Food · Norway
What to eat in Norway
Norway's food, destination by destination.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Orjanarvola, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Brown cheese, Norwegian waffles and Fish soup. Caramelised whey cheese with a sweet, fudge-like taste, sliced thin with a cheese plane onto bread, crispbread or warm waffles.
Key facts
- Dishes in this guide
- 9
- Destinations
- 3
Dishes to try in Norway
Try in Oslo · Vegetarian
Brown cheese
Caramelised whey cheese with a sweet, fudge-like taste, sliced thin with a cheese plane onto bread, crispbread or warm waffles. Varieties range from mild cow's-milk Gudbrandsdalsost to the sharper goat's-milk geitost.
Where: Every supermarket and breakfast buffet; cheese counters at Mathallen Oslo let you compare styles.
Try in Oslo · Vegetarian
Norwegian waffles
Soft, heart-shaped waffles served warm with sour cream and strawberry jam or with brunost. They are a standard treat at cafés, ski cabins and the huts along forest trails.
Where: Cafés across the city and the cabin cafés in Nordmarka, such as those on the trails beyond Sognsvann and Frognerseteren.
Try in Oslo
Fish soup
A creamy soup of white fish, salmon, shellfish and root vegetables, often finished with dill. It is a warming lunch on a cold day and a good way to try Norwegian seafood without the price of a full fish dinner.
Where: Seafood restaurants around Aker Brygge and the fish counters at Mathallen Oslo.
Try in Bergen
Bergen fish soup
A creamy, slightly sweet-and-sour soup of white fish, fish balls, carrots, celeriac and leeks in a rich stock, a Bergen speciality served with bread.
Where: Restaurants around Bryggen and the harbour, and stalls at the fish market.
Try in Bergen · Vegetarian
Skillingsbolle
Bergen's large, spiralled cinnamon bun dusted with sugar, more generous and less sticky than Swedish versions. Locals argue about which bakery makes the best.
Where: Bakeries across the city, from small independent bakers to local chains such as Baker Brun.
Try in Bergen
Raspeballer
Large dumplings of grated raw potato and flour, boiled and served with salted meat, sausages, mashed swede and melted butter. In western Norway many families eat them on Thursdays.
Where: Traditional restaurants and cafés offering Norwegian home cooking, often on Thursdays.
Try in Tromsø
Arctic char
A cold-water fish related to salmon and trout, with pink flesh and a delicate flavour, served pan-fried, smoked or cured. It is one of northern Norway's signature dishes.
Where: Restaurants serving Arctic cuisine along the harbour and Storgata.
Try in Tromsø
Skrei and mølje
Skrei is the migrating Atlantic cod that arrives on the northern coast from about January to April. In the traditional mølje feast it is boiled and served with its liver and roe, washed down with beer or aquavit.
Where: Seafood restaurants in the centre during the winter skrei season.
Try in Tromsø
King crab
The giant red king crab, found in the Barents Sea and northern fjords, has sweet, meaty legs that are usually served simply boiled with bread, butter and lemon.
Where: Seafood restaurants in Tromsø, and on king-crab fishing safaris further north.
Food scene by destination
| Destination | Food experience | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Oslo | Food hall lunch at Mathallen | Norwegians eat early: lunch is often a light open sandwich around 11:30am, and dinner from about 5pm at home, though restaurants serve… |
| Bergen | Seafood at the fish market | Eating out is expensive; lunch specials and bakery lunches cost much less than dinner. |
| Tromsø | Arctic menus | Eating out is very expensive; lunch specials and bakeries are much cheaper than dinner. |
Food experiences
- Oslo — Food hall lunch at Mathallen: Mathallen at Vulkan gathers cheese, fish, meat and bakery counters with small restaurants under one roof.
- Bergen — Seafood at the fish market: Order a plate of prawns, smoked salmon or fish soup at the stalls by the harbour.
- Tromsø — Arctic menus: Several restaurants in the centre build tasting menus around Arctic char, cod, king crab, reindeer and wild berries, a good way to try northern Norwegian ingredients in one evening.
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Norway famous for?
Brown cheese, Norwegian waffles, Fish soup, Bergen fish soup and Skillingsbolle.