187 Best Restaurants in Norway

In the center of town, Apotekergaarden offers seating in a charmingly old-fashioned dining room or outside on a terrace. The varied menu offers something for everyone, including pizza topped with fresh mozzarella and baked in a stone oven. There's live music many evenings.

The Lom Bakery is a popular place to stop for Norwegians driving through the area. Whether it's for a loaf of fresh bread to bring home or their famous cinnamon rolls for the road, the bakery doesn't disappoint. They are always tweaking their recipes to ensure they are improving, and because of this, every batch of baked goods is unique.

If you drive to the end of the Lofoten Islands, you absolutely must stop at this traditional Norwegian bakery famous for its cinnamon buns. The bakers use traditional methods, so the pastries are always at their freshest.

This chic, modern café-restaurant is popular for its sunny terrace and straightforward food that always hits the mark—think juicy marinated jumbo shrimp, lobster soup, and a large selection of pizzas served hot from a wood-fired oven. It's an equally good stop for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon coffee with a delicious dessert.

As its name suggests, this wine bar is straight out of Paris: the long white aprons on the waiters, the Art Nouveau flourishes in the dining room, the old French posters on the walls, and the closely packed tables all add to the illusion. The sumptuous menu includes the classics: steak tartare, entrecôte, and duck confit. There is also, in true Gallic style, a strong wine list. Built on levels, from the cellar to the third floor, each section has a distinctive ambience. Popular with the after-theater crowd, the restaurant's kitchen offers a full menu until 10:30 pm on weekdays. Reservations are a good idea.

Being one of the best restaurants in Geiranger may not seem such a feat (there's only a handful), but this place distinguishes itself with a stunning fjordside setting and excellent no-nonsense cuisine that capitalizes on the area's abundant and fresh local seafood, artisanal cheeses, wild game, and produce, not to mention a huge selection of local beers.

The catch of the day often dictates the menu here, but crispy cod tongue is always available. For less adventurous eaters, there's also a variety of pasta dishes. The homemade waffles with chocolate have been made from the same recipe since 1959. There's an amazing patio where you can look out over the water.

This waterfront restaurant, café, and bar in a pretty white clapboard house is a good bet for consistently well-prepared dishes and high-quality dining. The cozy restaurant focuses on a more sophisticated cuisine, and the offerings may include crayfish gazpacho and veal entrecôte on its prix-fixe menu. The café on the lower level is great for food that is less formal but equally good: imaginative salads, sandwiches, and their famous hamburgers. A waterfront view can be had from the lovely outdoor terrace.

This restaurant, one of the best seafood restaurants in town, is named after the unicorn that adorns the doorway of the old wooden building in which it is housed. It may look old-fashioned, but there's nothing medieval about Enhjørningen's menu—it's contemporary Norwegian and it changes according to the day's catch.

Looking for all the world like a traditional chalet, thanks to the massive beams and honey-color wood floors, you'll feel the Scandinavian hygge (coziness) as soon as you walk inside. The restaurant focuses on fresh local ingredients while encouraging creativity among its chefs. This makes for an exciting menu where traditional flavors meet unusual cooking techniques.

If you're in Oslo for just one night and want an authentic dining experience, head to the city's oldest restaurant—housed in Oslo's first town hall, a building that dates from 1641. It is known for its traditional fish and game dishes that take full advantage of the city's access to the best seasonal produce. An absolute must, if you're lucky enough to be visiting in December, is the house specialty, the lutefisk. Reserve well in advance for the julebord (pre-Christmas) season.

At the top of Loen Skylift, this strikingly modern restaurant is perched off the edge of a cliff. On one side of the dining room is an entire wall of glass, so every table has a spectacular view. Expect Nordic dishes with the freshest local ingredients and a warm atmosphere.

A Trondheim institution and award-winning gastronomic dining room near the water, where you'll find all the best organic produce from farms around Trondelag in traditional Indian dishes, from tandoori to masalas to biryanis and dopiazas. As a nod to Northern Norway and Sámi culture, there's the notorious jahangiri with Røros reindeer.

This eatery doesn't just put you close to the water---it's actually floating just off the dock, providing views in nearly every direction. Decorated in maritime style, it has windows that can be rolled up to let you enjoy the summer breezes. The food is Italian, but with a definitely Norwegian touch. Some days they light up the grill and treat you to an open-air barbecue.

With an artful location in the KODE 4 museum and next to the Grieghallen concert hall, Lysverket offers New Nordic cuisine that makes clever use of seasonal, local ingredients in dishes like roasted redfish with grilled lettuce or king crab with nasturtium puree. The restaurant only offers a 10-course tasting menu, and has one Michelin star. The spare dining room is the best of Scandinavian design, making a meal here a pleasure for both the eyes and the mouth.

In a picturesque white clapboard house that was Geiranger's first grocery store, this restaurant is a popular choice for sophisticated, modern fare. A bright, cozy dining room on the second floor focuses on small plates with an emphasis on local veggies, seafood, and meats: wild poached salmon with parsley butter, scallops, and cauliflower purée; venison medallions with bacon and buttered beets. In mild weather the terrace is a lovely place to dine, and there's live music on weekends.