Restaurants in Bergen & The Western Fjords
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Hummer & Kanari
Behind the bar sit row upon row of liqueur and spirit bottles for mixers and shakers. Here at the downstairs bistro, you order at the counter. Upstairs, it’s waiter service. But both call upon the same kitchen, which turns out ample portions of pasta (Nkr110 to Nkr130) and pizza (Nkr100). To save the decision-making, simply sit back, put yourself in the cook’s capable hands and go for the best the sea can offer that day, ‘Hummer & Kanari’s selection of fish and shellfish.’ (Nkr245).
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Escalon
Tapas has taken Bergen by storm and no-one does it better than Escalon. The friendly young waiters are happy to make suggestions on wine selection and the tapas are tasty and the closest you’ll find in Bergen to what you’ll get in Spain. Highly recommended.
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Laizas
At the ferry terminal, just beside the tourist office, the young team at this airy, welcoming place put on a handful of tasty hot dishes, good salads and snackier items such as focaccia, wraps and sandwiches. There’s also an internet terminal (Nkr1 per minute).
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Nomaden
Affiliated to the art gallery next door, this welcoming café, where cool jazz trills in the background, serves sandwiches, gooey cakes and fresh coffee and has its own changing art exhibition.
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Syltetøysbutikken
Valldal is a place that people tend to pass through, having driven over the famous Trollstigen pass from Åndalsnes or savoured the exquisitely beautiful ferry journey from Geiranger. Perched in a nick of Norddalsfjord, its agricultural surrounds lay claim to being Europe’s northernmost orchards. Here apples, pears and even cherries thrive – and you’ll also find strawberries in profusion, commemorated in an annual Strawberry Festival, usually on the last weekend in July. To sample the goods, whatever the season, call by Syltetøysbutikken, on the road leading to the church. It has a healthy selection of jams and juices, pressed and simmered in the small factory b…
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Xl Diner
Nothing could be further from your traditional greasy diner than this 1st-floor fish restaurant overlooking the harbour. Bacalao is the house speciality. This quintessentially Norwegian dish is offered with a variety of sauces – Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, even Louisiana, and Bacalao de Mirita Style (sic), served in a zesty lime and mildly chilli sauce. Vegetables, still firm and crunchy, are cooked to perfection. Better not to request one of the tropical display fish that eye you apprehensively from their heated aquarium.
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Fjellstua Kafé
The 418 steps up Aksla lead to the splendid Kniven viewpoint over Ålesund and the surrounding mountains and islands. Follow Lihauggata from the pedestrian shopping street Kongensgata to the start of the 20-minute puff to the top of the hill. There’s also a road to the top; take Røysegata east from the centre, then follow the Fjellstua signposts up the hill. Up top, the Fjellstua Kafé is a good place to recover your breath while enjoying a drink with a view.
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Bryggen Tracteursted
This is one of the great Bryggen eating experiences. Housed in a 1708 building that ranges across the former stables, kitchen (note the stone floor, which meant that it was the only Bryggen building allowed to have a fire) and Bergen’s only extant schøtstuene (dining hall), this fine restaurant does fish soup (Nkr98), steamed mussels (Nkr125) and a selection of Norwegian tapas. The food’s good, but the atmosphere is the major drawcard.
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Quality Hotel Sogndal
In a town with limited gastronomic pleasures, your best bet is Quality Hotel Sogndal, which has three restaurants. Both its more intimate Dr Hagen Café & Bar (mains Nkr95-275) and main restaurant, Compagniet, have the same short à la carte list while the latter also does a copious dinner buffet (Nkr295) in summer. Its Dolly Dimple’s does mainly pizzas, to eat in or take away.
reviewed
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Hjørnevikhagen
Hjørnevikhagen This recent addition to Florø’s very limited dining options has style. Outside on the split-level terracing, furniture is smart, angular, of glass and metal, while the interior has good views of the marina. Dishes are well priced, tasty and attractively presented and it’s also the most enticing spot in town for a quiet drink. It’s just behind the tourist office.
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Bryggekanten
This recently opened brasserie and bar sits right beside the harbour. It’s a great choice, even if only for a drink. Even better, tuck into a pizza, bruschetta or creative sandwich (such as bacalao in tomato sauce, lightly spiced with chilli) on its broad terrace. Inside, where full dinners are served, is more intimate. Here, too, the menu is imaginative, taking traditional ingredients and giving them a new twist.
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Lyspunket
There are a couple of internet points and free wi-fi for clients at this great-value, great-ambience, youthful place. Loll back in its deep sofas (though you might not want to sit directly beneath the magnificent swirls and pipes of the giant glass chandelier). There are free refills for coffee and soft drinks, and dishes, such as their turkey in a caramelised apple and curry sauce, are creative.
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Invit
Gosh, the style shows at this suave coffee bar, which also serves tasty snacks. Just what you’d expect from a place that runs the accompanying interior design boutique with the very best of creative modern furniture and Scandinavian kitchenware and home appliances. You can also sip your espresso outside on their floating pontoon, where they considerately supply blankets if the wind whips up.
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Pingvinen
Devoted to small-town Norwegian cooking and with a delightfully informal ambience, Pingvinen is terrific. Expect large servings of reindeer, elk, lamb and local fish but without the usual price tag and it’s always obligatory to pay homage to Alma, the ‘goddess chef’. As the night wears on and Alma heads home, the snacks menu comes out.
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Bistro to Kokker
This gloomy place where ageing bachelors stare into their cocoa does decent enough fare and portions are large. There’s squid, salmon, monkfish and other seafood on the menu or, for more pedestrian palates, it has fish and chips (Nkr50 to Nkr60), burgers (Nkr45 to Nkr105), good salads (Nkr60 to Nkr84) and pizzas (Nkr115) too.
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Kafe Kippers
Away from the hubbub of downtown Bergen, this agreeable outdoor terrace is one of the best places for a meal or just a drink when the weather’s warm. Attached to a cultural centre in an old sardine canning factory, it has an artsy vibe and serves plentiful lunch dishes such as linguini or sesame tuna salad.
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Bryggja
Dine on the outside terrace of this recently opened fish restaurant or simply pop in for a drink and savour its gorgeous riverside location. If it rains, the staff simply pull over the sail-shaped cover. Decorated in nautical style, it's an intimate place (there are only 30 seats) so you'll need to reserve.
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Enhjørningen
The popular, upmarket Enhjørningen offers delicious fish and seafood in a rustic Bryggen setting. Known by locals for its unimpeachable excellence, this place is all about quality food and old-style elegance. We particularly like the scallops and scampi symphony (Nkr295) but everything’s good.
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Bølgen & Moi
The imaginative menus in this stylish restaurant include monkfish, lamb and veal, while the lunch specials are huge – the shrimp sandwich in cilantro and lime marinade (Nkr139) can only be described as massive. Although there are set menus in the evenings, you can also choose à la carte.
reviewed
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NB Sørensen’s Damskipsexpedisjon
One of the better places along the waterfront, this restaurant serves everything from red mullet to pork ribs, with a seasonal lunch menu that’s excellent value. The atmospheric indoor dining area is ideal when the weather turns, and locals swear that the food and service is better upstairs.
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Jordbærstova
About 6km up the Åndalsnes road, Jordbærstova honours the valley’s mighty strawberry. So stop in for a fat slice of its gooey, creamy svele (strawberry cake) , the local pancake speciality that is served with strawberries and cream. It also offers light meals.
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Smia Fiskerestaurant
The much garlanded Smia fish restaurant is in an old forge, adorned from wall to ceiling with bellows and blacksmith’s tools – plus a couple of whale vertebrae and a hanging split cod. The fish soup (Nkr80) makes a great starter, or you can also have it as a main course (Nkr130).
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Rød
At ‘Red’, the restaurant of Hotell Molde, the menu, with plenty of dishes flashed in and out of the wok and tempting mains such as its fillet of beef with sauté of artichoke, squash and cherry cream sauce, is more exciting than its run-of-the-mill décor.
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Buona Sera
The Italian-oriented Buona Sera predictably specialises in pizzas and pasta, yet has much more character than most Norwegian pizza joints. All wood, with intimate crannies and friendly staff, it also does crispy salads (Nkr100) and juicy meat mains (around Nkr175).
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