Where to find the best "semlor" Lenten buns in Gothenburg

Despite the name - which means “the bread factory” - it's not just bread that's baked here, but also, to the joy of many, fabulous semlor. The secret is a bun full of local ingredients, with a filling of toasted almonds mixed with almond paste, sprinkled with toasted, chopped almonds and topped with freshly whipped fluffy cream. All this inside a bun baked with ingredients from local farms and producers. If you want to be sure of bagging a bun, you can pre-book your semla by email. This year they're going all-in with an ice- cream semla with a cardamon bun, semla filling, almonds and vanilla soft ice cream. 

At this small bakery in Majorna, ingredients take centre stage and everything is carefully handpicked. Traditional craftsmanship is at the heart of everything they bake, including the semla, which is generously filled with both cream and light almond paste. As well as their classic semla, they serve a Wiener semla. 

Gothenburgers have been enjoying sweet treats at Ahlströms Konditori since 1901. You'd be forgiven for thinking this might make them strict semla traditionalists, but don't be deceived - Ahlströms are among the city's most progressive semla bakers. In recent years they've made saffron semlor, vanilla semlor and Wiener semlor and they also make gluten-free semlor.

In the sweetly pink café section of Heurlins, you'll find a semla that's highly ranked by many of Gothenburg's semla enthusiasts. How delightful does a large, fluffy bun filled with cream and almond paste with small pieces of almond and a hint of salt sound? Larger orders can be pre-booked, while drop-in is the name of the game for fewer than eight semlor.

This organic bakery is considered by many to create one of Gothenburg's finest semlor, made with KRAV-certified ingredients and locally produced flour. The format is classic with a round top, lightly whipped cream, homemade almond paste, and generously dusted with icing sugar. 

This little hole-in-the-wall bakery begins baking semlor in the beginning of January and many semla fans make the pilgrimage up the hill in Masthugget to begin their semla season. Bullen & Brödet sticks to traditional semlor and the cardamom-scented buns are baked using sourdough, like everything else in the bakery.

Nordgårdens Bakery in Billdal bake their cakes and pastries using organic rye and wheat flour. Master baker Susanne Winroth runs this popular café where the semlor are always a big draw. Their almond paste is pimped with toasted almonds, for extra flavour.

At Skorpan & Surdegen, everything is baked with loving craftsmanship, including the semlor. Locally milled flour from Limabacka mill forms the base for the cardamom-scented bun, while the almond paste is made from roasted almonds that give a slightly caramelised taste. The whole thing is topped with coarsely chopped almonds and lightly whipped cream. Sometimes they also offer a luxurious croissant semla that's well worth trying.

Cederleüfs & Svenheimers are famous for their ambitious cakes and pastries and their semlor are no exception. According to the local newspaper Göteborgsposten's jury, Cederleüfs & Svenheimers's semlor are the best in town, several years in a row. Try one and decide for yourself; you won't have to wait long as the konditori starts selling semlor earlier than most bakeries. As well as the classic Lenten bun, they offer a vanilla semla and vegan and gluten-free varieties. 

Alvar and Ivar are famous for their sourdough - and naturally their popular semlor are also baked using sourdough. All the ingredients they use are organic and their eagerly awaited semla premiere usually falls close to Shrove Tuesday.

Villa Belparc doesn't only serve hearty dishes next to Stora Dammen pond in Slottsskogen, it also houses a café with treats from its own bakery. During semla season, semlor are served daily, and not just any semlor, but truly magnificent pastries with a soft bun, cream, and marzipan on roasted almonds.

Portens specialises in rustic sourdough breads, combining classic and modern styles. Their selection varies according to the season - so around February you'll find plenty of semlor on the shelves, always freshly baked and filled with a serious dose of cream and almond paste with small bits of almond. You can also pre-order gluten-free semlor. 

Sustainability and quality are highly valued at Wærnet, which is both a café and a showroom for Kulladals Kitchens. Their semla is a rustic variant with a dark golden brown bun, fluffy cream, and marzipan with coarsely ground almonds.

This artisanal bakery opened its doors in autumn 2024 and quickly became a favourite with Gothenburgers. In light, airy premises with a Scandinavian touch, you can enjoy a semla with marzipan made from roasted almonds, a fluffy cardamom bun, and properly whipped cream. Why not pick up a freshly baked loaf to take home with you as well?

Koopmangatans Bröd och Bakverk, or Boulangerie Ducoin, is a favourite with many Gothenburgers. Their Majorna buns are really moist and packed with generous amounts of almond paste and whipped cream, which often results in queues down the street. 

Mr Cake, owned by Roy Fares, is perhaps best known for its indulgent cakes in the American-Swedish fika and café tradition, but their semlor are made according to a Swedish recipe. If you're looking for something a bit different, there's also a flaky Weiner semla and a fried 'cronut' at the weekend.

Steinbrenner bakes popular semlor which are also easily accessible, as there are several outlets around town. Choose from ordinary semlor and vanilla semlor, and there are also gluten-free alternatives. 

There are long queues for the artisan bakery Lilla Sur in Kålltorp. The reason? Their “kremlor” draw in the crowds from near and far. A kremla is a hybrid of cinnamon bun and semla - two Swedish favourites in one. Get here in good time!

Semla season is short but sweet at da Matteo, an artisanal bakery that only uses flour from Limabacka. Occasionally they get a bit wild and crazy here and make coffee semlor alongside their classic ones. They also sell a vegan semla. 

Many regard Brogyllen as making Gothenburg's best pastries and they do their very best to live up to their reputation during semla season. The bakery has created trendy variations on semlor over the years, such as vanilla semla and princess- semla - a hybrid between a semla and prinsesstårta cream cake. Traditionalists can of course go for one of their classic semlor with light almond paste and fluffy whipped cream.

French patisserie Sylvain Marron bakes a classic semla, with homemade, crunchy almond paste and a mound of whipped cream. They also sometimes offer a crisp croissant semla that has become well-known among semla enthusiasts in town. The filling varies: sometimes it's classic almond, while other days it might be hazelnuts or pistachio. They are open Thursday to Sunday, perfect when you want to buy a semla to celebrate the weekend.

A slightly unexpected semla top spot in Gothenburg is Arket - yes, the clothes shop - which also sells semlor. But don't expect classic semlor; they make them here with inspiration from Danish Tebirkes pastries. Soft on the inside, crisp on the outside and with a poppyseed topping. 

These days you'll find vegan and unusual semlor all over the place, but unique semlor that also happen to be vegan are much rarer. At fully vegan Nova Bakery, they serve a plant-based princess semla with marzipan and lightly-whipped oat cream. Naturally, they also offer more traditional variant with almond paste lightly toasted for an extra almondy flavour.

This almost one hundred year-old bakery has had plenty of time to master the art of making semlor. Enjoy their artisanal baking skills in the form of classic semlor, vanilla semlor and crisp Kouign-amann semlor with caramelised croissant dough, almond paste and cream. A seriously maxed-out semla, in other words.

When you buy bread and pastries from Löfgrens in Mölndal you can count on them always being organic and always made from scratch. Naturally, this also applies to their semlor, which are made with almond paste made from toasted almonds and smooth cream. From time to time they experiment with the beloved pastry and have offered both pina colada semlor and saffron semlor.