Best Restaurants in Tromso: Where We Ate & Would Return To
- Shal & James
- Feb 27
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 17
A no-nonsense guide to the best restaurants and cinnamon buns in Tromso, ranked in order of our favourites and places we’d happily book again.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN TROMSO
If you’re hunting for the best restaurants in Tromso, this is our unfiltered hit list, listed in genuine order of obsession. We mostly focused on dinner spots and cinnamon buns, because lunches were either bundled into tours or heroically sacrificed after a hotel breakfast so generous it could’ve powered a sled team.
Every spot below is somewhere we ate, loved and would return to in a heartbeat. We didn’t have a single dud, unless you count tour “meals” which tend to mean hot dogs or freeze-dried rations.
A quick reality check: there aren’t loads of restaurants in Tromso, so reservations are absolutely essential, particularly in winter. Wait lists are common and the best tables disappear weeks if not months in advance.
We tried to book Restaurant Smak (Wed-Sat 6PM - 12AM) a couple of months before our trip, tempted by its intimate chef’s table feel and meticulously crafted multi-course tasting menu celebrating seasonal Arctic ingredients. Still no luck. Fully booked.
We soothed the disappointment with a tasting menu at Emma's Dream Kitchen instead, more on that in a moment. Mathallen Tromso (Mon-Sat 11AM - 10PM) also looked excellent and consistently well reviewed, but we simply couldn’t squeeze it in.
Also important: several restaurants close on Sundays and/or Mondays, so double-check opening days before planning your evening around a dish you may never actually meet.
DINNER
CINNAMON BUNS
BARDUS BISTRO & BAR
Tue-Fri 11AM - 3PM + 4-10PM
Sat 12-3PM + 4-10PM
Sun-Mon Closed
Housed in a building from 1868, once a bakery and later Tromso’s first cinema, Bardus Bistro & Bar has clearly found its calling. It’s consistently highly rated on Tripadvisor, and one step inside explains why. Think timber beams, low lighting and an intimate, cosy atmosphere, paired with genuinely knowledgeable staff who will steer you towards what suits your palate rather than just nodding along.
James needed no convincing when it came to the reindeer steak, while Shal needed a bit of a pep talk. It’s usually served medium rare, but we had it medium and it was our best meal in Tromso. Cook it any further and it risks turning rubbery as reindeer is extremely lean. It’s also one of the few red meats naturally higher in omega 3 thanks to the lichen-rich diet of Arctic reindeer, which makes it feel almost healthy.
On their recommendation, we paired it with juleøl, Norway’s traditional Christmas beer. The custom dates back to the Viking era, when brewing beer for Yule was required under medieval law. Modern juleøl is dark and malt-forward with notes of caramel and dried fruit, and with the reindeer it was spot on.
We finished with the cookie dough fondant and Baileys ice cream. Even if cookie dough isn’t usually your thing, order this. It’s outrageously good.
And don't even think about dropping by without a reservation. We made ours through their website here.
EMMA'S DREAM KITCHEN
Tue-Sat 5-11:30PM
Sun-Mon Closed
At Emma's Dream Kitchen you can keep it casual downstairs in the wine bar or head upstairs for a tasting menu. There’s a 6 or 9-course option. We chose 9 courses, obviously, which quietly turns into 12 thanks to a trio of bonus bites.
The format is classic. Appetisers, fish, meat, cheese, dessert. The salmon was so good that Shal, a committed salmon sceptic, finished every forkful without protest. The other fish courses were boldly of the sea, which meant James gained a few generous handovers. No complaints from him.
The meat courses, including reindeer two ways and duck breast, were excellent. The cheeses were solid. The desserts were insanely good.
The room is pleasant rather than dazzling, which suited us fine as we arrived in snow boots and knitwear. Service was polished but not particularly warm. Overall, it was a very good, thoroughly enjoyable evening we’d happily repeat if someone else was paying.
CASA INFERNO
Sun-Wed 4-10PM
Thu-Sat 4-11PM
We never imagined we’d drop nearly £100 on two pizzas and a couple of pints, but welcome to the Nordics.
That said, Casa Inferno is worth loosening the purse strings for. A gloriously steampunk, Italian-run pizzeria with a proper wood-fired oven, it turned out to be the most atmospheric and unexpectedly romantic spot we tried.
The staff were an absolute delight and the pizzas were both inventive and spot on. We ordered the Carnivora with tomato sauce and the Estiva bianca without, and neither left so much as a crumb behind.
Their signature Inferno pizza lives up to its name — arriving at your table literally on fire, topped with spicy salami, chilli flakes and fresh chillies
HAV SUSHI & RAMEN
Wed-Sat 1-9PM
Sun & Tue 3-9PM
Mon Closed
We’d read a few mixed reviews about Hav Sushi, but grabbed a couple poke bowls to take away before a northern lights tour anyway. James went for salmon, Shal chose tuna, and both were fresh, generous and genuinely good. Eye-wateringly expensive, yes, but very good.
They’re closed on Mondays, which is how we found ourselves queueing at Burger King the following night before another aurora chase. Let’s just say we would have happily paid the sushi prices again for something light and virtuous.
KAFFEBONNA STORTORGET
Mon-Fri 7:30AM - 6PM
Sat 9AM - 6PM
Sun 10AM - 6PM
In the Nordics, cinnamon buns are not a snack, they’re a commitment. The kind that require both hands and possibly a strategy.
Kaffebonna Stortorget was absolutely heaving when we went, which is usually a promising sign. Despite the queues and the shoulder-to-shoulder seating, their cinnamon bun was the standout. Properly spiced, soft in the middle, slightly sticky on top and unapologetically enormous.
Our only gripe? It wasn’t warm. Why are they never warm??
VERVET BAKERI
Mon-Fri 7AM - 4PM
Sat 8-10AM (takeaway only) + 10AM - 4PM
Sun 10AM - 3PM
Over at Vervet Bakeri, things were calmer and the cafe was much cuter. Fewer crowds, more breathing room, and a very good bun in its own right. Light, fluffy, generously swirled. If you prefer your bun without the bustle, this is your spot. But for sheer bun supremacy, Kaffebonna edged it.
NOT QUITE DONE EXPLORING?
About to check Lapland off the bucket list? Start with our 8 Lapland Travel Tips: How We Prepared for Tromso’s Arctic Winter (And Nailed It) and exact 5 day Tromso itinerary (coming soon).
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