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At the best restaurants in Tromso, you’ll find delicious food from the Arctic and beyond. Tromso may be a small city, but it still boasts plenty of excellent dining options.
Many chefs use local, seasonal products, so eating at a Tromso restaurant is a wonderful chance to sample the regional fare. Moreover, since Tromso is a seaside city, many dishes also tend to include fresh, locally sourced fish. Rest assured, however, that you can still find meals that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
As you plan your trip to Tromso, it’s smart to think ahead about where to eat in Tromso, Norway. You’ll find plenty of Scandinavian restaurants in Tromso, of course, but if you want some variety, there are also Asian fusion restaurants, pizza joints, sushi spots, and more.
To sum it up, these are the best Tromso restaurants:
1. Restaurant Smak, a Tromso must eat restaurant
If you’re a fine dining snob, look no further than Restaurant Smak for your next meal in Tromso. This quality Tromso restaurant has a menu that changes every two weeks, so you’ll always get something new and exciting. Additionally, the chef uses local products as much as possible, so expect fresh and delicious regional dishes.
You can choose between the large menu, with 18 servings, or the small menu, with 11 servings, depending on how hungry you’re feeling. You can also opt for the menu with alcohol or with alcohol-free drinks.
Since Restaurant Smak is one of the Tromso must-eat spots and only has 24 seats available for diners, I suggest booking a table ahead of time so you don’t miss out.
- Type of cuisine: Scandinavian
- Average price per person: $124-$283
- Menu
2. Bardus Bistro, one of the best restaurants in Tromso
Enjoy Norwegian food with a Mediterranean twist at Bardus Bistro, one of the top restaurants in Tromso. Here, home-style meals with seasonal ingredients from the Tromsø region are served in a former cinema that has been transformed into a traditional bistro.
The bistro’s menu is constantly changing based on what’s available locally, but you’ll often find dishes on offer with classic Norwegian ingredients, including moose, reindeer, and crab.
This Tromsø restaurant is also home to a bar, which serves beer, wine, and cocktails. If you’re feeling adventurous, make sure to try the bistro’s Arctic seaweed cocktail, an original and famous creation.
- Type of cuisine: Norwegian
- Average price per person: $20-$60
- Menu
3. Mathallen, a Tromso local food restaurant
Mathallen is a unique restaurant in Tromso because in addition to its eatery, it’s also home to a deli shop that stocks Tromso local food and Norwegian delicacies such as cheese, meat, and fish.
Like many other restaurants in Tromsø, Mathallen’s kitchen uses local, seasonal ingredients. As such, the menu’s options range from classic Norwegian fare like herring to more internationally influenced cuisine like beef in bearnaise sauce. You can opt for either a four-course menu or the a la carte menu, but whichever you choose, you’ll be in for a delightful meal.
- Type of cuisine: Norwegian
- Average price per person: $28-$110
- Menu
4. Full Steam Tromso, where to eat in Tromso for a date
Full Steam Tromso is not just a Tromso fish restaurant. Located in a former fish factory, this restaurant also contains a museum on the history of fishing in Tromso, so you can combine your meal with an educational visit.
Full Steam’s main ingredients include fresh fish that has been sourced from the local region. The menu’s dishes are, of course, mainly seafood- and fish-based, but you’ll also find lamb and reindeer on offer. Food can be quite expensive in Norway, but as restaurants in Tromso go, Full Steam is one of the more affordable.
- Type of cuisine: Norwegian
- Average price per person: $15-$40
- Menu
5. Fiskekompaniet, a Tromso fish restaurant with a sea view
At Fiskekompaniet, which is located right on Tromso Harbor, the fish don’t have to travel far before they end up on your plate. This upscale Tromso fish restaurant specializes in fresh fish and seafood, centering their menu on marine delicacies.
Because the restaurant is so invested in using only the freshest local ingredients, the menu is constantly changing to accommodate whatever is available at a given time.
You can choose from either a four-course or six-course menu. Typical offerings might include a seafood soup, catch of the day, and sorbet for dessert.
- Type of cuisine: Norwegian
- Average price per person: $85-$110
- Menu
6. Emmas Drommekjokken (Emma’s Dream Kitchen)
Emmas Drommekjokken, or “Emma’s Dream Kitchen,” is just that – a culinary dream. Choose from a four-, seven-, or nine-course tasting menu that changes weekly based on the seasonal, local ingredients that are available. Add wine pairings to your tasting menu of choice or stop by the first-floor bar before your meal for an aperitif.
A typical menu consists of both hot and cold meat and fish dishes with a sweet dessert to cap off the experience. Besides the delicious food, you’ll also be able to enjoy lovely views of Tromsø Cathedral’s park, which this Tromso restaurant overlooks.
- Type of cuisine: Norwegian
- Average price per person: $85-$150
- Menu
7. Arctandria Seafood Restaurant, another Tromso fish restaurant with fresh fish
Fish and seafood abound at Arctandria Seafood Restaurant. Located in a quaint former storehouse by the quayside, this Tromso king crab restaurant offers many different types of fresh food from the sea: cod, king crab, salmon, mussels, and more.
Meat lovers can choose from among several preparations of reindeer, including reindeer tartare and fried reindeer. There’s even a vegetarian option of fresh carrot and ginger soup. For dessert, try the blackberries with cream and almonds or the chocolate fondant cake.
- Type of cuisine: Norwegian
- Average price per person: $38-$60
- Menu
8. Casa Inferno, an affordable Italian restaurant in Tromso
If you’re looking for affordable, tasty food and/or vegetarian options, check out Casa Inferno, a Tromsø restaurant that makes Italian wood-fired pizzas. Start your meal off with a house-brewed beer while you soak up the steampunk-inspired décor.
Then, choose your antipasti: there’s bruschetta, charcuterie boards, a house salad, and more. The long list of pizzas on the menu is separated into ones with tomato sauce (“red pizzas”) and without (“white pizzas”). While you’ll spot classics like the Margherita, as well as a variety of calzones and meat-covered pizzas, you’ll also see plenty of vegetarian choices.
Finally, a traditional Italian dessert is the perfect way to end the night: cannoli, tiramisu, pannacotta, and, of course, gelato are all on the menu.
- Type of cuisine: Italian
- Average price per person: $20-$30
- Menu
9. Suvi, a Tromso restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options
One of the best restaurants in Tromso for non-Scandinavian food is Suvi, a Japanese fusion restaurant with numerous vegan and vegetarian options. This dining spot is also perfect for travelers on a budget, since it’s one of the cheapest restaurants in Tromso.
The extensive a la carte menu includes appetizer favorites like miso soup, dim sum, and spring rolls; Asian tapas like steamed buns and fried scampi; and main courses like chicken katsu and salmon teriyaki. There’s also a large sushi, sashimi, and maki menu as well as designated vegan and vegetarian menu sections.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the variety of options, keep it simple and order one of the set three-course menus.
- Type of cuisine: Japanese fusion
- Average price per person: $4-$35
- Menu
10. Rå Sushi, one of the best restaurants in Tromso for sushi
Admire the view of Tromso Harbor as you munch on nigiri at Rå Sushi, a Tromso must eat place if you’re a sushi fan. The restaurant’s menu focuses almost exclusively on sushi, other than the appetizers, which include miso soup, yakitori, gyoza, and edamame.
Sushi lovers certainly won’t be disappointed, as you’ll find everything on the menu from hot sushi and various types of sashimi to nigiri and a huge variety of maki. Best of all, even with the wide selection of fresh fish, the restaurant’s prices are still quite affordable for Tromso.
- Type of cuisine: Japanese
- Average price per person: $6-$60
- Menu
And with that, you have everything you need to plan your meals at the best restaurants in Tromso. Use the Tromso restaurants map below to help you find your way to these dining hot-spots.
Of course, a trip to this Norwegian city would not be complete without a stay at one of the best hotels in Tromso. Also, while you’re exploring the area, don’t forget to stop in at some of the top Tromso museums.
Bon appetit!