Norwegian Food in Tromsø: Local Dishes to Try and Where to Eat

Land of cod and salmon: there was no doubt we were going to love Norwegian food. Even though restaurants in Norway are seriously expensive, we made a point of tasting as many local specialties as we could! Partly because we’re greedy and curious, but also so we could share our discoveries with you here. We knew nothing about Nordic cuisine before the trip, and the least we can say is that we ate really well! In this guide, we share the traditional Norwegian dishes we tried in Tromsø, from reindeer to brown cheese, the ones we loved (and the ones we didn’t!), plus the restaurants we tested.

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Traditional Norwegian food: dishes to try in Tromsø

What do Norwegians eat in a day?

Before making your mouth water with the specialties, a quick word about Norwegian eating habits. Norwegians start the day with a hearty, savory breakfast: salmon, eggs, bread, cheese… Lunch is usually a quick bite on the go, like a sandwich, a burger or a kebab. Dinner comes early, right after work around 6 pm, and many people have a small snack later in the evening, around 9 or 10 pm.

During our excursions, we were served a vegetable and reindeer meat soup several times. I wasn’t a big fan, as I found the meat quite fatty. At Francisco’s (where we slept in a lavvo, a traditional Sami tent), he cooked us a local specialty for dinner: lamb. The next morning, we had a typical Norwegian breakfast of scrambled eggs and salmon… a perfect match!

Now, on to the Norwegian specialties we saw and tasted!

Reindeer meat (reinsdyr) and finnbiff

You can’t talk about Norwegian food without mentioning reindeer, raised in the north of the country mainly by the Sami people. In Tromsø, it’s on the menu at many restaurants, as a steak or a fillet, but also as finnbiff, a traditional dish of thinly sliced reindeer simmered in a creamy sauce, served with mashed potatoes and lingonberries.

I was a bit hesitant at first, but I still tried it several times… The meat has a strong, gamey flavor, and I didn’t always enjoy it. But if you’re a meat lover like Alcino, go for it!

Reindeer isn’t only eaten as red meat, though. We also saw it dried and even as sausage, which has an even stronger taste! You’ll easily find both in grocery stores and supermarkets, and they make an original foodie souvenir to bring home.

And if you’d rather see reindeer alive, we tell you all about it in our dedicated article. During that reindeer experience, we were also served bidos, a Sami stew of reindeer and vegetables.

Norwegian cod (torsk)

With Portuguese roots, we’re used to seeing Bacalhau da Noruega (Norwegian cod) everywhere in supermarkets during our vacations in Portugal: Norway is the main supplier of the dried salted cod Portuguese people love so much. So of course, we had to try cod here! It was nothing like Portuguese cooking: the fish was barely cooked, which gave it a slightly spongy texture… I had it with bacon and cheese, a very unusual combination for us. And honestly, it was pretty good!

Dried fish chips

This one… we didn’t dare try it… but apparently it’s good! In northern Norway, people have been snacking on dried fish, tørrfisk (stockfish), for centuries, and these fish chips are the modern, bagged version. The lady at the store told us Norwegians eat them as an afternoon snack… ok… If you’re braver than us, you’ll easily find them in supermarkets.

Fiskesuppe: creamy Norwegian fish soup

It’s probably the most comforting dish in Norwegian cuisine, and a real treat when it’s freezing outside! Fiskesuppe is a creamy fish soup, usually made with salmon and cod, plus vegetables like carrots or leeks. You’ll find it in plenty of restaurants and cafés in Tromsø. The one I had at Bardus Bistro was delicious: rich and creamy, with perfectly cooked salmon and crunchy vegetables… I loved it!

Norwegian salmon: smoked salmon and gravlaks

It’s simple: I ate the best salmon of my life in Norway. Not surprising when you know the country is the world’s largest producer of Atlantic salmon. Here, it’s everywhere, from breakfast to dinner, and the flavor is just exquisite.

I had this unforgettable salmon at Mathallen restaurant, and I still remember it! But even at breakfast, served with scrambled eggs like at Francisco’s, it’s a treat.

Make sure you try Norwegian smoked salmon (røkelaks), which is often cut into thicker pieces rather than the thin slices we’re used to in France. And if you see it on the menu, order gravlaks too: raw salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill, a classic all over Scandinavia.

Kanelboller: Norwegian cinnamon buns

You can’t miss kanelboller in Norway: they’re sold in every bakery, café and even gas station! These cinnamon buns are cousins of the famous cinnamon rolls found across the Nordic countries and the English-speaking world. What makes them special: the dough is often flavored with cardamom, and they’re sometimes twisted into a knot instead of a swirl.

Norwegians are among the biggest coffee drinkers in the world, and a kanelbolle is the go-to companion for an afternoon coffee break. Personally, I’m not a huge cinnamon fan and mine was a little dry, but I’d give it another try!

Norwegian cheese and brunost (brown cheese)

We didn’t expect it, but Norwegians eat a lot of cheese! Mostly at breakfast, in thin slices on bread, cut with an ostehøvel, the cheese slicer… which happens to be a Norwegian invention! The best-known Norwegian cheese abroad is Jarlsberg, a mild cheese with holes. Some restaurants also serve cheese boards.

But THE must-try Norwegian specialty is brunost, or “brown cheese”. It’s made from caramelized whey, which gives it its brown color and a unique taste somewhere between cheese and caramel. Norwegians eat it sliced on bread or waffles, and some restaurants even turn it into ice cream.

Burgers (even reindeer burgers!)

Not exactly Norwegian, but burgers are everywhere… sometimes even made with reindeer meat! They’re also one of the most affordable ways to eat out in Tromsø, even if prices are still high. Our pick for a great burger: Huken Pub, more on it below.

Bread and crispbread (knekkebrød)

Norwegians love bread! We often saw it served with aioli. What we saw even more, though, was crispbread (knekkebrød), the Wasa-style crackers, plain or filled with all kinds of flavors.

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Where to eat in Tromsø: the restaurants we tried

We’ve already listed all the places we tested in our complete guide to visiting Tromsø, but here they are again.

➺ Bardus Bistro: our favorite restaurant of the trip. A cozy setting, and above all a great meal with several Norwegian specialties at reasonable prices! The dining room is small and very popular, so book ahead, especially in winter.

➺ Hildr: dishes of outstanding quality. The concept is small sharing plates, but priced like full-size portions, which we found a bit much. 

➺ Mathallen: the city’s flagship restaurant… where dinner cost us an arm and a leg! The food was excellent (this is where I had the best salmon in the world), but prices are very high and the service was painfully slow. The waitstaff and cooks were chatting among themselves and with friends who had come to eat, or scrolling on their phones, somewhat forgetting about the customers. Dinner took us 2.5 hours, even though the restaurant was almost empty! Since then, a new chef has taken over the kitchen, and recent reviews say the service is much better.

➺ Huken Pub: for a Nordic beer and a delicious burger! Thanks to our friend Aurélie from the travel blog Chouette World for the tip! The pub is tiny, so arrive early to get a table. They also serve pancakes.

➺ Ølhallen: to taste countless beers in a really fun setting. It’s Tromsø’s oldest pub, opened in 1928 in the cellars of the Mack brewery, with 72 Norwegian beers on tap.

Unfortunately, we didn’t find any amazing bakery or pastry shop to recommend! 

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We really loved the Norwegian food we tasted in Tromsø! Many dishes are based on fish or meat, but the ingredients are always top quality. On the other hand, eating out is very, very expensive: we had lunch at Burger King once, and even there the bill was crazy! Still, even on a tight budget, we recommend treating yourself to at least one restaurant meal, if only to taste that incredible salmon! And you, have you ever tried Norwegian food?

FAQ: Norwegian food and where to eat in Tromsø