Tromsø Restaurant Tips by FletteMette

Hurtigruten - the coastal voyager - travels along the Norwegian coast from Bergen in the south up north to Kirkenes by the Russian border, docking in 35 ports along the way.The return journey Bergen - Kirkenes - Bergen takes 11 days, one northbound and one southbound ship leaves each port each day. (Meaning that there are 11 different ships..:o)

The northbound Hurtigrute arrives in Tromsø at 1430, and leaves at 1830. The ship docks in central Tromsø - a two-minute walk from Storgata. In February and March this year (2008) the Hurtigruten restaurant offers traditional Norwegian "home-cooked" food at quite reasonable prices, every afternoon between 15 and 18. An excellent chance to visit one of these ships!

The menu rotates every day, choose between one fish dish and one meat dish - prices between 105 and 140 NOK. The menu can be found on the Hurtigruten website, but is in Norwegian only (email me and I'll translate if you're interested).

Here are some of the options:
* Lightly salted, boiled cod served with bacon, carrots and boiled potatoes
* Fårikål - (lit. sheep in cabbage) lamb stew with cabbage, served with potatoes
* Roasted lamb served with thyme sauce, cauliflower, broccoli and herbed potatoes
* Boiled salmon, served with cucumber salad, sour cream and potatoes
* Meatballs in gravy, served with mashed peas and potatoes
* Fried fillet of saithe, served with fried onions, a sour cream sauce, råkost (raw grated vegetables; usually carrots and perhaps rutabaga), potatoes
* Whole roasted salmon served with oven-baked vegetables, white wine sauce and potatoes


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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average

Address: Hurtigruten - the quay in central Tromsø
Website: http://www.hurtigruten.com/dokumenter/HR_hus_DM.pdf

Restaurant Name: Aunegården

Until 1996 Aunegården was a butcher shop - now it has been restored, and heritage listed as a historical building. The restaurant is very charming, it consists of many small rooms, making the atmosphere intimate and cozy - and the food is great, especially the mouth-watering cakes from the restaurant's own bakery, they are just soooo delicious!! And the home made red berry sauce that's served with some of them - mmmm....(Some of the cakes are served with vanilla sauce - I always ask for the red berry sauce instead. The vanilla sauce is good too, but the berry sauce is sooooo much better :o). The cakes don't come cheap though, a piece of cake costs NOK 63, and that's pretty expensive even by Norwegian standards.

It's not *all* about cakes at Aunegården, though - it's a nice place for both lunch and dinner. You'll find the menu on their web site. (Link below)

Beware - the place isn't particularly child friendly, as pushchairs have to be left outside the restaurant due to fire regulations.

Opening hours:
Monday - Saturday: 1030 - 2330
Sunday: 12 - 21

Favorite Dish: The cheese cake with red berry sauce!! Wanna go grab a piece right now?:o)

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Theme: Other
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: +47 77 65 12 34
Address: Sjøgt. 29
Directions: In the city centre
Website: http://www.aunegarden.no/

Restaurant Name: Sivertsens Kafé

A vegetarian cafe in Tromsø! I just couldn't believe it was true when I heard that a new, totally vegetarian cafe had opened in Tromsø - this town isn't exactly known to be veggie friendly (!), but yeah!!

Sivertsens Kafé is located in Rådstua (theatre - large, yellowish wooden building) near the Town Hall, and is open Tuesdays - Saturdays between 11 and 17. Good place for lunch or an early dinner. The building, from 1864, used to be Tromsø's town hall and prison - the cafe is in the cellar where the prison cells used to be. Sivertsen was one of the police officers - and he is said to be haunting the building.

I didn't notice mr Sivertsen around, and the cafe is very cosy - the menu isn't terribly extensive, but quite varied; when we visited, we could choose between soup, pizza, pasta, a lentil/rice dish, bread with hummus... Vegan options are also available! The prices are very reasonable, 70 NOK for today's soup with bread, the most expensive main course (Pasta Pesto) costs 85 NOK. A decent selection of teas, coffees and organic juices available too.

I tried the African Bean Soup - a creamy, spicy tomato soup with red kidney beans, served with homemade bread. Very tasty, and a pretty large serving. Sivertsens Kafé is most definitely recommended to any veggie visiting Tromsø! (Hey, it's pretty much the only place where you'll actually be able to choose between more than one dish;o)

This is also a great place if you're simply looking for a cheap, filling meal - you definitely don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee at Sivertsens Kafé.

If you want more info about vegetarian food in Tromsø (or Norway in general), please see my veggie blog: norwayveggie.blogspot.com - where you'll find restaurant reviews (grouped by city), recipes, product recommendations and more. (Almost) all posts are in both Norwegian and English.


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Theme: Vegan/Vegetarian
Comparison: less expensive than average

Address: Vestregate 48
Directions: Yellow wooden building next to the Town Hall, in the city centre

Restaurant Name: Kaffe å Lars

This is a very nice little coffeebar, where you in addition to various kinds of coffee can get breakfast or lunch - they offer a selection of sandwiches, plus a couple of other dishes such as a burger, salad, pasta, soup... Kaffe å Lars is also a nice place for a pint of beer or a glass of wine.

The food is great, and the place is quite small - so around lunch time you might have to fight to get a table.. ;o)

Monday - Thursday: 0700 - 0100
Friday: 0700 - 0200
Saturday: 1100 - 0200
Sunday closed

(And if you want a proper restaurant meal in one of Tromsø's very best restaurants, just go upstairs to Emmas Drømmekjøkken, which translates into Emma's Dream Kitchen.... I haven't been there, but it is supposed to be really, really great - and expensive too... :o)


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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average

Address: Kirkegt. 8
Directions: Opposite Domkirken, the yellow wooden church right in the town centre.

Restaurant Name: Knoll og Tott

Knoll og Tott is located on the main street, Storgata - just across the road from Domkirken, the blue / yellow wooden cathedral right in the middle of town. This place is extremely popular in Tromsø, so expect longish queues around lunch time.

Knoll og Tott offers various salads and pies, as well as baked potatoes and some other hot dishes - but in my opinion, this place is all about the yummy baguettes: very, *very* fresh baguettes (two different kinds, white and wholemeal) with deliciously crisp crunchy crust and fillings of your choice. Options include roast beef, smoked salmon, shrimps, ham & cheese, meatballs, tuna, pepperoni, brie... plus of course vegetables and various sauces and dressings. Yum! Knoll og Tott is great for vegetarians - and for slightly picky eaters, too - the staff fill the baguette while you're waiting, so just tell 'em what you want. Price around 60 NOK for a baguette.

There's a seating area upstairs as well, so don't despair if the few tables downstairs are taken.. :o)


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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average

Phone: +47 77666880
Address: Storgata 62
Directions: Right in the middle of town - on Storgata, across the road from the yellow / blue wooden cathedral.

Restaurant Name: Yonas Pizzeria

Yonas has been Tromsø's favourite pizzeria for years (it opened in 1974 - when pizza was still quite exotic in Norway;o) - if you ask a local, the famous Taco-pizza (which really hasn't got anything to do with tacos at all...!) from Yonas is most likely by far the best pizza he's ever had, but if you ask someone else... well... to be honest, the pizza at Yonas really isn't all that special... (don't tell any of the locals I said that...!;o)

The pizzas at Yonas are thick and American style - and the prices quite similar to Peppes and Dolly Dimple's, the two big national chains of pizza restaurants. Yonas does have some rather unusual pizzas on the menu - like the one with smoked salmon, shrimps, crab meat and asparagus - or the one with beef, onion and bearnaise sauce! Also a few vegetarian options.

The restaurant is quite ok, the location is very convenient (in the basement of Radisson SAS Hotel, right in the city centre) - and it seems to be almost compulsory to have a meal at Yonas whilst visiting Tromsø.

Opening Hours:
Every day 11-24


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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: about average

Phone: +47 77 66 66 66
Address: Sjøgata 7
Directions: In the basement of Radisson Sas Hotel, city centre.
Website: http://www.yonas.no

Restaurant Name: Peppes Pizza

This chain of pizza restaurants is well-known to all Norwegians - and in my opinion Peppes is where you'll find the best pizza in Tromsø. A wide selection of American style pizzas - gluten free pizzas are also available. The pizza with garlic meatballs seems to be particularly popular, along with the one with BBQ-marinated beef - but there are lots of other pizzas on offer, including some rather unusual ones. You should also try the garlic/sour cream sauce - great with most pizzas!

There are a few other dishes on offer, like lasagne, salads, burgers and fajitas - but I've never tried any of those and probably never will, Peppes really is all about pizza...;o)

The pizza at Peppes is rather expensive - a large pizza will set you back ca NOK 200. (But that's enough food for two *very* hungry people, or 3-4 more moderately hungry...;o)


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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: +47 2222 5555
Address: Stortorget 2
Directions: In the centre of town

Restaurant Name: Thai House

There are a few Asian restaurants in Tromsø - and Thai House is by far my favourite. I have been here several times, and the food has always been good. (But the food hasn't been that great when we've ordered take-away here, so it's probably recommendable to eat in the restaurant!)

The restaurant is situated in the town centre, in the southern end of the main street (Storgata). The restaurant isn't huge, and it has a somewhat minimalist, but quite stylish décor (at least compared to most other Asian-Norwegian restaurants I've been to!;o).

The menu at Thai House is very extensive, and even vegetarians are really well catered for - which is *highly* unusual in Tromsø! Thai House offers a good selection of appetizers and soups - and a very varied selection of main courses. There's also a separate children's menu available, and a few desserts are on offer. Service can be lacking, though - we were here on the Norwegian national day, and Thai House had a more limited menu that day, without any veggie choices - when I asked if they could make something vegetarian, the grumpy waitress simply told me "No!" - huh? How hard is it to stir-fry some vegetables and noodles, for example!?

On our last visit, my friend opted for "Beef yellow curry with coconut milk and potatoes", served with rice (194 NOK), while I had "Stir fried mixed vegetables with glass noodles" (149 NOK) - the servings were large, and the food was simply delicious! The vegetables were fresh and cooked to perfection - nice and crispy! (If you want your food *very* spicy it might be an idea to tell the waiter so - in most Asian restaurants in Norway you'll find that the food has been *modified* to suit our sensitive Norwegian palates;o)

Prices at Thai House are medium-high, with most main courses priced between 150 and 230 NOK.

Thai House is open every day 15 - 23.


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Theme: Other
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: 77670526
Address: Storgata 22
Directions: In the town centre - Storgata is the main street in Tromsø, Thai House is located in the southern part of Storgata.
Website: http://www.thaihouse.no/index_en.php

Restaurant Name: Dolly Dimple's

Dolly Dimple's is a chain of pizza restaurants, with around 80 outlets all over Norway - including a couple in central Tromsø.

The pizza you get at Dolly Dimple's is mainly of the thick-crusted "American" kind - quite similar to the pizza at the other big national chain of pizza restaurants, Peppes. Dolly Dimple's has around 40 pizzas on the menu, including several vegetarian options - and if you don't find a pizza you fancy on the menu, pick your own ingredients and create a pizza that's *just* the way you like it...;op There's also a limited selection of pizzas available by the slice.

The pizzas are rather expensive, expect to pay ca 200 nok for a big pizza - but that's enough food for two *very* hungry or 3-4 more moderately hungry people. The Italian-style thin-crusted pizzas cost ca 110 nok. (But these aren't meant for sharing...:o) Gluten-free pizzas are available.

In Tromsø you'll find Dolly Dimple's in the following locations:

*Nerstranda: Shopping centre in the middle of town
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 10 - 20, Saturday 10 - 18, Sunday closed

*Sjøgata 5: In the town centre. Walk towards the sea from Domkirka, the yellow cathedral.
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 12 - 23

*Pyramiden: Shopping centre in Tromsdalen
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 10 - 20, Saturday 10 - 18, Sunday closed

*Workinntunet: between the town centre and the airport. Take-away only.
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 15 - 23


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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: 04440 (all restaurants)
Website: www.dolly.no

Restaurant Name: Tangs restaurant & Choi's Kjøkken

If you crave Chinese food while you're in Tromsø you have a few options available - none of them are really anything special, but I think Tang's is possibly the poorest choice. Tang's is centrally located next to the wooden cathedral, (Domkirken) right in the middle of town.

The menu at Tang's is quite extensive, but vegetarians will not have many dishes to choose from. My veggie dish was pretty much awful, most of the vegetables came from a tin (!!!!!!!) and the rest were overcooked. The carnivores were a bit happier with their meals, though. To add to the misery: the waitress seemed downright grumpy, and the service was extremely poor.

I have tried take-aways from Tang's a few times, and the food was actually not as bad then - so perhaps I visited the restaurant on a very, *very* bad day.

If you *really* need Chinese-ish food, I'd rather go to Choi's Kjøkken, a shortish walk from Tang's. Walk down Storgata (the main street) towards the north - walk up the hill at the end of the pedestrian street, and you'll find Choi's on your left. (Address: Storgata 132) The food here is far from fantastic - I've tried a few dishes here, some are ok but *do not bother* with the fried rice! My vegetarian fried rice only had three types of vegetables: carrots, peas and corn (!!!) - which quite obviously came from a packet of frozen vegetables. The food here is better than at Tang's though - plus, the service much friendlier.

Oh, and remember: if you want your "Chinese" food in Norway to be spicy, it is essential to tell the waiter! It might say *spicy* on the menu, but *do not trust that*!;o)


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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: about average

Address: Tang's: Bankgata 7 Choi's: Storgata 132
Website: http://www.chois.no/index.html