The Story
da Matteo opened in 2003 after previously operating under the name “Caffè Espresso” , though the seeds of the company were planted even earlier. da Matteo’s first café, Café Java, opened in 1993. Its second café, Caffé Espresso, was opened in 1995 and they were the first to serve Italian-style espresso and latte to Gothenburg’s residents. Founded by Matts Johansson, who founded the city’s globally ranked coffee roaster and cafe, da Matteo , the company draws its name from his time in Italy. “I was living there working on a book about espresso in 1999,” he explains. “In Italy, Matteo is the equivalent of Matts so it felt right for the cafe.”
Matts Johansson, founder of da Matteo, is a coffee pioneer in Sweden. He previously worked as a chef and opened his first café in the early-90s. Coffee represents an exploration of flavour and the meeting of people to Matts, and this is what inspired his move into coffee. The company transformed from café operator to full roastery when In July 2007, da Matteo Vallgatan, café and coffee roastery, saw the light of day at Vallgatan 5, in Gothenburg.
When da Matteo began roasting, the micro-roastery movement was just taking off in Sweden – they were one of the first quality-focused roasteries in the country.
The company expanded its operations significantly in 2010, when In April 2010, we had the opportunity to take over a lovely space at Magasinsgatan 17A, next-door to Vallgatan 5. This is where we gathered our new coffee roastery, sourdough bakery and café. We had now established production in the heart of Gothenburg, with open coffee and baking production areas, simply, a space where we can prove our craftsmanship. Today, da Matteo operates Four cafés and two breadstores in the heart of Gothenburg, with one roastery and sourdough bakery at Magasinsgatan 17 combined with our biggest venue. The company achieved significant recognition when Nordics Best Roaster 2025 and was previously awarded Winner of the prestigious 2015 White Guide “Café of the Year” .
Sourcing & Relationships
da Matteo was a pioneer in direct trade sourcing in the Nordic region. When he built da Matteo’s roastery in 2007, he went directly to farms in Africa, cutting out importers and traders, working face to face with producers to source single-origin beans at a time when almost no Scandinavian roaster did this. That direct-trade model is now standard in Nordic specialty coffee. He was doing it first. This early commitment to direct relationships has remained central to their sourcing philosophy.
The company works through both direct relationships and strategic partnerships to secure quality green coffee. We work with great partners in this process, such as Ally Coffee, Café Imports and Nordic Approach. Their approach to purchasing is collaborative and democratic. When cupping samples of which coffees to buy, we gather the team, choose the coffees on the table that we like the best as a group, and that we know we’re proud to serve our customers.
Opting for collective buying with other roasters in Norway and Denmark, Johansson is able give farmers a fair price for their beans while buying in quantities that keep the coffee financially sustainable for both producers and roasters.
Transparency remains a core value in their operations. The roastery has been an open welcoming space in our cafés since day one (2007), therefore people can easily see what we’re doing, ask us about anything and everything, and show transparently what we do. This openness extends to their educational mission: A main goal has been to create an educative environment, were we help customers to understand speciality coffee and the roasting process. How we roast, how we buy green coffee and why it’s important to have control and knowledge of every step of the way.
Roasting Philosophy
da Matteo’s roasting philosophy centers on highlighting each coffee’s unique characteristics rather than imposing a house style. “Our coffees are all unique,” Johansson says, “so we do not label them ‘dark’ or ‘light’, instead we roast them until their unique flavors come to the forefront.” This approach reflects their commitment to letting the inherent qualities of each origin shine through rather than masking them with uniform roasting profiles.
Environmental sustainability plays a significant role in their roasting operations. To maximize environmental sustainability and flavor, Johansson opts for the Loring Smart Roaster, an energy efficient machine that has considerably lower greenhouse gas emissions than other roasters. This choice demonstrates how they balance quality considerations with environmental responsibility.
The roastery has taken on an educational role in Swedish coffee culture, working to shift local preferences from traditional dark roasts to more nuanced profiles. “Swedes drink strong coffee by American standards, often much darker and more bitter, but it’s not necessarily better,” continues Johansson, “It’s more a question of familiarity, that’s how it’s always been made and that’s how people believe it must taste.” This unadventurous affect became rather evident when he began serving more pale-colored pour-over coffees with subtle flavor notes and brighter, floral palates like the spectacular Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from Mesele Haille—part of the brand’s “one farmer, one roaster” project. “Some customers think it’s a weaker, lesser coffee because it’s not the dark, bitter sludge they’re so used to,” laughs Johansson, “We’re as much about educating about coffee as we are roasting and preparing it.”
What to Try
da Matteo’s coffee lineup is built around two signature blends that cater to different palate preferences. In our assortiment you will find two balanced coffee blends: the Classic Espresso for a full bodies cup of coffee and the Modern Espresso, which gives you a more fruity flavour in your cup. Besides these blends, we also offer single origins from all over the world. We picked these coffees because of their outstanding flavours. The Classic Espresso appeals to traditional Swedish coffee preferences, while the Modern Espresso represents their more progressive approach to flavor profiles.
Their single-origin offerings showcase their direct trade relationships and seasonal availability. Recent offerings have included Thunguri AA Taste Profile: Creamy, strawberry jam, lemon curd, nectarine Origin: Kenya, Kirinyaga Producer: Kibirigwi Farmers Cooperative Society Variety: K7, SL-28, Ruiru 11, Batian Process: Washed and One brewed coffee I had was an interesting 50/50 blend of Kenya Gaturiri and Colombia, which paired beautifully with one of their cinnamon rolls. Their Ethiopian offerings are particularly noteworthy, with the spectacular Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from Mesele Haille—part of the brand’s “one farmer, one roaster” project representing their commitment to direct producer relationships.
Beyond coffee, da Matteo’s food program is equally compelling, particularly their pastries. Customers rave about the culinary treasures found here, particularly the warm cinnamon buns, which are celebrated as some of Sweden’s best.
I had searched I’m Internet for the best cardamom snail in Gothenburg and this cafe was recommended. I wasn’t disappointed! The bakery component, with its sourdough program and traditional Swedish pastries, makes da Matteo as much a destination for food as it is for coffee, embodying the complete fika experience that defines Swedish coffee culture.