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Food tours in Tromsø: what to eat and which tour to book
Tromsø is a fishing town before it is anything else, and the best things to eat here come out of the cold sea: cod (above all the winter skrei season), fish soup, king crab, shrimp and stockfish, plus reindeer from the inland Sámi herding areas. Eating out is expensive, as everywhere in Norway, and there is no street-food culture to speak of; the everyday local meal is a fish soup or a plate of bacalao at lunch, a hot dog from a petrol station, or something cooked at home from the supermarket. Most restaurants and bars are packed into a few streets around Storgata and the harbour on Tromsø island.
Use this page to decide what to order, when it is in season and how to keep costs down. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well. The tours are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices and times change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Tromsø
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter cod (skrei) skrei | Migrating Arctic cod caught off northern Norway in winter, prized for firm white flesh. Served pan-fried, poached or as part of mølje (below). | Seafood restaurants around the harbour and Storgata; it is a seasonal special, so look for it on boards in winter. | roughly NOK 350–450 (about €30–40) for a main course |
| Cod, liver and roe dinner mølje | A northern Norwegian winter tradition: poached cod served with its liver and roe, potatoes and flatbread. Rich and simple; the liver is the point. | Some traditional restaurants put it on in skrei season (roughly January to April); it is not on every menu, so ask. | roughly NOK 300–450 (about €25–40) |
| Fish soup fiskesuppe | Creamy soup with white fish, salmon and often shrimp, served with bread. The most affordable way to eat good fish at lunchtime. | Cafés and restaurants in the centre, many of which offer it as a lunch dish. | roughly NOK 200–300 (about €17–26) a bowl |
| Bacalao | A tomato, potato and onion stew made with salted, dried cod (klippfisk). The fish trade with Portugal and Spain made it a standard home dish along the northern coast. | Traditional restaurants and lunch places in the centre. | roughly NOK 250–380 (about €21–33) |
| Reindeer reinsdyr — finnbiff / bidos | Reindeer meat, usually as finnbiff (thin shavings of reindeer cooked in a cream sauce, served with mashed potatoes and lingonberries) or a steak. Bidos is a Sámi reindeer stew often served at Sámi events. | Restaurants serving northern Norwegian food in the centre; some reindeer-camp excursions outside town serve bidos. | roughly NOK 350–500 (about €30–43) for a main course |
| King crab kongekrabbe | Large red king crab legs, usually just boiled and served with bread, butter and mayonnaise. The crab is a non-native species fished commercially in Finnmark and Troms. | Seafood restaurants in the centre; also on crab excursions sold around town. | expensive — often NOK 600–900+ (about €50–80) for a main portion; check whether the price is per portion or per weight |
| Waffles with brown cheese vafler med brunost | Heart-shaped soft waffles topped with sweet, caramel-flavoured brown cheese or jam and sour cream. A cheap snack with coffee. | Cafés, ferry kiosks and some attractions. | about NOK 40–70 (€3.50–6) |
| Arctic beer Mack-øl | Beer from Mack, a brewery founded in Tromsø in 1877. Its old beer hall, Ølhallen, is one of the city's best-known pubs. | Ølhallen on Storgata and bars across the centre. | roughly NOK 110–150 (about €10–13) for a large glass in a bar |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Storgata and the city centre
The main street and the lanes around it hold most of Tromsø's restaurants, cafés, bakeries and bars within a short walk of each other.
Stortorget and the harbour front
The square and quays by the old harbour, with seafood restaurants and waterfront terraces. Fishing boats sometimes sell fresh-cooked shrimp at the quay; when and whether they do varies, so ask locally.
Ølhallen (Mack's beer hall)
Historic pub next to the old Mack brewery buildings, with a long list of beers on tap. A traditional place for a drink rather than a meal.
Supermarkets and fish counters
Tromsø has no big food market. Supermarkets (Rema 1000, Kiwi, Coop and others) sell smoked salmon, fish cakes, brown cheese, flatbread and reindeer products at a fraction of restaurant prices, and some have fish counters.
Food tours in Tromsø compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tromsø: Small Group Kvaløya & Sommarøy Fjord Tour with Lunch | 5.5 hours | from €156 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Tromsø: Food Walking Tour with Guide and Tastings | 3 hours | from €143 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Tromsø: Sommaroy Fjord Tour with Lunch Option | 5 hours | from €157 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Tromso: Luxury Northern Lights Cruise with Hot Tub & Dinner | 4 hours | from €272 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Tromsø: King crab cruise & self-captured lunch in restaurant | 4.5 hours | from €230 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Tromso: Cod-Tasting Tour with Full Steam Museum Entry | 45 minutes | from €60 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Tromsø: Small Group Kvaløya & Sommarøy Fjord Tour with Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by Arctic Wild Tours
- Length
- 5.5 hours
- Price
- from €156 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 170 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Kaigata 4, 9008 Tromsø, Норвегия
Tromsø: Food Walking Tour with Guide and Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Authentic North
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €143 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 152 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guided tour Tasting of 12-15 different local and Norwegian specialties Water Coffee Tea Souvenir Alcoholic beverages (available for purchase)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Meet us at the market place in the middle of Tromsø, Stortorget. The guide will be waiting by the Arctic Hunter.
Tromsø: Sommaroy Fjord Tour with Lunch Option
On GetYourGuide · run by NorthernShots Tours
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €157 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 148 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Roald Amundsens plass 1A, 9008 Tromsø, Norway
Tromso: Luxury Northern Lights Cruise with Hot Tub & Dinner
On GetYourGuide · run by World Sea Explorers
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €272 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 137 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Evening yacht cruise Warm and spacious interior saloon 2 outdoor viewing decks Reindeer soup with bread (vegetarian option available if notified in advance) Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and water Cookies Blankets and p…
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
- Starts
- Head over to the harbor north of the Scandic Ishavshotel and look for S/Y Stella Oceana, a white, 100 foot sailing yacht with 2 wooden rigs docked in front of the Fiskekompaniet restaurant. Meet directly at the boat.
Tromsø: King crab cruise & self-captured lunch in restaurant
On GetYourGuide · run by NORWEGIAN FJORD EXPLORER LINES
- Length
- 4.5 hours
- Price
- from €230 per person
- Rating
- 4.4 ★ from 91 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Cruise 10:00 - 14:30 to the deep fjords on Tromsø’s classic arctic explorer vessel Introduction to the king crab history and how to catch it King crab catch Lunch with red fish soup and a taste of self-captured king c…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Look for the boat MS Tromsø marked with a Norwegian fjord explorer line
Tromso: Cod-Tasting Tour with Full Steam Museum Entry
On GetYourGuide · run by Full Steam Tromsø AS
- Length
- 45 minutes
- Price
- from €60 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 47 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guided tour with expert commentary Tasting experience with 4 elements Access to Full Steam Coastal Museum Additional food and beverages from the restaurant/bar
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Full Steam Tromsø AS
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
There is little street food in Tromsø. The local version is a hot dog (pølse) in a bun or lompe (potato flatbread) from a kiosk or petrol station, a fish cake, or waffles from a café. Food trucks appear around the centre in summer, but do not plan meals around them.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down eating is where Tromsø's seafood shows best, but it is expensive: expect roughly NOK 300–450 for a main course at dinner. Lunch menus and a fish-soup lunch save money. Book ahead in the winter aurora season and around Christmas, when the busiest places fill up.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are not a big part of the scene. Food experiences here are more often seafood or king crab excursions, reindeer camp visits with a Sámi meal, or tastings tied to the Arctic setting; check carefully what food is actually included.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | NOK 500–700 (about €45–60): supermarket breakfast, fish-soup lunch, supermarket or kiosk dinner |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | NOK 1,000–1,400 (about €85–120): lunch out and a restaurant dinner with one drink |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | NOK 2,000+ (about €170+): a seafood tasting menu with wine |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Most menus offer at least one vegetarian main, and cafés in the centre usually have vegetarian soups and sandwiches. Traditional northern Norwegian food is heavily fish- and meat-based, so vegans will rely more on newer cafés and supermarkets.
Halal: Halal food is limited. A few kebab and Middle Eastern places in the centre may serve halal meat; ask. Seafood is the easy route. Reindeer and lamb in restaurants are not halal-slaughtered.
Gluten-free: Gluten-free awareness in Norway is good, and most restaurants can mark or adapt dishes. Watch for flour in fish soups and cream sauces, breaded fish, flatbread and waffles. Supermarkets stock gluten-free bread.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Ordering king crab or 'catch of the day' priced per 100 g or per kilo and getting a much bigger bill than expected. Ask how much the portion weighs and what the total will be before you order.
- Assuming you can buy wine or beer whenever you like. Supermarkets stop selling beer in the evening (around 20:00 on weekdays, earlier on Saturdays, not at all on Sundays), and wine and spirits are only sold in the state Vinmonopolet shops. Buy drinks earlier in the day, or accept bar prices. Check Vinmonopolet hours before a weekend.
- Whale and seal on 'Arctic' tasting menus without it being explained, which some visitors would not choose knowingly. Read the menu or ask what is in a tasting plate; restaurants will swap or leave it out if you ask.
Top tours & activities in Tromsø
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Why is eating out in Tromsø so expensive?
Norwegian wages, taxes on alcohol and the cost of transporting goods north all show up on the bill. A main course at dinner is roughly NOK 300–450 and a large beer around NOK 110–150. To keep costs down, eat your main meal at lunch, have fish soup rather than a full dinner, and use supermarkets for breakfast and snacks. Tap water is free and very good, so there is no need to buy bottled water.
When is skrei season?
Skrei, the migrating Arctic cod, is caught off northern Norway in winter, roughly January to April, with the peak usually in February and March. That is when restaurants put skrei and the traditional mølje (cod, liver and roe) on their menus. Outside that window you will still find good cod and other fish, but skrei specials are a winter thing.
Do I need to tip in Tromsø?
No. Service is included in Norwegian prices and staff are paid a proper wage. Many people round up or add about 5–10% when service was good, especially at dinner, but nobody expects it and it is fine to pay exactly what is on the bill. Card payment is normal almost everywhere; some places do not take cash at all.
Where can I try reindeer and Sámi food?
Restaurants in the centre that serve northern Norwegian food usually have reindeer on the menu, often as finnbiff with mashed potatoes and lingonberries or as a steak. For a Sámi setting, reindeer-camp excursions outside the city often include a meal such as bidos, a reindeer stew; check what food is included before you book.
Can I buy alcohol in the supermarket?
Only beer and other drinks up to 4.7% alcohol, and only within set hours: sales stop around 20:00 on weekdays and earlier on Saturdays, with no sales on Sundays or public holidays. Wine and spirits are sold only in the state-run Vinmonopolet shops, which also close early on Saturdays and stay shut on Sundays. Bars and restaurants serve alcohol later, at bar prices.
Should I book restaurants in the winter season?
Yes, for dinner at popular places between roughly November and March, when aurora visitors fill the town, and during the Christmas weeks. Many evening tours bring groups back late, so book a table that leaves time, or eat a bigger lunch. In the polar night, daylight is short but restaurants keep normal hours.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.