Budget
Kroathai
The Thai equivalent of Hot Wok, although with slightly smaller portions. Service is usually fast, and the staff is friendly. Can often be full, so take-out can be a good plan B. Serves lunch for kr. 59. There is also a Kroa Thai restaurant with the same menu in à sane senter, a few miles outside of the town senter. Multiple options for vegetarians.
Zupperia
Soups and salads â tasty, cheap and big portions.
Bergen Kebab
Though selling the cheapest kebabs in town, Bergen Kebab manages to maintain a decent level of service and quality. Serves an ok pizza as well.
Pasta Sentral
Cheap but decent pasta and pizza for students and budget travellers alike. Pasta Sentral has been an institution in Bergen since its opening in 1990. Provides a take-out service as well.
Thai Curry House Restaurant (CLOSED)
Affordable thai restaurant. Interior decoration may look a little tacky, but don't let it put you off. The food is good and freshly prepared, however, service can be a little slow. The place is very small, yet quite popular so you may want to have a plan B before going here.
Hot Wok City
Good-quality Chinese food freshly cooked in the open kitchen. Service is fast, and the prices are low. This is a place with many regular customers, especially between 4PM and 6PM. Around kr. 86 for most courses.
Bjellands Kjøkken
Bjellands Kjøkken is a tiny cafe at Nordnes Strandgaten, run by 76 year old Randi Bjelland which is worth the walk herself. She does everything by herself in a tiny kitchen, makes everything from scratch. Serves a great variety of traditional food depending on season; huge flesh-pancakes, homemade fish-cakes, meatballs, cooked cod, salted meat, whale-meat etc. 6 tables, good portions and reasonable prices.
Midrange
Kafé Kippers
The café serves a variety of meals, from sandwiches to dinners. The view is extraordinary. If you are lucky enough to catch a sunny day, you can observe a range of activities that happens in the bay. Indoors the café has a quiet atmosphere. There are large panorama windows facing the water giving you a romantic view even on rainy days. In connection with the restaurant, there is a changing art exhibition. Accessible with a wheelchair.
Bocca Restaurant
One of the most popular restaurants in Bergen, probably most due to its location. It has an exciting interior and decent food, but is a bit overpriced.
Ma Ma-Thai
Delicious Thai cusine.
Ichiban
Fresh, tasty and fast sushi at the cheapest prices in town. Primarily take-away, but you can also eat in if you don't mind the complete lack of atmosphere.
La Bottega Italiana
Run by a Sicilian, La Bottega Italiana serves Sicilian-style pasta dishes, salads, a few main courses and Tiramisu for Dolce.
Café Opera
Great food for the money. This is a place with many regular customers. During the day they serve lunch and cakes. Early in the evening it is a place for dinner and beer. Late night is for dancing. Main courses are between kr. 80-150.
Pingvinen
A very nice, but usually crowded bar where you can also get a good portion of Norwegian food. Recommended by Time Magazine (http://www.time.com/time/...). Food available throughout opening hours. One of very few venues where genuine Norwegian homecooking â and large bowls of popcorn â are available. Nice prices on food and drink, main courses from kr. 80-140.
Naboen Pub & Restaurant
Open from 4PM every day. An informal restaurant with two price ranges: You can get the best priced gourmet food in town, or you can go for the cheaper "Swedish" menu. Regardless of what you choose, the food is prepared from first class local ingredients, and you get to enjoy the freshly baked bread and white table cloths. One of the best restaurants in town. For dinnertime dining you need a reservation. If you don't have reservations, try the rather crowded pub downstairs - they serve the "Swedish" menu there too. Main courses from the swedish menu are from kr. 80-150, main courses from the gourmet menu are from kr. 180-280.
Yr Café & Restaurant
A refreshing cafe/restaurant run by two young girls, which is reflected in the interior and menu. Try out the fried Smil-chokolate with caramel icecream.
Top end
Potetkjelleren
Partially situated in a medieval basement, Potetkjelleren offers gourmet food in very special surroundings. The place is often crowded and a reservation is required.
Søtt + Salt
Bergen's latest and perhaps best according to local newspaper BT restaurant. Very ambitious but more reasonably priced than Colonialen and Cornelius. Located at Hotell Norge, Søtt+Salt leaves you with the option of 3,5 or 7 course meals. Reservations are recommended.
Bryggen Tracteursted
Bryggen Tracteursted offers a modern kitchen inspired by Hanseatic and local traditions, served in historic surroundings. A hidden treasure with its somewhat anonymous appearance. The restaurant can in principle fit up to about 200 guests, but the kitchen is very small, and expansion is not allowed by the cultural heritage authorities. This forces the restaurant to accept a relatively low number of patrons at a time â giving a peaceful atmosphere. A reservation is recommended.
Enhjørningen
Bergen's most traditional â and expensive â fish restaurant. Located in a building restored to its 18th century appearance, Enhjørningen is well reputed for its excellent food, served in classical manners. A reservation is required. Ask for a window table if possible, as you will have a beautiful view of Bergen harbor.
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink: | |
| Budget | Up to 130 kr |
| Mid-range | 130â210 kr |
| Splurge | Over 210 kr |
There is a great variety of restaurants and cafes in Bergen, but you should expect to spend some time looking for the best places. In the most central parts of the city, many of the restaurants are all the same. Move a block away from the most central parts of downtown to find lower prices and better food. Kitchens usually close at 11PM at the latest.
Waiters and other restaurant staff have good wages. You are not required to leave any money to cover the service, but many people choose to tip the waiter if he or she has been helpful and nice, and if the food was good. If you choose to leave a tip, rounding up or adding about five to ten percent will be appreciated. A rule of thumb would be that the more expensive the food is, the more are you expected to leave a tip.
Keep in mind that tap water is safe to drink and usually free of charge. To save money, ask for tap water to drink.
local food
Finding local food might take some effort, but there are some options. There aren't that many local dishes available at restaurants. "Norwegian" food is the food of the husmann cottager â nutritious and cheap, not what you usually find in a restaurant. The Bergen fish soup might be the most important, as well as raspeballer and cooked cod. If you want to get that Norwegian taste and have a gourmet meal at the same time, look for dishes that use "local" ingredients such as reindeer, stockfish and cod with a twist, such as Bryggen Tracteursted's filet of reindeer farced with goat cheese.
Many cafe's and restaurants serve "raspeballer" on Thursdays. Raspeballer are local potato dumplings, in Bergen usually served with bacon, sausages, salted meat from sheep, melted butter and mashed rutabaga. You can get takeaway raspeballer at Kjøttbasaren kr. 50, cheap ones at Lido, excellent ones at Pingvinen and Bjellands Kjøkken. You can get reasonable take-away fish soup, fish-balls, "plukkfisk" and fish-gratin at Madam Bergen.
In november, december and january, traditional Christmas food is served in many restaurants. Look for "pinnekjøtt" cured, dried and sometimes smoked meat of lamb or mutton, "lutefisk" lit. "lye fish", dried cod prepared with lye and "ribbe" oven-baked pork ribs. For a very special experience, try smalahove sheep's head. It is a traditional dish from Voss not far from Bergen.