200 Best Restaurants in Norway

After navigating the hairpin turns of the Trollstigen, reward yourself with a stop at this café. Here you can expect an exciting menu of local dishes and spectacular views of the road you just conquered. Around are bridges and paths to viewpoints. 

A favorite with students, this eatery has mismatched chairs, artwork of dubious quality in gilt frames, and chandeliers that feel too fancy for the decor. In other words, it has an appealingly laid-back vibe. Grab one of the tables on the sidewalk and enjoy inexpensive burgers and other international fare.

The decor of this extremely popular restaurant is minimalist, allowing the impressive dishes to take center stage. To add to the drama of the restaurant, the chef cooks and plates the food in full view of patrons, making for an interesting dining experience. The food itself is locally sourced and highlights the best of northern Norway's finest ingredients, from the sea to the land. The menu rotates with the seasons but usually includes reindeer prepared in various ways.

At Utne Hotel, this charming restaurant offers a five-course set menu featuring traditional dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. The evening begins with a shared presentation about the hotel's rich history, offered once for all guests before dinner is served. Advance booking is essential.

At the top of Ringebufjellet, this scenically situated hotel is well known for its restaurant, offering a wide selection of Norwegian specialties such as mountain trout and moose burgers. The Norwegian buffet, served every Wednesday, provides an amazing range of dishes found in the region. Take tiny portions, as there are so many delicious dishes to sample. Ask for a table by the window so you can soak in the view.

Combining a coffee bar, pizzeria, and lively bar culture, this hot spot is as much about atmosphere as it is about flavor. Regular jazz concerts set the tone, making it a favorite gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

Located in a historic wooden building, this restaurant lets you choose between a more formal dining room, with elegant decor and crisp linens, in the main building and a casual pub in the old servants´ quarters and coach house. The Vertshuset, to the left as you enter from the street, offers a four-course set menu focusing on local fish and game and à la carte, while the pub to the right has an array of burgers and Norwegian cured meat and cheeses.

The menus at this cluster of eateries mostly emphasize seafood, but there's also a steak house serving an impressive array of local meat cooked over a charcoal grill. Specials might include soup of Kamchatka crab, delicious halibut and coalfish, Arctic reindeer, or whale carpaccio. The pleasant terrace is usually packed in summer.

The charming brick house from the early 1900s, the friendly staff, and of course, the high-quality Italian dishes on the menu, combine to make this a favorite spot for locals from all over Bærum. This is the spot to come if you want to treat yourself to something special.

In an old building with vintage lamps and wood paneling, this trattoria is one of the very best in the neighborhood. Run by a family who found themselves returning from a trip to Italy with a pizza oven, expect incredible Neapolitan pies, tasty focaccia bruschetta, and adventurous antipasti.

Walking through this restaurant feels like you're stepping back in time about a hundred years. Pakistani owner Mobashar Hussain collected the antique rugs, beaded textiles, and other authentic touches. The chicken and lamb curries are delicious.

The moment you step inside this authentic trattoria, the sweet and smoky smell of wood-fired pizza fills your nostrils. The homemade pasta dishes are also a specialty. The rustic interior of the dining room is a refuge on chilly evenings, but when the weather is warm you'll want to eat in the alley under umbrellas the colors of the Italian flag.

Located in the former U.S. Embassy, this posh and ambitious restaurant serves up honest cuisine inspired by Paris, New York, and Oslo—get ready for flavors that will truly surprise your senses. Enjoy perfectly cooked meat and fish from the custom-built broiler, paired with excellent wine, all while soaking in the buzz from the open kitchen. The staff here really go the extra mile to make your visit something to remember.

The name refers to its location at the tip of the Vippetangen, the peninsula that juts out into Oslofjord. This lively art, culture, and education center is also a destination for food lovers who want to sample dishes as diverse as poke bowls and Halloumi wraps. Local brewers and distillers also showcase their delights. The place gets especially busy on Thursday, when the crowd competes in a pop quiz.

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.

This pub-style restaurant specializes in traditional Norwegian cuisine like the reindeer tenderloin. The menu features a variety of seafood, Angus burgers, grilled steaks, and other hearty meats, but in the months leading up to Christmas, local seasonal favorites include lutefisk and pinnekjøtt (lamb steamed over birch twigs).

At "the happy calorie," you'll find a luscious selection of cakes, tarts, cookies, ice cream, freshly baked bread, and other treats along with a nice hot cup of coffee. There's also a tempting array of savory sandwiches to pack up for an excursion or a picnic on the beach.

Lokalmatbutikken means "the local food shop" and is the place in Brønnøysund to sample the true local fare, with top-quality artisanal specialties from throughout the region. The café serves lunch and dessert with hot beverages, or you can choose from a wide variety of prepared foods to eat in or take out.

In the center of town, Luihn is an elegant, intimate restaurant, perfect for a quiet dinner. Fish dishes are a specialty, and the menu varies according to season. Don't hesitate to call in advance if you have any special cravings—providing they can get hold of it, the chefs can prepare just about anything for you. The wine selection is impressive.