A little buffet of pepparkakor. At Sjöporten, a restaurant located right next to Erikbergshallen, in the same building as Hotel Villa, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Text & Photo © CM Cordeiro & JE Nilsson 2020
Sjöporten is a small, cozy restaurant located in the building adjacent to the events hall, Erikbergshallen. If you´re coming from Oscarsleden on the side of the city of Gothenburg, you can reach the restaurant by ferry from Klippan Färjeläge to Erikbergs Färjeläge. The ferry ride is about five minutes, and the ferry stop, Erikbergs Färjeläge, lands you at the doorstep of Sjöporten.
The atmosphere of Sjöporten is open and friendly. The interiors are a mix of a maritime theme with some pieces of Gustavian furniture. With the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg Ship docked in the adjacent pier, Sjöporten is a spot that you could envision tired sailors retiring for the evening to some hearty meals and mugs of ale.
On this visit however, we had a little more modern fare, pizza, some tea and gingerbread cookies. These were enjoyed pretty in a quiet environment, quite the opposite to the scene I had imagined in my mind with a 1700s sailor´s night out by a dockside tavern.
The cannoli, a classic Sicilian pastry, is apparently quite popular along the west coast of Sweden. Filled with sweetened ricotta cheese whipped with cream, these have found its way to the dessert counter at Sjöporten.
Quattro Stagioni at Sjöporten restaurant. The restaurant serves excellent pizzas. Alternatively, you could choose to have their daily set lunch menu. During jultide season, Sjöporten serves glögg and a jultallrik.