We decided to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a “goodbye dinner” for my mom, who was returning home after her Christmas visit. This time, V Italiano Moderno Göteborg was our choice. Did we enjoy our visit? Would we recommend the place? Stay with me as I briefly review the experience.
The Concept and Location
V Italiano Moderno Göteborg is located in the city center, near landmarks such as Stora Saluhallen and Göteborg’s Cathedral. It’s part of a chain restaurant group with venues in Malmö, Stockholm, and a few other countries.
The concept behind the restaurant is to showcase modern Italy while connecting it to its past. This idea is beautifully reflected in the murals, which combine ancient elements with street-style art. I have to admit, this creative design was a solid 10/10. Unfortunately, that’s where the “awe” ended.
V Italiano Moderno Göteborg – Menu
The menu is concise, offering starters, salads, pizzas, pastas, and two dessert options. For beverages, there’s a selection of beers, wines, and soft drinks (tap water is free, as is standard in many Swedish establishments). Prices are comparable to other restaurants and would be acceptable if the quality lived up to expectations.
Choosing was our first issue. I don’t drink alcohol, and for health reasons, I need to avoid sugary drinks. Sadly, Cola Zero was sold out during our visit (around 5 PM, in the middle of the restaurant’s working hours, which ended at 10 PM).
My second choice was orange juice. Thankfully, my husband asked if it contained pulp, which led us to discover that the “juice” was actually Festis – a popular Swedish soft drink targeted at kids. It’s loaded with sugar and additives, far from the 100% juice you might expect. This lack of clarity in the menu left my food safety degree cringing.
I eventually ordered a San Pellegrino Limonata (36 kr), which, while sweetened with sugar, seemed like the best option available.
My husband stuck to tap water, while my dad had a wheat beer, and my mom chose an Aperol Spritz (139 kr).
As for food, I’m not a pizza fan, so I usually go for pasta or salads at Italian restaurants – and my mom is the same. However, nothing caught my eye this time (the Caesar salad looked unappetizing in Google reviews). My husband, dad, and I opted to share two pizzas:
- Swedish Forest (189 kr) – tomato sauce, fior di latte, smoked wild meat, roasted portobello, root vegetable chips, Västerbotten cheese, and lingonberries.
- Beetroot & Chèvre (184 kr) – olive oil, roasted beets, chèvre, fresh basil, fior di latte mozzarella, root vegetable chips, sticky balsamic dressing, and Grana Padano.
Menu shortages didn’t stop at drinks. My mom wanted Carbonara, but it was sold out. She was instead recommended Pasta Entrecôte (224 kr) – finely sliced entrecôte, green beans, oven-baked portobello mushrooms, parsley, and garlic, served with Fussilione.
V Italiano Moderno Göteborg – Food Quality
Here comes, unfortunately, the biggest disappointment.
The Swedish Forest pizza was the most tolerable of the dishes, with interesting flavor combinations. I’d rate it 7/10, if not for the crust, which ruined the experience. While thin crusts are usually a positive, this one was so thin that the pizza felt dry. Salty toppings required lots of drinks to wash them down.
The Beetroot & Chèvre pizza, however, was a disaster. The crust, even thinner than the first, resembled a burnt tortilla more than pizza dough. It was crunchy, and the cheese was so dried out it fused with the crust. The beetroot was the only saving grace, preventing the dish from being completely tasteless.
The Pasta Entrecote didn’t fare much better. The menu’s promise of “finely sliced entrecôte” raised expectations for visible steak slices, but what arrived were tiny shavings of meat, barely filling a tablespoon. The green beans – exactly four pieces – were at least noticeable, unlike the portobello mushrooms, which were both sparse and flavorless. Black pepper completely dominated the dish. Considering it was the most expensive pasta on the menu, it was a letdown.
Quality of Service in V Italiano Moderno Göteborg
I have no complaints about the service. Our waitress was polite and genuinely concerned about menu shortages.
When I shared our food impressions, she bravely accepted the feedback and relayed it to the manager (?). We got offered a compensation: free desserts or a 30% discount. We didn’t have time for dessert, so we chose the discount, bringing our total bill to 769 kr for the evening.
V Italiano Moderno Göteborg – Overall Experience
Such disappointments are rare for us. We usually research restaurants beforehand, but this spontaneous visit – based on a 4.2 rating from over 260 reviews – misled us. On closer inspection, some reviews highlighted issues we also experienced, such as menu shortages.
Göteborg has plenty of better dining options, which we’ll continue to explore and share with you. For now, we don’t plan to return to V Italiano Moderno Göteborg – we’re wary of further unpleasant surprises.
Location: Västra Hamngatan 16, 411 17 Göteborg
Website: v.restaurant/goteborg
