The story
Thomas Wetle steers the culinary direction at VesterVenner Strandgården Badehotel in Gothenburg, where Scandinavian cuisine follows the rhythms of the local coast. The eight course menu shifts with each season, prioritizing ingredients sourced directly from regional producers. Fresh produce and coastal elements form the foundation of every plate served during his tenure.
Wetle has built a reputation around precise preparation and deep respect for raw materials. His winter potato course highlights Dita varieties delivered by farmers from Læsø island. The tubers are blended into a light mousseline and shaped into a compact form before being stuffed with house fermented sauerkraut. A dollop of onion roe and a crisped potato garnish complete the composition while a dark green kale sauce provides sharp contrast.
The restaurant holds White Guide Masters level status for its consistent execution and thoughtful plating across multiple seasons. Guests experience these meals within a space designed for unhurried conversation. This quiet confidence aligns perfectly with the measured pace of contemporary Scandinavian cuisine.
Recognition
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History
Another season opens with a spectacular dinner, where eight entirely new and brilliant platings carry us through a journey of carefully composed flavor progression and an abundance of local ingredients. Thomas Wetle showcases his creative genius throughout the menu, but most notably in the potato dish and the dessert. Wetle has always been a master of the potato, and with the many excellent varieties supplied by Læsø’s farmers, the potato reigns supreme regardless of the season. Here in this sunny spring, it is the last winter potatoes of the Dita variety that are transformed into an airy mousseline, shaped neatly to enclose a filling of house-fermented crunchy sauerkraut, finished with onion crème fraîche, and garnished with a thoughtfully crafted crunchy ornamental potato chip. This little “pillow” of a potato dream is set in piquant contrast to the surrounding sauce made from the remaining sauerkraut and rich with the bitter chlorophyll notes of kale.
