Bergen, Norway

A quick stop at some UNESCO world heritage listed sites.

Here in Bergen, Norway's second biggest city which incidentally has less than 300,000 people, not only is there the picturesque UNESCO world heritage listed Bryggen (where some Hanseatic buildings have been accurately restored to maintain the heritage of the city) but it is the gateway to the fjords and in particular the UNESCO world heritage listed Sognefjord - the longest fjord in Norway and the second longest in the world.

Foodwise, one point of significance in Bergen is its fish market - fishermen sell fish and related products here and many tourists converge here at this iconic tourist spot.  Given the importance of the fish market, it comes as no surprise that seafood is big in Bergen.  However, that doesn't mean you can't get other Norwegian food in this charismatic city.

Bryggeloftet & Stuene

This classic restaurant offers some traditional Norwegian fare at reasonable prices.  Located on Bryggen, this restaurant welcomes locals and tourists alike with many tourists dropping by for a taste of Norway that isn't intertwined with the produce from the fish market.

Bryggeloftet & Stuene (centre)

Inside Bryggeloftet & Stuene, the restaurant had some classic Norwegian charm, as well as a reasonable amount of space and seating for small and larger groups of diners.  The wait staff are friendly and talkative and happy to assist with describing dishes that are "foreign" to tourists.

The menu’s offerings had a range of Norwegian meals including steak, lamb, shellfish, and fish (such as Norwegian trout, cod, monkfish and halibut).  On the drinks side of things, the menu included wine from around the world with options from Italy, France, Argentina, Chile and even included Australia’s Jacob’s Creek (Chardonnay and Shiraz Cabernet at NOK74 per glass).

Reinsdyrfilet with Today’s Vegetables and red onion chutney and game sauce – NOK320

Reindeer is quite staple in Scandinavia.  Many Norwegian restaurants offer Reindeer and when cooked right, it can be melt in your mouth and an excellent alternative to a great steak.

I ordered this dish medium rare and it was tender as.  The dish came with mushrooms, and berries and tasted great for a meat (and a game meat at that) and veg dish.

The dish also came with a choice of Dauphinoise potatoes, fried or fried new potatoes (I'm not sure what the difference was) or boiled amandine.  I opted for the Dauphinoise which was a creamy potato dish with a mild garlic flavour.

At the fish market

Seafood roll – NOK90

Though there were different varieties and combinations available at the fish market, I opted for this particular roll.

The roll was a white bread roll that contained different fillings in different portions of the roll.  The fillings in this particular roll were shrimp, scampi, caviar, smoked salmon, crab mix, as well as overall lettuce, egg, and a small amount of cucumber and capsicum.  No sauce was present from what I could tell.

The shrimp and scampi were small sized and boiled, which is normal for this type of seafood in Norway.  Overall though, this roll tasted quite average and seemed to have next to no cooking or tasting skills required in its preparation.  As for the price, by our standards this was expensive but for Bergen standards this was fair.

...And finally, a few pictures from the picturesque and partially world heritage listed Bergen and Sognefjord.

Fish Market on Torget

Sognefjord

A Fjord off Sognefjord - the narrowest Fjord in Europe

Bryggen

Other

Art Gallery in Bergen

Lake in Bergen

Metal Artwork in Bergen

One of the towns off Sognefjord