12 Best Restaurants in Bergen, Norway
"Bergen is the city with the ocean and sea completely in its stomach," someone once said. Bergensers love their seafood dishes: Fiskepudding (fish pudding), fiskekaker (fish cakes), fiskeboller (fish balls), and fiskesuppe (fish soup). Delicious renditions of such classic dishes show up on local menus with great regularity.
Any Bergen dining experience should start at Fisketorget, the fish market. Rain or shine, fresh catches go on sale here in shiny, stainless-steel stalls. The fishmongers dole out shrimp, salmon, monkfish, and friendly advice. Usually, they have steamed reker (shrimp), or smoked laks (salmon), served on a baguette with mayonnaise and cucumber—a perfect quick lunch. As for desserts and snacks, skillingsbolle, a big cinnamon roll, or sommerbolle, the same with a custard center, are both popular. Lefse is a flat cake of oatmeal or barley that has a sugar or cream filling. Like other major Norwegian cities, Bergen has international cuisines, including Tex-Mex, tapas, Mediterranean and sushi. Some Oslo celebrity chefs—for example Bølgen & Moi—have also opened restaurants here.
Café Opera
A classic, this eatery sits in a pretty clapboard across from the National Theater. During the day it's the place to grab a bowl of fish soup for lunch or more substantial fare like panfried salmon for dinner. It becomes more of a bar later in the evenings, and can get crowded on the weekend.
Fish Me
Located in Bergen's bustling fish market, this eatery takes advantage of the fresh seafood in icy display cases not far from your table. In warm weather, the umbrella-shaded terrace is the place to be, and the best seating is at the tables is located in the two glass cubes with unobstructed views across to Bryggen. The kitchen has a strong focus on sustainability and uses only local suppliers who share that philosophy.
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Godt Brød
This popular organic bakery makes scrumptious cinnamon rolls (several different kinds) and delicious open-faced sandwiches to order.
Kafe Kippers
In a former sardine factory, Kafe Kippers specializes in seafood dishes like arctic char with artichoke, radish, and dill or steamed mussels with herbs and garlic. This large outdoor café on the waterfront is a pleasant stop for lunch or at sunset when you can warm up with a cozy wool blanket and enjoy a spectacular view of the North Sea.
Kroathai
With a view of the Lille Lungegårdsvann Lake, this longtime favorite offers delicious, authentic Thai dishes---some, like chicken soup with lemongrass, that you already know, and others, like steamed mussels in a pineapple sauce, that you might be meeting for the first time. There's an unusually wide range of vegetarian dishes.
Kulturhuset
Kulturhuset is a hub for music, art, design, architecture and food. The restaurant's main focus is being green and sustainable, and it offers a wide range of vegetarian and vegan dishes, but also serves meat and fish.
MM Cafe og Bar
At the end of Torgalmenningen, the massive square where everyone in town seems to meet, this is the kind of place where you should ask for a table by the window or in the glassed-in terrace so you can people-watch. Using the best local ingredients, the kitchen is inspired by cuisines from around the world. On the weekend, the restaurant transforms into a club after the last meals have been served.
Pingvinen
Pygmalion
A couple of café tables on the sidewalk draw you to this storefront eatery, which is just as appealing on the inside, thanks to exposed brick walls and wide-plank wood floors. The menu is casual fare, including sandwiches and salads.
Taperia Tapas & Pinxos
An authentic Spanish gastronomic experience with seafood, cheese, cured cold-cuts, and pintxos. Cozy seating area spread over two floors in the vibrant street Skostredet.
Wesselstuen
Housed in an 18th-century wine cellar, this atmospheric restaurant is known for its convivial atmosphere and unpretentious, authentic Norwegian fare. This is a good place to try reindeer steak or whale carpaccio. In the evening you're likely to spot local authors, actors, and musicians meeting over a glass of beer.