Grythyttans Gästgivaregård

Grythyttans gästgivaregård under the emblematic Carl Jan Granqvist changed forever the Swedish culinary map. A center for food and culture during decades. When Carl Jan left this nearly institutional hotel/restaurant the elegance and finesse left with him. Sure, Grythyttan's new owners are doing great in many ways, but the refinement, the "total cultural experience" and Michelin-level has not been reached. It's very cute... the little village street completely dominated by the buildings owned by "Grythyttans gästgivaregård". Charming rooms in annexing buildings. Still a genuine main building. But the essence of personality and complete refinement of the whole cultural feeling that could be experienced in the "old days" have gone up in fumes with the commercialising of the establishment. It's OK. But don't expect an excitement. It's not in a Michelin class. Rack prices are high. If you instead can find some sort of package with a room and dinner, it's worth it. Alternatives are sparse, but Wedevågs herrgård (search TA) is really a great alternative - both in atmosphere and definitely in a culinary sense!

As we passed by going from the west of Sweden to the East, we decided to make a stop at well known Grythyttan. We are a family of four with fine dining as an interest, and roots in France. We went for the four courses ala carte offering. The failures went from small errors, such as forgetting water with the wine and refilling bread when asked for, to catastrophic ones, such as serving fish that was totally uncooked to our 11 year old. On top of that, the fishfilet was wrongly cut, with all the bones, and “locally produced” meant American blueberries in the dessert. The personal somewhat acknowledged their errors and made corrections to the bill, but the total experience still remains a big disappointment.

Staying at this hotel was like traveling back in time in terms of atmosphere, but not regarding comfort and food. We had a great time walking around the village. It was very peaceful, and a good way to build up an appetite for the wonderful food served in the restaurant. Check in and check out was taken care of in a very delightful and professional way. We hope to be back!

Over the years I’ve been here a few times, and it’s always been a nice experience. It’s not cheap, but the atmosphere is great, especially in the winter with all the lights. Rooms, scattered around the village are spacious and comfortable. The restaurant is excellent, great food, very extensive wine list, and good service. Very cozy bar and lounge area. Good parking possibilities. Combine with a visit to the nice town of Karlstad, and in particular the Lerin museum at Sandgrund which is a fabulous experience.

Me and my wife spent a night here to celebrate an anniversiry. It’s not a lot to do in the area besides this apart from the Cornelis pub that is located across the square. Hwr, the place offers what you need. With a full menu included in the booking we had a nice stay. Although they claim they have a extensive winelist we were not introduced to it even though we asked for an alternative to the recommendation with the menu. So we ended up with that, and it was no wrong with that, but we felt a bit trapped with no options. We ended our stay with a game of boule in the nice garden the morning after and feel the stay was well worth the long journey for us to get there.