9 Best Restaurants in Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands, Norway

This chic, modern café-restaurant is popular for its sunny terrace and straightforward food that always hits the mark—think juicy marinated jumbo shrimp, lobster soup, and a large selection of pizzas served hot from a wood-fired oven. It's an equally good stop for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon coffee with a delicious dessert.

You'll feel right at home in this lovely restaurant in an elegant 200-year-old log farmhouse three miles from Brønnøysund, and its equally beautiful garden. Along with the wood-paneled, tapestry covered dining room, the Angel Lounge's cozy chairs are perfect for enjoying coffee and dessert, and the Aquavit Bar invites you to sip a glass of wine at your leisure. Traditional gourmet fare is lovingly prepared with herbs and produce from a charming kitchen garden, which you are encouraged to enjoy while touring the beautifully landscaped grounds. In summer (mid-June to mid-August) you can enjoy lunch or teatime in the garden café. The restaurant encourages diners to call ahead with any special dietary requests and is especially welcoming to children.

A Trondheim institution and award-winning gastronomic dining room near the water, where you'll find all the best organic produce from farms around Trondelag in traditional Indian dishes, from tandoori to masalas to biryanis and dopiazas. As a nod to Northern Norway and Sámi culture, there's the notorious jahangiri with Røros reindeer.

If it's mushroom season, your plate will be awash with chanterelles and fresh herbs; there will always be something pickled, and if you're lucky some local wild salmon or roast pork or goat cheese. There are salads, savory pancakes, tarts, and open sandwiches that almost distract you from the on-site bookshop and library.

Ask for a window seat at this centrally located eatery---you'll marvel at the fantastic views over the harbor and the mountains beyond. The restaurant's Scandinavian design is worked into both the decor and the aesthetically pleasing way each dish is presented. The kitchen highlights the Vesterålen Islands' amazing fresh fish, although the menu includes everything from local lamb to vegetarian dishes that take full advantage of the freshest local produce.

For all the hyped natural wine bar-cum-bistros that now characterize casual-elegant, fun modern boozy dining in all major cities, there's one that sets the benchmark. In Trondheim (world-class chefs now flock/return to set up kitchens that feast on the land's fruits), Spontan is that one. Now in a much larger space, housing provocative art, open kitchen and visible wine cellar, this restaurant serves beguilingly fresh small plates that burst with color and character: char, scallop, chicken liver mousse, king crab.

Most dishes (note the cute, bric-a-brac pantry-like glass and earthenware) are served as melt-in-the-mouth bites, with radical accents and meticulously paired pours to compliment. Summer-in-a-bowl raspberries with milk ice cream and Comtè-filled petit-fours will leave you sounding off to fellow winer-diners around the world about this spontaneous find on a cobbled old street near the water.

A significant but worth it NKr 1,100 for the full tasting menu, NKr 875 for the generous wine pairing---with a smaller but just as robust and beautiful menu available for NKr 600/NKr 585 and bar snacks if you're just here for drinks.