48 Best Restaurants in Norway

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.

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.

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 spectacular views while guests dine on Nordic dishes with the freshest local ingredients.

Just 10 minutes by boat from Kragerø, this charming café has the perfect island location with inviting outdoor seating, a friendly staff, and a warm atmosphere. The menu includes locally sourced ingredients in well-traveled dishes like pizza, mussels, and the popular shrimp sandwich. There's original art on the walls and live music, but no reservations. It's open daily during summer and on select days the rest of the year. 

This Latin American--flavored waterfront restaurant comes alive on the weekend, when fashion-conscious locals compete for the best seats on the terrace. The hip dining room is almost as popular, with long wooden tables emphasizing that meals here are a communal experience. If you can't snag a table, wait at the leather-fronted bar with a strong and sweet signature martini. Choose a selection of seafood dishes to share with your posse.

In the old Basarhall near Oslo Cathedral, tiny Bacchus serves excellent organic French bistro food in a rustic atmosphere, or outdoors in a lovely garden in summer.

A spacious outdoor terrace and seafront location with unparalleled views over the harbor and distant mountains assure Bryggerikaia a steady clientele. But it's the menu of fresh seafood—local mussels, shrimp, and salmon, for starters—and market-fresh produce, as well as hearty meat dishes and their famous grilled stockfish, that keep diners coming back. There's live entertainment in the bar on weekends.

The star attraction at this café may be the two blue-eyed huskies that roam freely about the space, but Café Huskies isn't just a gimmick. The coffee, chai, and large tea selection are all decent, too. Order yourself a hot drink and, while you wait, pet the dogs (if they're willing, of course) and peruse the wall of quality local gifts. If the sun is out, take a seat on the deck where warm blankets are provided.

In the Myrdal train station (you get here by train or foot), Cafe Rallaren caters to travelers during the busy summer season. It serves local dishes in a diner-style atmosphere, and also offers bicycle rentals and luggage storage. Hikers often fortify themselves here with Norwegian waffles and other sweets displayed behind the counter.

The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and perhaps a little loud at peak hours, but you won't find a better spot for a quick meal. There are wood beams, exposed brick walls, and cozy booths with rough-hewn furnishings. The food is family-friendly, including generous salads and sandwiches and pizzas.

Egon, a Norwegian restaurant chain, serves no-fuss food such as burgers, salads, pasta, pizza, and steaks. This eatery has a cozy dining room and a small terrace on the street; orders are usually placed at the bar before you find a table. 

Centrally located in Eidfjord, this charming café with a handful of tables outside bakes some of the best pastries around—make sure to get some to take along on your adventures. This is the perfect place for a light lunch—with the best local produce—a filling snack, or a great cup of coffee.

This mountaintop café covered with a dramatic glass canopy has tremendous views over the surrounding peaks, islands, and fjords. A wraparound terrace opens when the weather allows, and it's a popular spot for lunch, or an ice cream, after climbing the steps to the Kniven—aka Mount Aksla—scenic overlook.

This bakery serves up some of the best cinnamon rolls you have ever tasted, and of course the famous Norwegian skolebolle (buns with custard and coconut). In the summer, they move the chairs and tables outside so you can enjoy the sunshine. In cooler weather the space is limited, so you might want to take your treats with you.

The glittering chandeliers and velvet sofas here make it look like a vintage neighborhood hangout. Locals gather here for fresh, well-executed comfort food—especially the spicy chicken salad, a house specialty. On weekends Fru Hagen lets its hair down, becoming a bar that's open until the wee hours.

In the center of Odda, the Glacier Restaurant couldn't be more relaxed: there are picnic tables outside, a casual eatery on the main level, and a slightly more formal dining room downstairs. With Asian, European, and even Middle Eastern dishes on the menu, everyone in the family will find something they like.

This popular organic bakery makes scrumptious cinnamon rolls (several different kinds) and delicious open-faced sandwiches to order.

This charming ice-cream parlor feels a bit like an Italian gelateria. Homemade varieties like pistachio and caramel are churned out and transformed into cones, cups, or sundaes.

A cozy, rustic restaurant with a casual atmosphere focusing on homemade burgers and fish-and-chips, but also offering some Norwegian specialties such as cured meat, salad, and local cheeses in addition to an impressive range of beers. Gets extra lively on the weekends.

If you're seeking creamed mussel soup or a range of other tasty local specialties paired with the perfect beer, Heim Gastropub is the place to be. It's also the right place for a burger and other pub grub. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the interiors are rustic with a modern, colorful twist. You can even pour your own beer with an ingenious system that locals seem to love.

This cozy bookshop and café serves homemade baked goods, great coffee, tea, and local beer. You'll find yourself surrounded by interesting books and some lovely antiques, many of the items for sale. 

There's more to Huset than just food, as the building's history is also quite impressive—it served as an airport terminal, a school, and a hospital—with stories of its past preserved on the walls and in the retained artifacts in the space. As far as dining, Huset houses three different spaces and concepts: a café that bakes all its bread and pastries; a less formal bistro serving "Lørdagsbiff," a local Saturday roast tradition; and a fine dining restaurant with an innovative, Spanish-tinged New Nordic tasting menu that's open only for dinner. Game from local hunters and trappers is front and center, with the likes of salt-cured seal, cod tongue, and ptarmigan (grouse) breast.

Italy meets Norway at this cozy dockside eatery, a standout among the other casual restaurants on this popular restaurant row, specializing in a large selection of fresh pasta (many dishes capitalize on the local seafood), crostini, and a superb oven-fired pizza. The restaurant takes reservations, but walk-ins are welcome and food can be taken out. There's also a cozy bar area for drinks and a snack.

In a former sardine factory, Kafe Kippers specializes in seafood dishes like arctic char with artichoke, radish, and dill, and 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.

Oslo's answer to Starbucks (with much better coffee, locals would say), Kaffebrenneriet has 28 branches throughout the city, including in the trendy Grünerløkka neighborhood.

A unique and personal coffee bar, all of the open sandwiches, salads, and cakes are made on-site, and the staff are known for their great mood. The interior is a mix of trendy and your grandma’s living room—it’s the kind of place where you’ll feel right at home—and it also sells art and gifts.

Priding itself on a casual "breakfast, brunch, lunch, and munch" menu, the café at this cultural institution always seems to have a crowd. There's a fantastic array of delicious dishes that provide sustenance for the events that take place here day and night.