Da Matteo, Magasinsgatan, in Gothenburg has been crowned best café in Sweden 2015 at the White Guide Café Launch Gala in Stockholm.
To many people in Gothenburg, Da Matteo is synonymous with superb coffee and a great sunny location. The local coffee shop chain has several branches in town and two of them are found at the popular square on Magasinsgatan.
Although fika is synonymous for Swedes with taking time out for a coffee, it is also more than that. If you’re with an old friend, it’s a chance to catch up. If you’re with someone new, it’s a chance to get to know each other.
Coffee bans
Coffee is traditionally at the heart of the fika. When coffee arrived in Sweden in 1685, it quickly became so popular that it upset the rest of the import business. So much so that it was banned five times in Swedish history!
Who knows, perhaps the term fika, which is a play on the Swedish word for coffee, served as a kind of code for those who took part in this once illegal activity. It is said that during the bans, Swedes were forced to drink their coffee secretly, out into the woods.
For more information about the tradition of fika read our article about Cafés in Stockholm – Fika like a Stockholmer.
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Source: VisitSweden UK; featured image: coffee roasting at Da Matteo
