Lemon Garden — Restaurant in Göteborgs Stad

If you’re in Gothenburg and have 400 SEK burning a hole in your pocket, might I recommend setting it on fire instead—it’s faster, warmer, and more satisfying than a visit to Lemon Garden.

After reading glowing reviews, we summoned a 210 SEK Uber for what we thought would be a delightful dessert experience. We arrived at 21:05, just in time to be told, “Sorry, we’re closing early today because of Eid, and we’re too busy.” A touching display of hospitality, really. When I mentioned the cost of our trip, we were met with a shrug and a heartfelt, “We can’t help you.”

But wait—mentioning a review suddenly sparked a change of heart. We were told they’d take our order—but only if it came in a takeaway container. Classy. I asked why. “Because that’s how you’re getting it.” Meanwhile, ten other orders went out on proper plates. Swedish efficiency, right? Or just the passive-aggressive version of “you’re not welcome, but we’ll pretend we tried.”

Our “crepe” arrived, and I use that term generously. It was more of a thick, uninspired pancake, unfilled and drizzled with a hint of Nutella—as if someone whispered the word chocolate over it during plating. Add in a depressing paper tray and four spoons tossed in like cutlery confetti, and you’ve got yourself a real premium experience.

Then came the 200 SEK Uber back to the hotel. Total cost: 400 SEK to feel like an inconvenience. If the goal was to make us feel unwelcome, unheard, and underserved, Lemon Garden truly excels. Michelin star for pettiness.

Save your money, your appetite, and your dignity. There are better desserts, better service, and better uses...

Our visit was two adults and two children (10 and 8). We ordered a large "Lemon Garden Special". Food wise (or rather sweet-wise) it was really an experience. Presentation is great, everything tastes good and is well prepared. The pictures you see are exactly what you get; and it tastes just as good. Regarding the service it was just ok. Nothing to complain about at all. You pay at the register when placing your order and you pick it up when you get buzzed. At some point and I asked for two extra plates and one of them was dirty, i had to send it back. Make of that what you will but the response was quick and understanding. The atmosphere however was not good. The problem is that the place is fairly small and they have decided that all the smoothies and preparation be made just behind the till and honestly it is loud. It feels like they haven't really spent much thought on the decorations or furnishings so it is all kind of mixed and feels "thrown-in"; my point is that the excellent and amazing taste and presentation of the sweets isn't reflected in the feeling of the venue. Hopefully that will become better the more they grow. Definitely worth a...

With it’s funky colours and wide range of fruits and vegetables you might think Lemon Garden is a bit more welcoming to vegans, but disappointment sets in rather fast. Menu items can be adjusted by taking away non-vegan ingredients such as eggs or yoghurt, but are not substituted. Pancakes are never vegan, and hence the menu is much smaller from the get go and there are no plant-based alternatives. But the biggest issue is the quality of the ingredients. Dried out, old vegetables on top of questionable avocado. Also, the smoothies have clearly added fruit juices to make them “pop”, and while that’s alright, it doesn’t fit my taste for a smoothie.

It might be just an off day in terms of ingredient quality, but considering it was a Sunday and expected to be crowded, that’s not a good look. As a vegan, I think there are better options for brunch that are more welcoming and possibly have better quality...