TravelNoise: Magnus and Magnus, Gothenburg, Sweden

From the website, to the menu, to the restaurant itself, this theme of otherworldliness reveals itself. Large motifs in the restaurant capture your imagination, creativity and, most importantly, your curiosity, heightening your senses. And really, shouldn’t the act of enjoying a good meal help you to distance yourself from the real world? Sitting in the window, high above the pedestrians walking the street below – watching them almost, ‘through the looking glass’, as it were – it really does feel easy to detach from the happenings outside and immerse yourself in the experience of dining.

Found in the Michelin Guide and listed as one of the top 250 Nordic Restaurants, Magnus and Magnus is a culinary delight of epic proportions. Located in the cobbled streets of the Kungshöjd neighbourhood, here you will find street upon street lined with a mix of eclectic stores, bars, and restaurants. It is a small, intimate setting, with a bar (and an extensive cocktail menu) located in the centre of the room. Even if you had dinner plans elsewhere, a pre- or post-dinner drink here would never be regretful.

Immediately we were met with a glass of bubbles – in our mind, a necessity when perusing any menu (although the staff at McDonalds seem to take issue with it). This was soon accompanied by a selection of home baked breads: a Swedish rye bread with fennel, a sourdough, with a butter made from local ingredients. The level of expectation immediately shot up higher than Jack’s beanstalk.

The star of the show at Magnus and Magnus is the set menu – it is what they are famed for. This menu differs depending on the season, using seasonal produce to deliver exceptional and sometimes unexpected results. While the set menu currently being offered is different from the one we were lucky enough to enjoy, perusing the new menu seems like a reason in itself to set a Skyscanner alert for Gothenburg.

Whereas we started with Beef Tartare in Brown Butter, with a pickled cucumber and tapioca, currently on offer is Chanterelle, Brussels Sprouts & Swedish cheese. Our main was a juicy cut of Sirloin, with Kale and Onion Puree, however now in the winter months they have a Fillet of Reindeer with Root Vegetables, Jerusalem Artichoke, Blueberry and Jus.

When we had finished our meal, the waitress suggestively left us a cocktail menu to sneak a peak at. Blending a mix of classic flavours with fresh twists, Magnus and Magnus has successfully created a menu of cocktails that would be equally at home in a Gentleman’s Saloon or a beach-front bar – the only differentiating factor may be the type of glassware and perhaps the addition of a tiny umbrella. The Gin, Hibiscus, Honey & Chartreuse cocktail was right on the money for us.

Too often, eating is seen as a necessity, a means to an end. Magnus and Magnus slow you down, stop you in your tracks. This experience is one to be savoured, bite by bite and sip by sip – removing the practicality and leaving only pure, unadulterated enjoyment. As though it were Gothenburg’s Goldilocks – this restaurant is juuuuuust right.

Address: Magasinsgatan 8, 411 18 Göteborg, Sweden
Telephone Number: +46 31 13 30 00
Website: magnusmagnus.se