Gotland has, thanks to its location in the middle of the Baltic Sea, been a natural meeting place for over a thousand years – and today is one of Sweden’s most popular tourist destinations. 800,000 tourists visit the island annually, many of which go to see the World Heritage listed Visby with its long ringwall, or to visit the bar and “Bergmanesque” Fårö with its wonderful beaches and distinctive nature. But Gotland is also a gastronomic cascade of raw materials and local products – which is a grand experience in itself.
There are organically vegetables such as kajp – a kind of local wild leek, wild garlic and asparagus grown around the island, the meat is mainly from lamb and beef kettle and there is fish such as sea trout, pike and carp in the water. Gotland is also widely known for its stonebaked sourdough bread, and the bakeries can be found almost all arond the island. Last but not least, there is of course the Gotland truffle with its characteristic smell and taste.
Around Gotland
Every third carrot eaten in Sweden is from Gotland. Widegren’s Farm southeast of Visby has refined this vegetable in various delicious preserves. At Stafva Farm, the Wikströms Brothers sell smoked leg of mutton and their famous “Sambal Badjak,” a lovely condiment with a hot and sweet flavor. The Dairy at the farm has cheese and saffron, and Ejmunds Meat Shop sells lamb, which they also deliver to famous restaurants across the country.
Maria Wande has turned the old School in Fardhem, a couple of kilometers from Hemse, into Fardhem Chocolate Factory. This is the place where the famous Gotlad Heart is done – a dark chocolate filled with saffron marzipane which is as delicious as it sounds.
50 Kvadrat has for seven years been Gotland’s best restaurant and we have had the pleasure of eating their menu, based on Gotland raw material, on a few occasions. The restaurateurs Fredrik Malmstedt and Laila Löfkvist have now decided to sell the restaurant but they are, if necessary, ready to take on another season. Fredrik is also a partner in the Nobis Group’s Fabriken at Furillen, and will now be even more involved in that fine restaurant.
In the bottom corner of Visby’s main square is the fish restaurant Bakfickan. Year-round, guests come to the restaurant to eat a classic lunch like fried herring, mashed potatoes and kajp-butter (kajp is a kind of Gotlandic wild leek) or other fresh fish dishes.
A dinner at Bakfickan is a regular feature at our visits to Visby, always with the same dishes and drinks. We begin with a steamy tankard of Wisbykloster accompanied by the most delicious smoked shrimp from Katthammarsvik with aioli and toast. Thereafter, the restaurant’s speciality; a creamy fish soup with at least three kinds of fish. A bag of homemade bread is served along with the soup, and aioli again – with a fresh smell and taste and with a fine sting of garlic. It is not an easy task to find a white wine matching this dish, but we manage. So delicious!
The inn Lindgården at Strandgatan, led by restaurant keeper Lars-Gunnar Lindqvist is known for its fine local raw materials, which are handled in the best way.
Lindgården’s toast with chanterelles and herring is an appreciated starter, as well as their Baltic herring dish. The restaurant also serves the best lamb fillet on the island; perfectly fried pink middle, stuffed with herbs on a bed of roasted vegetables, wild garlic and lamb sausage with an exemplary pleasant potato gratain to it. This place has converted many lamb doubters – lamb can really taste that good.
A nostalgic element of the menu is the genuine planked steak. This has been served at the restaurant for 30 years and is in itself worth a trip to Gotland. Forget about worn planks, instant mashed potatoes and cold, bought béarnaise – here you are served a plate fillet of beef on an oak plank with duchess piped potatoes, roasted root vegetables, grilled tomato and a genuine béarnaise.
Kutens Gasoline on Fårö is runned by Jämtlander Thomas Lindholm, who bought Broskogs Farm on the island 20 years ago. Kutens was first started as a place for music gigs – Bill Harley’s Comets, Carola and Pugh Rogefeldt are just some of the artists who have performed on the stage. Since the place is where old American gadgets and cars have been collected, Kutens is a given destination for anyone who likes music and the 50’s.
Kuten has got a restaurant, Creperie Tati, where you can enjoy French galettes made from buckwheat, topped with lovely Gotland cheese, meat and vegetables with a bottle of fresh cider to drink. For dessert, crispy crepes with summer berries and cream. What a summer lunch!
