I Had the Best Meal of My Life at Skeppsgossen

Had you told me that I would find the best meal ever in Sweden, I’d never have believed you. Skeppsgossen Restaurant in Karlskrona has claimed that title.

I had already taken the Guided Food Tour of Stockholm and learned that the culinary creations of Sweden include much more than meatballs. But I was not expecting to find Italian food as good as Karlskrona had to offer.

If you visit Karlskrona in the summer of 2016, you’ll be able to visit the Skeppsgossen Pop-Up at the old Karlskrona water tower. Joakim Bengtsson’s main restaurant Skeppsgossen is next to the Marina Museum, and he also owns the ice cream truck down at the harbor. I went with a team of travel bloggers at the invitation of Visit Karlskrona. While two full two days were simply epic, this is just a small segment of what it was like.

Skeppsgossen is built in front of the museum of the Water Tower. Unfortunately it’s not on Google Maps (neither is the water tower), but if you go to the central square of Karlskrona, you won’t be able to miss the small stone tower or the restaurant beneath.

Joakim is a bit of a renegade when it comes to food. He didn’t like the lemon sorbet he was being provided, so he went down to Italy to create his own. It turns out his new formula was so good, it was awarded as best in Sweden! He then did the same with his coffee, beer and other products.

The result is a true masterpiece. After traveling through 37 countries, this could very well be the best meal I’ve ever had in my life. It started off with homemade beer samples, one of which was a truffle beer! Honestly, I don’t believe there’s any way to describe that. You’ll just have to try it yourself.

When I went, Joakim treated us to quite a special fare. The first course was a sample platter of meats, cheeses, fruits and olives. The meats and cheeses were similar to those I had tried on my culinary tour in Stockholm, but of even better quality.

The next course was a salad.

Then came the pizzas. It’s been over a year since I was in Italy, but I haven’t forgotten how good true Italian pizza is. And just to prove it was authentic, the Italian in my group was highly impressed at the quality. Just as impressed as she had been with the cheeses earlier.

The main course was next. Homemade pasta topped with langoustines and mussels. If everything up to this has been scrumptious, the pasta was simply divine.

No one really had room for dessert, but it came anyway. Homemade tiramisu with a cherry on top.

At last we all received an Italian cup of coffee and made our gluttonous way to bed, 5 kg heavier. But oh so worth it. Not exactly sure what’s going to top this one, but I’m in no hurry.

Resources

• Further Reading

Find my top tips for visiting Karlskrona here.

Read more about Karlskrona on the Visit Karlskrona website.

• Transportation

Find the best flights to Sweden on Skyscanner. Read my tips on how to find the cheapest flights.

Cheapest transportation to Karlskrona from Malmo or Stockholm is by train.

• Lodging

Find great deals on hotels and hostels with Agoda. Read my guide on whether you should book ahead at a hostel.

If you’re traveling with more than one person, I’d recommend using Airbnb. Some locations can be fantastic, especially in Sweden. My Airbnb host in Stockholm was truly memorable.

Couchsurfing is my favorite way to stay in a city. Stockholm can be very difficult to find hosts, depending on the season, but not impossible. I had two amazing hosts there. I’m sure Karlskrona would be far easier.

Disclaimer: This was a complementary meal organized in coordination with Visit Sweden, Visit Karlskrona and the Skeppsgossen Restaurant, all of which have my utmost gratitude! However, my views and opinions are completely my own.