Warm Dishes Cafés in Norway
Founder Sandra Kristiansen invited Japanese roaster Ayae Maki Fredheim to launch Hibi Kaffe here in 2024; the bakery followed in 2025. The space is used during the day and becomes an award-winning restaurant in the evening. Sourdough bread, pastries, and hearty baguettes are served alongside espresso drinks.
Every chair, lamp, and table is for sale: designers behind the mid-century Scandinavian interior include Birger Dahl, Fredrik Kayser, and Kaj Franck. House-roasted Nordic coffee by day, cocktails by night. The 1963 coffee institution was relaunched in 2012, the same year it expanded to Tokyo.
Inside a timber house from 1806, three Risø brothers serve hand-brewed coffee and lunch dishes with Arctic ingredients. Co-founder Arne is a two-time Norwegian latte art champion and creates intricate designs in every cup. The buttery cinnamon rolls are usually sold out by noon.
Roasting beans since 2012, this third-wave café helped launch specialty coffee in Trondheim. Founder Tony Jacobsen started in a six-square-metre space behind a hair salon; now he supplies several fine-dining restaurants in the region. The kanelboller and a single-origin filter make for a perfect pairing.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the walls of this former fire station, now home to the House of Literature. The kitchen sources almost everything from the region of Trøndelag and varies between beans from Nordic and international roasters. Named after a character in Knut Hamsun’s novel “Growth of the Soil.”
Diana Elizondo, formerly head pastry chef at renowned Maaemo, crafts fantastic sweets: caramelised canelés, flaky croissants, apricot and elderflower tarts, and airy cinnamon buns with custard are proof of her fine-dining years. Brasserie and wine bar in the evening.
Inside a former cod liver oil factory and carpentry workshop, two pairs of brothers from Bergen opened this café-bar in 2017. They had stumbled upon the abandoned building on a climbing trip and pooled their savings to buy it. There are hotel rooms for those who cannot get enough of the sea view.
Since 1895, this konditori has graced the historic Kvadraturen quarter with Parisian elegance beneath a glass ceiling and painted frescoes. Pascal Dupuy, the ninth pâtissier to work here, took over in 1995. He is known for his fennel cake among other French classics.
Bergen’s only specialty roastery runs a spacious café beside Nygårdsparken, where guests can watch beans turn on a Giesen drum. Owner Carl Johannessen started it as a hobby in 2009, and now he supplies cafés across the city. Every Thursday, an open tasting invites you to explore the flavour spectrum.
Trained in France under Bruno Moncudiol, British pastry chef Craig Alibone brought classical technique to northern Norway in 2016. Expect flaky croissants, pristine macarons, and handmade chocolate that won multiple international awards. Champagne and wine pairings available.
Nepalese prayer flags mark the entrance to this gathering spot for climbers, artists, and fishermen. “Klatre” means climb in Norwegian, and the photos, gear, and souvenirs on the walls tell stories of exotic trips. Warm meals, popular burgers, cinnamon buns, and local beer until late. Live music in summer.
Behind Re-Naa restaurant stands Sven Erik Renaa, twice named Chef of the Year. In 2020, he and his wife Torill opened a playful “circus” with now five outlets in the region. It serves pastries and gelato by day and stretches into the late hours with pizza for which the dough is fermented with lievito madre.
At Oslo’s most family-oriented café, children are (quite literally) part of the picture: They are invited to draw while parents linger over coffee and French pastries. The best artwork ends up in the window or even on the to-go cups. On Mondays, any child who hands in a drawing gets to pick a free bun.
What started as a pop-up in 2014 has become a permanent brunch spot a decade later, especially for Japanophiles. Shokupan (fluffy milk bread) is joined by cream buns and yuzu cheesecake in the display case. The popular chicken katsu sando (sandwich) fills shoppers after visiting the nearby Storo Mall.
The only listed building in the Bakklandet neighborhood dates to the 18th century. Peasants once rested their horses here to avoid the toll at Gamle Bybro, spending the savings on food and a shot of aquavit. Today, guests enjoy soul food and waffles with brown cheese – and still over 350 aquavits.
Where caffè latte meets Comté: The “Cheese House East” is part café, part deli. Bread emerges from the in-house ovens while the cheese counter rotates monthly highlights from near and far. Thursday to Saturday evenings, the menu expands to tapas platters and glasses of wine.
The name translates as “Grandmother’s Café” and the kitchen honors that spirit: daily baked cakes, hearty lunch dishes, and local produce from Østfold. The setting is special: Northern Europe’s best-preserved fortress town, founded in 1567 to defend against Swedish invasion.
Stepping inside the “butter square” is like entering a Nordic grandmother’s living room: there are old sofas, candlelit tables, and patterned wallpaper. The quirky place blends café with thrift shop, serving strong coffee, open sandwiches, homemade soup, and warming oatmeal porridge.