"Sunday Opening" Restaurants in Norway - Falstaff (2024)

Varemottaket is run by chefs Peder Støylen and Halaigh Whelan McManus who used to work at a number of Michelin starred restaurants, Maaemo amongst them. They recently opened their own place – recommended in the Guide – at the back of a butcher shop in order to serve reasonably priced fine dining with minimal fuss, and lots of good (and loud) music on the sound system.

Fjellskål’s choice of seafood is vast, as it stems from the fishmonger bearing the same name and ownership. The access to the freshest produce imaginable – shrimp, scallops, turbot, halibut and loads more – secures a menu that makes you salivate, and you can go for both a set menu or à la carte. The one thing you can count on, is that you’re in for a real treat.

Hallingstuene is a classic restaurant run by renowned chef Froda Aga and his wife Berit Kongsvik, located in Geilo, a small mountain village, between the equally awe-inspiring Hardangervidda and Hallingdal, showcasing Norwegian nature at its rawest. The food of course reflects this, and you can expect the very best mountain trout, reindeer, venison, lamb or grouse to name some eternal highlights of the region.

Peder is head chef Peder Salomon Blid Børstad. With a little help from his uncle, he opened the restaurant featuring excellent produce and techniques learned from all over the world. Norwegian ingredients, sustainability and animal welfare are important focus points for the chefs at Hos Peder (meaning At Peder’s Place). The wine selection is both classical and natural.

This Trondheim bistro was established by the people of Chez Colin in Oslo, dishes are served in the old wooden wharves near GamleBybro(The Old Town Bridge) by the river Nidelva. Expect lovely oysters, escargots, entrecôte and crème brûlée in this cosy and very popular restaurant in Trondheim. The turbot is served on the bone with a fennel and mussel sauce, and is of course divine.

It’s a bistro serving pizza and co*cktails omakase style. The chefs will prepare an 8-12 course menu paired with drinks. The dishes are presented in a modern fashion and are perfect as sharing dishes. You can also enjoy a pizza and a drink or go for the omakase menu. The company Lofthus Samvirkelag runs both this and many more hot spots in Oslo.

Beautifully located in an old wooden house in quaint Fredensborgveien, this French bistro is among the city’s finest. Oysters, foie gras, duck, sole meunière, entrecôte, you name it, it’s all on the menu along with a good selection of other wonderful dishes. The wine list is also quite impressive, naturally focusing on French wines, but not exclusively.

The restaurant was recently rebuilt after a damaging fire destroyed the historical building some years ago. Nedre Foss Gård is back to its former glory and is beautifully located by the river Akerselva in the Grünerløkka neighbourhood. Guests choose between à la carte or a four-course menu, based on seasonal ingredients focusing on sustainability.

Eva-Linda and Espen Ramnestedtwho also run Smak in the same building in Tromsø, opened thisneighbourhood restaurant earlier this year. The focus is on high quality, local food served in a relaxed eatery facing the famous and quite spectacular Arctic Cathedral. Local lamb, stockfish, organic salmon and herring platter are among the produce to be found on the menu.

A casual hangout in trendy Grünerløkka with a wine list focusing on California and Burgundy. You’ll see delicious sharing dishes like tarte flambée or cheese and charcuterie boards, but also bigger plates of entrecôte and turbot. Also on the menu is the legendary lobster salad from Swedish chef Ulf Wagner from Sjömagasinet in Gothenborg where chef Jimmy Örnewald (formerly of Katla) was born.

Lysebu hotel and restaurant is located in the surroundings of Holmenkollen at the edge of Nordmarka, the huge, wooded area north of Oslo. Every month the chefs at Lysebu compose a 3-course menu based on the finest seasonal ingredients. You can then choose from two to five of the courses and sample wonderful Nordic dishes, or simply choose from the varied à la carte menu. Wine Spectator has continually since 2005 rated the wine cellar as one of the best in the world.

This French brasserie is located inside Hotel Charmante in Bergen, promising to take guests back to the grand era of early 1900’s Paris. Close friends and chefs Morten Tungesvik and David McCartey pride themselves on a commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing, practicing the philosophy of nose-to-tail cooking. Norwegian produce like baby goat is to be found on the menu.

If you’d like to experience Norwegian nature at its grandest you should visit the village Skjolden in the Luster municipality in the country’s western part. At Skjolden Hotel you will be treated to the region’s best produce. Almost everything on the plates is from just outside the doors of the restaurant, whether it’s the amazing seafood, game, vegetables or fruit, and the dishes are prepared with the love and care they deserve.

Dinner has been an institution amongst Norway’s many Chinese restaurants for many years, generally being considered a cut above the rest. The menu focuses mainly on the Szechuan and Cantonese cuisines and includes a number of flavourful and spicy dishes. Not only are the chefs doing justice to these traditions, but they are also innovative, moving the established boundaries into a new era.

Frescohallen is a fine dining restaurant located inside a historical building and former stock exchange in Bergen. The menu features Norwegian reindeer, king crab, and local cheeses but also French dishes like beef tenderloin with béarnaise and crème brûlée.
Bergen Børs (the stock exchange) is considered the most important neo-renaissance building in Bergen.

Løkka Deli turns into Løkka Bistro in the evenings twice a week. Nud Dudhia (known from Breddos Tacos) is the man behind this concept inspired by St. John in London. There is an international vibe to the menu that changes weekly in this relaxed place in trendy Grünerløkka, with today’s menu written on a chalk board as well as an à la carte menu.

Newly opened restaurant in the place that the trendy Vandelay (now closed) used to be in Oslo’s Bjørvika area. Palate is a culinary journey through Italy and Spain, but also Norway. The menu by Helga Dis Asbergsdottir Flaaten and Kawai Kahlonis is perfect for sharing, with a good balance of grilled meats, seafood and vegetable dishes to try.

Located in a historic brewery building, this wonderful Italian restaurant is a favourite amongst the people of Oslo, set right at the entry point to the vibrant Grünerløkka area. The menu features classics like Vitello Tonnato and Caprese di Burrata, exquisite pasta dishes, risottos, a great selection of charcuterie and cheeses, as well as fish- and meat-dishes. The wine list apparently offers the largest selection of Italian wines in Norway.

Newly reopened Fløirestauranten overlooking beautiful Bergen from above has a manifesto, basically stating they are focusing on authentic craftmanship, local ingredients and authentic flavours. The restaurant has different areas with different concepts and menus, and the very heart of Fløirestauranten is its brasserie, open for both lunch and dinner.

The three Michelin starred restaurant Re-Naa also has a few spinoffs. Sirkus Renaa is a small bakery/pizzeria chain with three outlets in Stavanger and one in nearby Sandnes. You’ll find excellent breakfast servings, lunches, brunches and then pizzas in the evening, and you won’t be disappointed coming here.