Where to Eat in Norway
Cold-water seafood, food halls and some of Europe's most ambitious kitchens.
Norwegian cooking is built on fish and on preserving it: cured and smoked salmon, dried stockfish, salted and dried klippfisk, and pickled herring. Restaurant menus add Arctic char, king crab, scallops, reindeer and lamb, and bakeries sell cinnamon and cardamom buns and waffles with brown cheese. Traditional dishes to try include fiskesuppe, a creamy fish soup, and bacalao, the tomato stew made with salt cod that is a specialty of Alesund and the west coast.
Eating out is expensive, so many visitors mix one memorable dinner with lunches from food halls and bakeries. Lunch menus are usually cheaper than dinner, tap water is free and excellent, and alcohol in shops is sold only at the state Vinmonopolet stores, apart from beer in supermarkets.
Oslo
A three-Michelin-star restaurant with a long tasting menu of Norwegian ingredients; book well ahead.
A Michelin-starred restaurant in a 17th-century building in the old part of the center.
Oslo's oldest restaurant, serving classic dishes such as lutefisk and reindeer in season.
A food hall by the Akerselva river with Norwegian producers, delis and small restaurants.
Street food stalls in an old harbor warehouse at the tip of the fjord, with outdoor seating on the water.
Bergen
A long-established restaurant on the Bryggen waterfront, known for fish soup and seasonal Norwegian dishes.
Modern Norwegian seafood in a former electric company building that is now part of the KODE art museum.
A Michelin-starred tasting-menu restaurant using west coast ingredients.
A relaxed bar and restaurant serving everyday Norwegian dishes such as meatballs and fish cakes.
A seafood restaurant, sushi bar and fishmonger in the indoor market hall on the harbor.
The Fjords and Stavanger
A brewpub in a building styled after a stave church, with beer brewed at the end of the fjord.
A harbor-view restaurant known for bacalao, the salt-cod stew of the west coast.
A fish shop and restaurant on the harbor serving fish soup and the day's catch.
The Arctic North
A deli and restaurant focused on northern Norwegian produce, from reindeer to Arctic fish.
A seafood restaurant on the harbor serving Arctic cod, king crab and shellfish.
The pub of the Mack brewery, with a long list of taps in a room that has been serving since the 1920s.
A restaurant in an old fish warehouse on Svinoya, serving stockfish and Arctic cod dishes.
A small seafood shop and cafe near Reine, known for fish cakes and fish burgers.
A harborside fish restaurant in Henningsvaer serving fish soup and the local catch.
Restaurants change hours, menus and ownership often — check with the restaurant before you go. Listings are editorial picks, not paid placements.
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Get free trip quotes »Norway Dining — FAQ
What food is Norway known for?
Salmon, cod and stockfish, shrimp and king crab, fish soup, bacalao, reindeer, brown cheese and cinnamon buns.
How can I eat well in Norway on a budget?
Use food halls and bakeries, eat your main meal at lunch, buy picnic supplies at supermarkets and drink tap water, which is free and safe.
Do I need to book restaurants in Norway?
For fine dining, yes, often weeks or months ahead. Popular mid-range places fill up on summer evenings, so book a day or two in advance.