Swedish Night Life

The main boulevard Avenyn is lined with restaurants and clubs with dance floors and bars over several floors. The nightlife here attracts a mixed crowd of club kids to office workers. Around the square Järntorget, the streets Långgatorna and in Linné you will find the more alternative side of the nightlife, focused around music and culture.

The nightlife in Gotenburg is equivalent to the experience you make it. There are always people at the bars on Friday's and Saturdays, it is just a question of when the pregames will end and the bar crawls will begin. It is apparent that the Burger King in the Central Plaza is the more popular scene though. The general bar scene consists of large groups of people sitting at tables in deep conversation. I must add that I was informed that Swedish people like it when we went up to them and started conversations with them, so do not be afraid.

A few things to be warned about, the alcohol is ridiculously expensive compared to the United States and most dance clubs have an entrance fees. The places with the more attractive woman can have a cover charge of up to a whopping $20!

Sticky Fingers: Sticky Fingers is Gotenburgs largest rock club with a focus on live performances. Four floors of hard rock, pop, indie, funk and soul. An obvious choice if you want to see established or less established bands on the stage or let loose on one of their two dance floors.

This club you only had to be 18 years old to get in and they had a small cover charge and charged to hang your coat. It was a mix of a younger crowd and an older crowd; however, there was a plethora of attractive woman. I would say this is a fun location to start a nightlife adventure at because everybody was friendly and it is a great place to get a contact for another night out at a different bar location.

Pustervik: This is right by the Järntorget Square and offers live music almost every night. The club has been around since the 1920's and often houses big name artists and bands. On Monday nights, they host Pingisklubben (Ping-Pong Club), which is a group ping-pong game with beer and dancing in the background.

This was a fun location, but it had a cover charge; however, the coat check was free. I enjoyed the ping-pong tournament and the dancing was fun. I would say this is a better location than Stick Fingers, but there are better dance clubs in Gotenburg.

The Temple Pub: At The Temple Pub you can enjoy a wide selection of beer, wine, whisky, cocktails and home cooked food. This was the first place I had a Guinness and it was poured properly and tasted amazing! However, this is a location for an older crowd and it seemed to have more regulars than spontaneous visitors. All the seats at the bar were full though and they had a wide array of cocktail choices with delicious menu options.

Queens Head: This is your normal pub with good draft beer and it is a little smaller and cozier than it's brother pub Kings Head. It is a great place to start a night on, especially if you like Guinness because it inexpensive compared to all other places. This place had about 20 to 25 guests and we were able to talk to locals both times we went there. I would say it is a good place if you are looking for cheap beer and food, but it is not the most exciting location. Lastly, they do not accept AMEX.

The Dubliner: An Irish pub situation on two floors offering an excellent selection of international dishes, live folk, rock and traditional music every night, pub quiz on Wednesdays, and nightclub on Fridays and Saturdays. This is a great location to grab a Guinness and enjoy a good conversation with your travel companions. In addition, it is a great place if you enjoy karaoke. On Monday nights, they have karaoke night where you can play an assortment of instruments and sing with either your friends or locals.


Heaven 23: A fantastic view that stretches for miles, whatever the weather. That's the first thing that springs to mind when you step into their restaurant. They have a delicious menu consisting of the famous King Shrimp Sandwich and expert sommeliers will help you choose the perfect wine to accompany your meal, from their unique and well-stocked wine cellar.

This is an expensive restaurant on the twenty-third floor of the Gotenburg Tower. The food was amazing and the beer was great; however, the service was below average. When we arrived, the hostess was snobby and said we didn't reserve a table, when we had called previously. Luckily the King Shrimp Sandwich was delicious.

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