"Gothenburg's six-seat Michelin omakase, where Jose Cerda works the counter alone — book the moment a seat opens for a solo meal."
A black curtain hangs across the door of a brick house on the western edge of Gothenburg, in Majorna, and behind it sit six chairs at an oak counter. This is Hoze, the omakase room that took a Michelin star in 2025. Chef Jose Cerda cooks a daily menu of five to seven otsumami followed by nine to twelve nigiri, miso soup and a finishing gyoku-tamago, all from a single 18:00 seating priced around 2,300 SEK. No alcohol is served; the pairing is non-alcoholic.
Jose Cerda studied under the kaiseki master Fumihiro Hayashi in Japan, where he absorbed both the edomae sushi craft and the hospitality discipline of omotenashi. At Hoze he applies that training to Nordic seafood, building each evening's menu around what the local catch allows. The shape is classical: a run of five to seven otsumami to open, then nine to twelve carefully formed nigiri, miso soup, and the gyoku-tamago to close. He often works the counter alone, with his father welcoming guests, which keeps the room personal.
The omakase runs about 2,300 SEK, shifting with the season and the seafood, with additional seasonal dishes at roughly 100 to 300 SEK. Hoze pours no alcohol at all; instead Cerda offers a considered non-alcoholic pairing of drinks such as yuzu soda and green tea, chosen to track the courses. Six seats and one seating a night make this among the most exacting tickets in Sweden, and the daily-changing menu means no two evenings are identical.
The space is spare and quiet: a sleek, minimalist counter of six chairs behind that black curtain, with the chef working an arm's length away. The lighting is low and focused on the counter, the sound level hushed, and the intimacy is total — there is nowhere to hide and no background noise to fill. There is no dress code, though guests tend to dress neatly for the occasion. With only six seats, the evening feels less like a restaurant booking than a private session at the counter.
Book this counter for a solo meal because it is built for exactly that: the chef works directly in front of you, a single seat is often the easiest to secure, and the dialogue across the counter turns eating alone into something hosted. The hush and the focus reward a diner with no one to talk over. For more counters like it, see the best restaurants for solo dining and our wider Gothenburg dining guide.
Not for a wine night or a big group — Hoze pours no alcohol at all, seats only six at one nightly seating, and serves a fixed counter menu with no flexibility on format.
Yes, if you take sushi seriously. Hoze earned a Michelin star in 2025, and chef Jose Cerda trained under kaiseki master Fumihiro Hayashi in Japan before opening this six-seat counter. The omakase pairs Nordic seafood with classical edomae technique across otsumami and a long run of nigiri. At 2,300 SEK it is expensive for Gothenburg, but the intimacy and craft make it a destination meal rather than a routine dinner.
Very hard. There are only six seats at a single 18:00 seating, and bookings are taken by email or through the restaurant's website rather than a large platform. Tables open in batches and go quickly, so plan weeks ahead and be ready when a release happens. Solo diners often have an easier time filling a last-minute single seat.
There is no formal dress code. Hoze is an intimate counter rather than a grand dining room, and smart-casual is entirely appropriate. Most guests dress neatly out of respect for the setting and the chef, but a jacket is not required. Comfort matters across a long counter meal, so dress for an evening you will sit through attentively.
The omakase is around 2,300 SEK per person, with the exact figure shifting by season and the seafood available. Hoze serves no alcohol; instead a non-alcoholic pairing of drinks such as yuzu soda and green tea is offered, and extra seasonal dishes run roughly 100 to 300 SEK each. Budget for the menu plus the pairing as the full cost.
Ideal. A six-seat counter with the chef working directly in front of you is one of the best rooms in the city to eat alone, and a single seat is often the easiest to land. The pace and the dialogue across the counter make a solo meal feel hosted rather than lonely. See our best restaurants for solo dining for more counters like it.
By email or website · six seats, 18:00
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