Must-see restaurants in Norway

  • Lysverket

    Bergen

    Chef Christopher Haatuft is pioneering his own brand of Nordic cuisine at Lysverket, which he dubs 'neo-fjordic' – in other words, combining modern…

  • Sentralen Restaurant

    Oslo

    One of Oslo's best dining experiences is also its most relaxed. A large dining room filled with old social-club chairs and painted in tones of deep,…

  • Huset

    Longyearbyen

    It's something of a walk up here but it's worth it. Dining in the bistro is casual, with well-priced dishes such as reindeer burgers or reindeer stew with…

  • Brimi Bue

    Central Norway

    This flashy establishment is the new home base for the town's top chef, Arne Brimi, and it's where everyone wants to eat when they pass through town. It's…

  • Egget

    Stavanger

    In a clapboard building off Steinkargata, this ramshackle, rough-and-ready eatery is small in size but strong on ambition: the food is modern, creative…

  • Sødahl-Huset

    The Northern Fjords

    This place is the model of what every small-town cafe should be like. Mix-and-match furniture, regular beer tastings and gigs, and a blackboard menu chock…

  • Tre Brør

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    The Three Brothers is the heart of Voss's social scene, and rightly so – it's everything you want from a small-town cafe. There's super coffee from Oslo's…

  • Halling-Stuene

    Central Norway

    This crimson-clad restaurant is just about as traditional as restaurants get in Norway, but it's been going strong for 25 years and seems as popular as…

  • Kolonialen

    Oslo

    When a venture is led by the ex-Maaemo owner, you can guess the food will be extraordinary, and it is. The short menu is a mix of pan-European dishes done…

  • Anitas Sjømat

    Lofoten

    Part delicatessen and part waterside cafe, this fab place sells all sorts of stockfish snacks, Kong Oskar sardines and dishes such as uncommonly good fish…

  • Bass

    Oslo

    In what could be yet another Grünerløkka corner cafe, you'll find one of the city's best small-plate dining options, served beneath vintage seascapes on…

  • Rebecca's

    Lofoten

    This glorious little cafe along the coast road is a treasure. A lovely wooden dining hall, terrific local cooking with an emphasis on home cooking (dishes…

  • Kafe Kjelen

    Nordland

    On a promontory overlooking the maelstrom, this warm and wonderful little cafe is gorgeous. Run by the same family since 1955, it does a simple menu that…

  • Lom Bakery

    Central Norway

    Lom's other culinary star is master baker Morten Schakenda, who makes all his breads using only natural ingredients and wood-fired ovens. You can buy…

  • Knutholmen

    The Western Fjords

    One of the best addresses for fresh fish on the west coast. Scoff a plate of the freshest shrimps, split some crab or lobster claws, or tuck into a lavish…

  • Vertshuset Tavern

    Trondheim

    Once in the heart of Trondheim, this historic (1739) tavern was lifted and transported, every last plank, to the Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum on the…

  • Gruvelageret

    Longyearbyen

    Opened in the winter of 2015, Gruvelageret occupies a stunningly converted wooden mining warehouse and serves up an exceptional set menu that begins with…

  • Folk & Fe

    Trondheim

    Relaxed, rustic-chic is the modus operandi at Folk & Fe. Lauded by the White Guide (Scandinavia's answer to the Michelin Guide), it's vintage New Nordic,…

  • Mathallen

    Tromsø

    With its industrial styling, exposed pipes and open-fronted kitchen, this elegant restaurant wouldn't look out of place in Oslo or Stockholm. It serves…

  • Coal Miners' Bar & Grill

    Longyearbyen

    A renovation of this former mining mess hall has transformed it into one of Longyearbyen's coolest venues. There's warming decor, fabulous charcoal…

  • Maki

    Ålesund

    In a nautical cellar space of the hip Hotel Brosundet, this first-rate seafooderie is Ålesund's most creative and interesting place for a fine-dining…

  • Gilles Cafe & Musikk

    Arctic Highway

    This excellent place near the northern end of Sjøgata serves up snacks such as scampi tempura, pizzas and more traditional mains – it does a great fish…

  • Krambua

    Lofoten

    Under new management since 2015, this fabulous restaurant inhabits an 1882 building and Noemi and Mikael Björkman serve up a seasonal menu with the…

  • Roast

    Bodø

    High above the city on a 17th-floor perch in the Scandic Havet hotel, Roast is true to its name – you could play around with different tastes but you…

  • Bakeri

    Lofoten

    In a building that dates from 1844 and whose stone oven dates from the same year, this atmospheric bakery is the essence of Å. It turns out fresh bread…

  • Vertshuset Røros

    Central Norway

    The town's best food is served at the Vertshuset Inn, with a strong focus on local flavours: mountain trout, Arctic char, local beef, pork and a great…

  • Gløyp

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    This fjordside diner is a real find, offering fresh, well-executed food in a light, bright space, filled with colourful furniture and an open-plan kitchen…

  • Risø

    Tromsø

    You'll find this popular coffee and lunch bar packed throughout most of the day: young trendies come in for their hand-brewed Chemex coffee, while local…

  • Ramberg Gjestegård Restaurant

    Lofoten

    Ramberg Gjestegård's justifiably popular Arctic Menu restaurant does mainly fish dishes and, if you're lucky, its own splendid Flakstad Menu (cod, cured…

  • Restaurant Haldde

    Western Finnmark

    This quality restaurant within Thon Hotel Vica relies almost entirely upon local ingredients in the preparation of choice dishes such as reindeer steak,…

  • Ellenstuen

    Arctic Highway

    Ellenstuen, in Fru Haugans Hotel, is an intimate place that preserves many of the hotel's original fittings. It has a particularly creative menu (if you…

  • Fruene Kaffe og Vinbar

    Longyearbyen

    'The Missus' is a welcoming and popular cafe, serving decent coffee, baguettes, pizza, snacks and other light meals. There's free wi-fi, the walls are…

  • Lokalmatbutikken

    Nordland

    This gem of a place is both grocery store and delicatessen selling locally produced food products (think cheeses, spices and craft beers), and a fine…

  • Kitchen & Table

    Tromsø

    Combining a touch of Manhattan style with Arctic ingredients, chef Marcus Samuelsson serves up some of the freshest and most original tastes in Tromsø –…

  • Restaurant Sagastua

    Nordland

    Exquisite tastes, professional service and artful presentation make this one of the best places to eat in this part of the country. The fish dishes are…

  • Kafe Friisgården

    Lofoten

    Divine cakes, tasty home-cooked meals such as chicken casserole with an ice cream dessert and great coffee make this a fine roadside stop. The stunning…

  • Baklandet Skydsstation

    Trondheim

    If you're still searching for that quintessentially Norwegian meal, you won't get much more traditional than this. Originally an 18th-century coaching inn…

  • Kafe Oslo

    Oslo

    Litteraturhuset is one of the state-run organisations dedicated to the arts and here it is all about the promotion of literature, with frequent workshops,…

  • Blom Restaurant

    The Coast

    The most upmarket of the Pollen harbour crowd, Blom provides a respite from the overfilled plates and boozy vibe that sometimes wins out at the other…

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