What is a halv special?

A halv special is a hot dog in a bun topped with mashed potato. A hel special is the same with two sausages. It is sold at hot dog stands and street kitchens all over Gothenburg.

What food is Gothenburg famous for?

Gothenburg is famous for the halv special, the shrimp sandwich and west coast seafood such as shrimp, lobster and oysters. For fika there is the Hagabullen from Café Husaren and hönökaka from the archipelago.

When did Feskekôrka open?

The Feskekôrka fish hall opened on 1 November 1874. It got its name because it looks like a church, and it reopened in 2024 after a renovation.

Where is Stora Saluhallen?

Stora Saluhallen is on Kungstorget in central Gothenburg, near the Kungsportsplatsen and Grönsakstorget tram stops. It was built in 1888–1889.

Where can I eat a Hagabullen?

The Hagabullen is baked at Café Husaren on Haga Nygata in the Haga district. The first one was baked there in 1985.

Halv special and other Gothenburg food

Short answer

The most Gothenburg dish of all is the halv special: a hot dog in a bun topped with mashed potato. A hel special has two sausages. Gothenburg is also known for west coast seafood such as shrimp, lobster and oysters, and for the shrimp sandwich (räkmacka). The fish hall Feskekôrka opened in 1874 and the Stora Saluhallen market hall on Kungstorget was built in 1888–1889. For fika there is the Hagabullen, a giant cinnamon bun baked at Café Husaren in Haga since 1985.

Halv special: Gothenburg's own hot dog

Don't just order a hot dog in Gothenburg. Here it is called a halv special: a hot dog in a bun with mashed potato on top. If you want two sausages, order a hel special (halv means half, hel means whole). The difference is the number of sausages, not the size of the bun.

According to a much-repeated story, the dish got its name in 1942 at a hot dog stand on Vågmästareplatsen on Hisingen. Two young footballers from BK Häcken asked for a sausage in bread "but with some mash on top". A week later they came back and ordered "one of those specials". In northern Sweden and other parts of the country the same dish is often called a specialare.

You can eat a halv special at hot dog stands and street kitchens all over the city. Göteborg & Co recommends Lasse på Heden, which has served street food since 1950.

Shrimp, lobster and oysters from the west coast

Gothenburg sits at the mouth of the Göta älv river, and fish and seafood have shaped the city since it was founded in 1621. According to Göteborg & Co, Gothenburg grew into Sweden's leading fishing city in the 18th century. In 2016 the food site Munchies named the west coast's "Big Five" of seafood: shrimp, oysters, crayfish, mussels and lobster.

Seafood	Good to know
Shrimp	Hand-peeled on a shrimp sandwich, a Gothenburg classic
Lobster	The lobster season opens every year on the first Monday after 20 September
Oysters, crayfish, mussels	Found at the fish counters and in the city's seafood restaurants

The shrimp sandwich (räkmacka) is seafood at its simplest: bread, lettuce, egg, mayonnaise and a generous pile of hand-peeled shrimp. You will find it in cafés and restaurants all over town. One of the best known is the King Size at Gothia Towers, first served in 1984. In November 2025 the three millionth was sold.

Feskekôrka and Stora Saluhallen

Feskekôrka, Gothenburg dialect for "fish church", is the city's fish hall by the Vallgraven canal. It opened on 1 November 1874 and was designed by the architect Victor von Gegerfelt, who drew inspiration from stave churches and Gothic Revival. After a renovation that began in 2021 it reopened in 2024, with fish counters and several restaurants. On signs and maps it is often spelled Feskekörka.

Stora Saluhallen, the big market hall, stands on Kungstorget and was built in 1888–1889 to designs by the architect Hans Hedlund, in stone, iron and glass. It houses around forty shops, bars and restaurants selling everything from cheese and meat to bread, coffee and chocolate. The building has been a listed historic building since 1985.

The Hagabullen and hönökaka

Fika is a big part of everyday life in Sweden, and Gothenburg has two bakes that stand out:

The Hagabullen is a giant cinnamon bun from Café Husaren on Haga Nygata. The first one was baked in 1985, and according to the café the bun has become synonymous with the Haga district.
Hönökaka is a soft, slightly sweet bread from the island of Hönö in the Gothenburg archipelago. Most grocery stores sell it, but try it from a market or a delicatessen.

For something sweet with your coffee, read our guide to Swedish chocolate.

Göteborgs Kex: biscuits with roots in Kungälv

Göteborgs Kex baked biscuits by the Nordre älv river in Kungälv, north of Gothenburg, from 1888. In 2022 the factory closed and production moved to Riga in Latvia. The brand lives on, and according to the company it makes biscuits such as Ballerina, Singoalla and Brago. It has been a Purveyor to the Royal Court since 1897.

Three tips for your food walk

Order like a local. Say "en halv special" at the hot dog stand. Hungry? "En hel special".
Drink the classic. The drink Pucko has traditionally been served with the special since the mid-1950s.
Plan around the halls. Start at Saluhallen or Feskekôrka and have a bun in Haga in the afternoon. It is all within walking distance in the city centre.

A candy stop on the way

From us at Kungs Gotter, Kungsgatan 26 on the pedestrian street, it is less than a ten-minute walk to both Saluhallen and Feskekôrka. Scoop a bag of pick-and-mix from the wall, grab a Marabou or a Daim for dessert, or a cold soda from the fridge. And tell us it was gôtt, which is how a real Gothenburger says tasty. More about that in our guide to the Gothenburg dialect.

Sources

Updated 5 November 2026 · Kungs Gotter, Kungsgatan 26, Gothenburg

More guides

Halv special and other food you only get in Gothenburg