Dorsia Hotel & Restaurant in Gothenburg: Oscietra caviar with rich crème fraîche, salt-baked celeriac in puff pastry and a dining room where you hardly know where to look first.

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The place and its story

Dorsia sits at Trädgårdsgatan 6 in central Gothenburg and is a family-run boutique hotel with 37 rooms, a restaurant, a bar and a cocktail bar. The hotel opened in 2012, and behind it is Thomas Petersen, who together with the architect Johan Hamarin has created this very particular universe.

By their own account, the interior is inspired by la belle époque and the years around 1900, with antiques, art, silk and velvet. Our first impression was more 17th or 18th century, but it is in fact Paris at the turn of the century that is the model. The kitchen is classically French in inspiration, with modern touches.

Atmosphere and the room

From the moment we walked in, we felt incredibly well looked after. The staff took our coats and showed us through to the restaurant, and there was a calm and professionalism about the whole thing that made us feel welcome straight away.

The restaurant is a remarkable room with deep, warm colours, heavy textiles, art, chandeliers and beautiful details everywhere. It is opulent, yet tasteful and carefully thought through, and we were very comfortable at our table.

One thing we particularly liked was the open kitchen, where we could watch the chefs at work. There is an elegance to the place, but also a lively atmosphere where you feel at ease. Naturally, we had the cameras out several times over the course of the evening.

The wine list, champagne and Meursault

Dorsia's wine list is no ordinary restaurant wine list. According to Star Wine List it holds more than 2,000 references, including Burgundy, Bordeaux, champagne and Italian wines, and the champagne selection in particular is worth noting, from the more familiar labels to prestige cuvées, rare vintages and magnums.

We started the evening with champagne. The receipt lists four glasses of André, which matches André Clouet Grande Réserve Brut at 170 SEK per glass, so 680 SEK in total. We also ordered a bottle of Meursault, white Burgundy, at 1,950 SEK.

That is, of course, a large part of the bill, but we are very fond of white Burgundy, and we had decided to make a little extra of our last evening in Gothenburg. At a place like Dorsia, the wine list is an experience in itself.

Bread, charcuterie and a single oyster

The first thing to arrive was bread, and as Danes we couldn't help noticing that it was served on Royal Copenhagen. Somehow it fitted the surroundings perfectly.

We had ordered Mangalica ham (50 g, 85 SEK) and salami with porcini mushrooms (50 g, 85 SEK). The ham was genuinely delicious, and the salami took on some deep, earthy notes from the mushrooms. Good ham, a little bread and a glass of champagne. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

We are not great oyster eaters, but we would like to learn, so we ordered a single Gillardeau oyster (65 SEK), served classically with lemon and shallot vinaigrette. We are still practising, but this was the obvious place to give it a go.

The caviar

One of the dishes we had been looking forward to was the Dorsia Oscietra caviar, 30 grams at 795 SEK. It came with butter-fried brioche, soured cream, chives and lemon, along with small onion elements.

What stood out for us was the very rich crème fraîche, which tasted like a version with around 48 per cent fat. Together with the toasted bread and the fresh onion elements it worked really well, and the caviar was one of the truly good dishes of the evening.

Ordering 30 grams of caviar is not cheap, but when you choose something like this, it is about enjoying the experience as a whole. And we certainly did.

The main courses

Jes had ordered quail with mousseline, truffle, Jerusalem artichoke and Madeira jus (425 SEK). It was a wonderfully delicious dish with a truly flavourful sauce, but what he remembers most are the Jerusalem artichokes. They had a creamy texture that almost brought dauphinoise potatoes to mind, and it leaves you wanting to know exactly how the kitchen made them.

I had chosen the vegetarian main course, salt-baked celeriac with puff pastry, truffle and toasted yeast (395 SEK). The celeriac was prepared in thin layers with truffle in between, wrapped in puff pastry and served on top of a creamy purée. It was one of the most beautiful vegetarian dishes we have seen in a long time, and the flavour was incredibly good.

In fact, I was so taken with it that I started thinking about how to recreate it at home before the dinner was even over. If we were to pick on anything, it would be the plating, and the celeriac in particular could perhaps have been a little more refined. That doesn't change the fact that it was superb.

We would describe the level as high-end bistro with fine-dining elements. Dorsia is not trying to reinvent French cooking; it builds on good produce, sauces and well-honed techniques. That is exactly the kind of food we love.

The desserts

One dessert was blackcurrant with panna cotta, sorbet, dulce de leche and madeleine (165 SEK). The fresh flavour of the blackcurrants gave a lovely balance to the creamy and sweet elements, and the frozen elements are what we remember best.

The other is listed as Inkokt äpple on the menu (145 SEK) and consists of poached apple, crème anglaise and walnut ice cream. The apple came with the creamy walnut ice cream and an airy element that struck us as a kind of foam. A more classic dessert, but with a beautiful, modern presentation. Both rounded off the dinner nicely.

Cocktails in the bar

Although dinner was over, we weren't finished with Dorsia. The place is also known for its cocktails, and the list, like everything else here, is very well executed, with both classics and its own signature cocktails. We went for some of the more unusual ones.

Osés-tu (179 SEK) is made with vodka, liquorice and lemon meringue. Liquorice is a bold flavour you don't normally associate with cocktails, but it was fun to try something different, and it had a character all of its own.

Élixir de Framboise (179 SEK) was the one we loved most. It is made with olive-oil-washed gin, which gives a softer mouthfeel, and it was fresh, fruity and very elegant. The bar and the beautiful surroundings are an experience in themselves, even if you are not eating in the restaurant.

Dorsia with children

We had Alberte and Olivia with us, and Dorsia is probably not the first place that springs to mind as a family restaurant. There is no children's menu, which is worth knowing if you are planning to visit with children.

We did, however, find a solution that worked well. The girls had bread and some of the charcuterie we had ordered for the table, along with a Sprite (45 SEK) and a Cola Zero (45 SEK). What matters most to us is that the children feel welcome, and here they did.

The service

We had a female waiter looking after our table, and she was simply fantastic. She was kind, welcoming and professional, yet personable and relaxed, and she knew the menu inside out.

Our glasses were kept topped up throughout, and at no point did we find ourselves waiting for attention. The hard part of really good service is that you should feel looked after without it becoming too much. Dorsia struck that balance perfectly.

Price and level

Dorsia is not a cheap restaurant. Our bill came to 4,845 SEK before tip for two adults and two children, and with a 355 SEK tip we paid 5,200 SEK. The cocktails afterwards came on a separate bill of 433 SEK.

The wine naturally made up a large share; the bottle of Meursault alone cost 1,950 SEK, and the champagne and caviar added to it too. You can also choose a three-course menu at 695 SEK or a five-course at 1,150 SEK, but we chose from the à la carte menu ourselves.

Was it worth the money? The short answer is yes. You are not just paying for a plate of food, but for a stunning interior, a truly special atmosphere and fantastic service. For us it was worth every single krona. (Not sponsored)