Top foodie destinations

When it comes to food, Trondheim offers both bold new flavours and traditional favourites. In 2018, prominent Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv wrote that Trondheim had become Norway’s new food capital. Today, it boasts three Michelin-starred restaurants and a vibrant and innovative food scene.

More and more restaurants are popping up in the city, and you can now spend a whole week savouring the epicentre of great taste.

Here's Norwegian food blogger Helle Øder Valebrokk and Visit Trondheim's guide to must-try eateries and cafés from morning to evening:

1. Breakfast: Start the day with Norway's best breakfasts at Scandic Nidelven or in the stylish Palmehaven at Britannia Hotel.
2. Coffee stop: Go sightseeing, and have a break at Bakklandet Skydsstasjon, the cosiest cafe in town, or sample the coffee at one of the city's great coffee roasters, such as Pala and Jacobsen & Svart. If you are more a tea person, you should head for Gravraak Teateliér, which is the only themed master blender in Norway.
3. Lunch: If you like good food, excellent coffee and books, Sellanraa Bok & Bar is the place for you – a bookstore with Norway's best barista and a sustainable menu. Isaks, Café Ni Muser and Lille Skansen are also good lunch spots, the latter featuring a panoramic view of the city. Gubalari is a fun alternative. Young visual art meets culinary art at this cool, informal bistro located in the K.U.K. Kjøpmannsgata Ung Kunst art centre, the town's newest venue for young artists, founded by artist Kjell Erik Killi-Olsen.
4. Dinner: The options are almost endless! You can basically walk in any direction in Trondheim and come across a fantastic restaurant.

But it's not just at the restaurants that you get good food. "Stop by the self-service local food shop at the train station in Trondheim and buy goodies with you for your train journey or picnic," recommends Øder Valebrokk. 

There are also plenty of options for your sweet tooth. "There are many good bakeries in the region. And if you come across something that Lars Lian, one of Norway's best confectioners, has made, try it immediately," she continues.

Indulge in a Michelin experience

Three Trondheim restaurants are now among the crème de la crème of Nordic culinary destinations.

"The fact that there are three Michelin-starred restaurants and two Bib Gourmand restaurants (Jossa Mat & Drikke and Fagn-Bistro) in such a small city is really quite unique," says Øder Valebrokk, who believes that there are many more eateries that should be mentioned in the Guide next time, including Spontan Vinbar.

The exclusive 2022 list includes:

Credo: If you like Michelin food, made with love and care for the environment and served in an informal setting, head straight for Credo. The restaurant is an urban landmark with its striking location in a former tank factory.

Head chef Heidi Bjerkan is one of Europe's most innovative culinary wizards: Credo received its first Michelin star in 2019, in addition to a Green Star for sustainability. In 2022, Bjerkan and her team were awarded the Michelin Welcome and Service Award.

Speilsalen: The $150 million restoration of the stately Britannia Hotel put Trondheim on the map for seasoned travellers and foodies alike.

At Speilsalen, World Champion Chef and 2017 Bocuse d'Or silver medallist Christopher Davidsen presents a culinary journey of Norwegian ingredients, many of them locally sourced, that's full of delightful surprises. If you book the chef's table for the evening, you can get a closer look at how the magic happens. Norway's top sommelier, Henrik Dahl Jahnsen, who received the Michelin Sommelier Award in 2021, will assure the very best wine pairings.

You can also enjoy amazing cocktails and delicious food elsewhere in the hotel at the Brasserie Britannia and the cosy Jonathan Grill.

Fagn: This gem, whose name means to embrace and to receive with joy, offers another classical style Michelin treat, based on exquisite local and national products with an international touch. Sister restaurant Fagn Bistro, on the upper floor, has a BIB Gourmand.

To experience Credo, Speilsalen or Fagn, it's recommended to book a table well in advance.

More unique places to eat:

To Rom og Kjøkken: One of the really classic fine dining restaurants in town, founded by food guru Roar Hildonen. His ambitious son, Eskil, is now running the show, serving halibut from Roan, clams from Frøya, and lingonberry cocktails that shine like rock stars.

Le Bistro: A small piece of France in the middle of Trondheim! Le Bistro has been named the country's best bistro. This is the ideal place to relax and enjoy snacks or a tasting menu in warm and cosy surroundings.

Spontan Vinbar: Wine bar and restaurant offering tasting menus based on pure seasonal ingredients.

Kitchen & Table: Great taste combined with the best views. The menu is Nordic with a touch of America and Asia.

Troll Restaurant: 100 per cent Norwegian, with an exotic twist! Surprise your taste buds at this rebel kitchen that takes traditional Norwegian food to the next level.

Kraft Bodega: What are we in the mood for today? Here, the chefs make the food they would like to eat themselves.

The Crab: The team behind one of Norway's most legendary seafood restaurants, Ansnes Brygger, on the Island of Hitra, have now brought their delicious seafood to the city by opening their unique new seafood restaurant.

Food festivals

The region hosts several annual food and drink festivals, including the Trondheim Wine Festival in March, the Trondheim Brewery Festival and the Trøndelag Food Festival, one of Europe’s largest, both in July, as well as the Trondheim Gin Festival in August.

However, the city is not just about good food. according to a 2022 article in Forbes, "Trondheim is one of Europe's most underrated cities." Check out these insider tips to the city, and discover Credo chef Live Krangnes Edvardsen's tips on her favourite cultural and culinary experiences in the city!

Premier countryside cuisine

Located by the E6 motorway between Trondheim and Bodø, The Golden Road is roughly a 2-hour drive or train ride from Trondheim. "Norways tastiest detour" offers a wide range of farm shops and local food, juice makers, microbreweries, cheese producers, and one of the country's most innovative aquavit producers, Inderøy Brenneri at the Berg Gård farm.

This has made Inderøya one of the top rural destinations for foodies in Norway. The small peninsula is packed with amazing food experiences, including the peninsula's most well-known comfort food: Inderøysodd, a hearty stew that dates back to the Viking Era, served with ginger beer and skjenning, a local flatbread.

According to farm owner Liv Elin Olsen at Gulburet farm shop and café, to get the right flavour sensation, the sweet side of the flatbread should touch your tongue and the salty side should face upwards.

For a real gourmet evening based on the best local ingredients, head for the restaurant at the unique Øyna Cultural Landscape Hotel. It was named one of the 101 Most Incredible Hotels in the World in 2021 by Fodor’s Travel, thanks to its unique architecture and setting, integrated into the lush terrain on a hilltop.

Round off the evening in its incredible sky bar with panoramic views over the Trondheimsfjorden, with an Inderøyningen cocktail featuring homemade dandelion syrup.

Well worth a visit:

1. Øyna Cultural Landscape Hotel: An incredible and unique hotel with a great restaurant and sky bar.
2. Inderøy Mosteri: The world's northernmost commercial apple orchard! Enjoy wonderful juices made from apples, rhubarb, raspberries and other local fruit.
3. God Mat Lokalt: Discover local culinary treats from more than 70 suppliers in this café right by the E6 motorway between Trondheim and Bodø.
4. Gangstad Gårdsysteri: One of the most renowned cheese makers in Norway, with numerous award-winning cheeses, including a World Championship winner. Sample award-winning cheeses including Nidelven Blå and Granstubben.
5. Inderøy Brenneri at Berg Gård: Book a tasting session to get an introduction to traditional and trendy aquavits at this super cosy farm, some on the more experimental side, made with granskudd, a spruce sprout known as 'the vanilla of the north', as well as meadowsweet, sea buckthorn and raspberry, to name a few. Also home to a well-stocked farm shop.
6. Gulburet: A cosy café and farm shop, with freshly baked buns, bread, and traditional cuisine. They also have their own microbrewery.
7. Inderøy Gårdsbryggeri: This farm brewery makes more than 20 varieties of beer, based on old recipes and traditions.

Join us for a tasty guided cycle trip around The Golden Road!

More foodie destinations in Innherred:

In nearby Steinkjer, you will also find a very special spot the Michelin inspectors have missed. Experience at Bjerkem farm offers a culinary evening in a former barn transformed into a rustic restaurant!