A participant in our group asked about suggestions on eating while in Norway. Happily during this tour, most of your meals are covered, with a few days without a provided lunch.
While our time in Bergen is very limited, both of us have some suggestions for you.
Rebecca recommends two sit-down places. One is The Harbour Café. You can ask to eat upstairs by the window because it overlooks the Fisketorget, the wharf and Bryggen buildings. https://harbourcafe.no/
The second is The Bryggenlofet Stuen, a very traditional, old-world restaurant. It’s the oldest restaurant in Bergen, very cozy, and in one of those original Hanseatic buildings on the wharf.
Are you a more adventurous eater? Love fish? Want to try something new like reindeer? If so, Ruth recommends eating at the Fishmarket down at the wharf of Bergen or Fish Me Fishmarket nearby. According to “Life in Norway”, it’s famous for its hearty fish soup. https://fishme.no/meny/ (For those who don’t speak Norwegian, the word meny means menu.
Of course, there’s always McDonald close to the wharf…but really…why would you want to do that while in Norway?
Remember, it’s Syttende Mai so there will be all sorts of stands selling polse (Norwegian hotdogs) and ice cream.
If you choose to take the Fløibanen funicular to the top (highly recommended by both of us), there’s also a nice café up there with great views. https://www.floyen.no/servering/floistuen-butikk-og-kafe
We have more free time in Oslo but unfortunately, it’s been quite a while since I’ve been there, so I cannot recommend any places. I did save an article from the Sons of Norway’s September 2022 thinking that we might try one of these places while we’re there.
The last time Rebecca was in Oslo, she joined a cousin of ours and ate at Peppe’s Pizza which seems to be a popular place. You might not realize that pizza is now one of the top-ranking foods in Norway!
While there, you might hear about the new Nordic cuisine. It is a healthier way of eating that support the farm to table concept and freshness. Many restaurants in Norway advertise this type of menus.
Two final notes about food. As mentioned in an earlier blog, some hotels offer a matpak where you can take meat, cheese, etc. from the breakfast buffet for a smaller price and have that for lunch. While that offer was popular pre-covid, we are not sure it’s done yet today.
Secondly, it’s very Norwegian to have your big meal (middagsmat) of the day at 4 or 5 p.m. Maybe our tour will be offering the ‘dinner’ at that time. Who knows? Questions regarding scheduled dinner times, please contact Amy at Borton’s. Her email address is : amy@bortonoverseas.com
Exciting times are ahead, and food is just one aspect of experiencing a different culture. Take advantage of it!
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