Eating out in Tromso

People from over 120 countries live in Tromso, and the food reflects this. You find restaurants offering food from all over the world, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Japanese, and Mexican to name a few.

But I think it is safe to say that people don’t come to Tromso for the curry. There are plenty of amazing fish and seafood to be had, as well as local delicacies as reindeer or, for the less politically correct, whale or seal.

What to eat

The Freshest Seafood

In Tromso you will get the freshest seafood – cod, haddock, and prawns. You can even buy straight off the boat when they are in on the pier by the main town square. Try a warm Norwegian fish cake – straight in the hand from the fishmonger. None of that breaded stuff – and beats a hot dog any day!

Sweetest Strawberries

It is also a known fact that veggies and fruits grown in the midnight sun gets extra tasty. Not being able to grow things like apples and pears in the gardens in Tromso is all worth it when you taste how amazingly sweet the strawberries ripened in sun 24hrs a day are. An absolute must if you are in Tromso around August.

Succulent Reindeer

Reindeer is the Sami people’s staple food. Lucky them.. Reindeer tastes a little like deer – naturally – but has an added taste of wilderness about it. Try it in the traditional creamed lappebiff, with lingonberries and mash, or splash out on a succulent medallion steak.

Whale Burgers Anyone?

Eating whale is something many people outside Norway shiver at the thought of. In Tromso it is perfectly normal. Not wanting to get into a massive political discussion, all I can say it is a mix between a beef steak and a tuna steak –and is really quite delicious.

The Local Brew

Another must when in Tromso is the ‘Mack Ol og Maasegg’ (beer and seagull eggs). A great tradition in Tromso, the beer from the local brewery, Mack, and hardboiled seagull eggs is something which Tromso is widely known for. Possibly not the most tempting, but still – it is one of those things to write home about…

A Word of Warning...

If ever feeling the need for a little midnight snack on a night out in Tromso – steer clear of the kebabs! In my opinion you might as well eat dogfood out of a pitta. Opt for the locals’ favourite – the poelse (hot dog). The petrol station at the far South of the city has loads of varieties, and you can even have a prawn-mayo topping on your hot dog! If you’re lucky, queue chats often result in invitations to local after parties.