Epoque in Gothenburg, the best scallops we have ever had, butter-soft beef cheeks and a waitress with complete control of everything

+21 +19

Atmosphere and setting

Epoque is at Södra Vägen 8 in Gothenburg, a little outside the city centre where we were staying, so we took a taxi there. The restaurant opened in 2017 and, in its own words, describes itself as a relaxed neighbourhood bistro, a kind of living room where you can drop by for a glass of wine, have a smaller dish or stay the whole evening.

That description rang very true for us. The moment we stepped inside there was warmth in the room, plenty of atmosphere and an interior that worked far better than we had imagined. We actually think the photos on the restaurant's own website do it a disservice, because the place is far cosier in real life.

It is not a big, grand restaurant trying to impress with lavish décor. It is more a thoroughly well-executed, atmospheric bistro where everything feels relaxed, warm and personal, and you immediately want to settle in and stay for a few hours. And that suits the food they serve perfectly.

Champagne and bread on a skewer

We began the evening with a glass of champagne, which is always a lovely way to start a good dinner. Shortly afterwards came bread with butter, and even that had been given a little extra attention by the kitchen.

The bread was sliced and threaded onto a skewer, so the slices stood stacked on top of one another. It was a fun and different way to serve bread. A small detail, but we think it is nice when a restaurant also puts thought into the presentation of the simplest things.

The starters

I started with a crisp tartlet with sweetcorn, chanterelles, potato foam and grated truffle on top. And my goodness, it was delicious. The crisp tartlet shell held the different ingredients together, and the whole thing was plated with a finesse that made the dish something quite special. That is exactly how we think good food should be: plenty of flavour, ingredients allowed to shine, and beautiful to look at too.

Jes had chosen the restaurant's scallops, which Epoque is known for, among other things. They were fairly small scallops, served in their shells with plenty of flavour from garlic butter, lemon and parmesan, among other things. It was one of those dishes where you almost go quiet at the first bite, because it quite simply tasted insanely good.

I am not normally especially keen on scallops and would rarely choose them from a menu. But of course I tasted Jes' plate, and they were the best scallops I have ever had. Jes felt exactly the same and couldn't remember when he had last had scallops that good. That dish alone makes us want to come back - and I wouldn't hesitate for a second, I would order the scallops.

A bottle of Chablis

With the food we ordered a bottle of Chablis. We are very fond of white Burgundy, and Chablis is always an obvious choice when we want an elegant, fresh white wine, especially with scallops and other lighter dishes. It was a lovely bottle, which we enjoyed throughout the dinner.

Epoque has a strong focus on wine in general, which suits the concept well. For us, a good wine list is an important part of a restaurant experience, and here it was firmly in place.

The main courses

For my main I had chosen beef cheeks with pepper sauce and potato purée. The meat was so tender it practically melted in the mouth, the kind of slow-braised meat where you can taste that time has gone into the cooking. We have had beef cheeks many times before, but pepper sauce is not what we would normally associate with the dish. It worked incredibly well, and we were already talking at the table about how I need to try making that combination at home for Gourministeriet.

The potato purée deserves a mention of its own. It was soft, creamy and incredibly rich, and you could taste straight away that generous amounts of butter had gone into it. The kind of purée you could almost eat a whole bowl of on its own. Together with the butter-soft beef cheeks and the sauce, it was classic, honest cooking at its very best.

Jes had fillet of beef with purée, a flavourful sauce and potato gratin on the side. The meat was lovely, the sauce good, and the gratin was fantastic. We are very fond of this type of classic meat dish, where things are not made more complicated than necessary. A good piece of meat, a good sauce and some delicious potatoes may sound simple, but it requires a kitchen that has the cooking under control. And they most certainly did here.

The desserts

By now we were pretty full, but there is almost always room for a little dessert after such a good dinner. I chose a dessert with sea buckthorn sorbet and dark chocolate cream, with crisp elements reminiscent of chocolate crunch. It was an incredibly beautiful plate, and the combination is exciting because the sharpness of the sea buckthorn is a good counterpoint to the dark chocolate.

Jes had vanilla ice cream with raspberries and a little cake. A more classic dessert, but also a lovely way to end the evening. As with the rest of the meal, care had been taken over the presentation.

The children

We had Alberte and Olivia with us, and although Epoque doesn't have an actual children's menu, that was no problem at all. The staff were flexible and helpful, so Alberte had roast potatoes and Olivia had potato purée. It worked really well.

The girls are not always the most adventurous when it comes to food, so it is lovely when a restaurant with an ambitious kitchen still finds a solution that suits them. We think you can easily take children to good restaurants without a special children's concept. The most important thing is that the staff are accommodating, and they certainly were here.

Top-class service

One of the first things we noticed was the service. We were welcomed by a waitress who was quite simply wonderful. She was competent, sweet, friendly and attentive to us all evening, and at the same time quick and efficient without it ever feeling rushed.

It was clear that she had complete control of the restaurant, the guests and the dishes alike. We love that type of service, where the staff are both professional and present, and where you feel looked after from the moment you walk in. That kind of thing means a great deal to the overall experience, and here it was quite simply top class.

Price and level

We were two adults and two children, and the bill came to 3.445 SEK before tip. In total we paid 3.789,50 SEK including tip. That covered starters, mains and desserts for us adults, champagne, a bottle of Chablis, the girls' potatoes and the other orders, so for the two of us who had the full dinner it works out at around 1.700 SEK per person.

It is not a cheap dinner. But with the high quality of the food, the good produce, the wonderful service and the cosy atmosphere, we really feel the money was well spent. Epoque delivered on every count, and it is the kind of evening where you leave without giving the bill a second thought. (Not sponsored)