fish soup a la Gabriel.

Norda Bar & Grill

Star chef Marcus Samuelsson (above) grew up in Gothenburg, but it wasn’t until 2012 that he opened a restaurant here, introducing a casual menu that reflects his Swedish heritage as filtered through a New York lens. Dishes range from cheeseburgers to Little Italy-style pastas to the “Swedish Jerk,” jerk-flavored beef with seasonal veggies, plus there’s always a selection of local seafood like shrimp and herring.

Donsö Island

Choosing which island to ferry to among Gothenburg’s vast southern archipelago isn’t easy, but Donsö, with its bright-red cottages and colorful harbor, is particularly winning. On the pier, fuel up alongside local fishermen with a hearty Swedish lunch at Isbolaget, then ask a local where to find the main hiking trail, which leads you through the woods and along the stunning, windswept coast of this tiny car-free isle. Visit gothenburg.com for ferry information.

Bar Centro

By day, it’s a coffee shop, where hip locals stop in for a jolt of espresso and a quick bite. But at night it’s transformed into an even hipper wine bar, with an ever-changing, all-natural wine list that will challenge your palate — in a good way. The set dinner menu features rustic, Italian-inspired, mostly vegetarian dishes prepared simply yet faultlessly.

Olssons Vin

One of the trendiest spots of the city is Tredje Långgatan, a street where many a groovy Gothenburger hang inside the restaurant complex started by the Avenyfamiljen group. The brick walls and open-air courtyards create a lovely maze of eateries and drinking spots, including the industrial-chic, dual-level wine bar Olssons Vin. You’ll find pours from around the world along with cheese and charcuterie in the tall, narrow, white-tiled space — plus plenty of impossibly good-looking young Swedes.

Hoze

Prepare to wait months to secure a reservation at this six-seat omakase eatery, which offers only one dinner seating on the four nights a week it’s open. Your patience will be rewarded with an intricate, boundary-busting dining experience that may ruin you for all other gourmet Japanese restaurants. Think aged Swedish beef smoked before your eyes with a stick of Japanese oak, then layered with smoked eel cream and crowned with freshly foraged reindeer moss. Then there’s a scallop that’s been dressed in a browned butter and yuzu sauce and served atop a tiny potato. The 19-course dinner will run you $112.

Upper House

As the name suggests, this hotel and spa occupies the topmost floors of Gothia Tower, which overlooks the city’s famous Liseberg amusement park. Even if you can’t swing a swanky room here (from $210), consider splurging on a visit to the spa (from $80). And while the saunas, multiple indoor pools, steam baths and hammam are top-notch, it’s the outdoor pool that makes for a truly one-of-a-kind dip. Entirely glass-sided — even the bottom — it’s suspended 19 stories above the street below. And you thought swimming with sharks was scary.

Dorsia Hotel & Restaurant

No two rooms are alike at this 37-key boutique hotel, which has been painstakingly designed in a decadent Belle Epoque-meets-modern style. Original paintings and statues of nudes, antique furnishings and rich brocades and silks surround you — from the lobby to the multiple dining areas to the rooms themselves. Bathrooms are enormous, with mosaic-tiled walls and huge tubs. In warm weather, the roof terrace opens to offer views of the historic city center (from $270).