Bonjour Stavanger!

A culinary trip through a Norwegian food hub

Of course, those who are into outdoor pursuits and impressive, rugged landscapes will have plenty of reasons to visit Stavanger, Norway’s third-largest city. Whether you’re into watersports or hiking, the immediate surroundings offer a plethora of possibilities. Just a stone’s throw from the airport, for example, a 70-kilometer coastline awaits for everything from oceanside getaways to (wind)surfing. And if you’d rather experience the majestic scenery from the water, hopping aboard the Lysefjord cruise – which departs from Stavanger’s harbor and takes you past natural wonders such as the Hengjanefossen Waterfalls and the famous 604-meter, fjord-side Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) cliff – is always an option.

Image: Carmen Cristina Pettersen Carpio, Region Stavanger

But this postcard-pretty city on Norway’s southwest coast, recognized as a European oil and gas hub and once known for its lucrative canning industry, indulges the senses with so much more. There’s that undeniable charm of strolling through cobblestoned streets lined with quaint, pristine-white wooden houses (183 in total, dating from the turn of the 18th century), or the wonder of suddenly finding yourself immersed in a sea of jewel tones as you enter the vibrant street known as Øvre Holmegate (‘Fargegaten’).

Image: Brian Tallman, Region Stavanger

Even under gray skies and rain, Stavanger’s appeal will lure you to go out and savor the local color, in more ways than one.

The food culture here is alive and kicking with a wide spectrum of culinary addresses that includes everything from hip-and-happening cafés to fine dining establishments like RE-NAA** and Sabi Omakase*. Stavanger also happens to be the setting for Scandinavia’s most bustling food festival, Gladmat (literally meaning ‘happy food’), which takes place in the summer and attracts some 200,000 people.

After a walk through town, we headed for lunch at Ostehuset Øst, a friendly café, deli, cheese shop and gathering place that tempts with a varied menu including plant-based options (major bonus points) as well as a wide range of sustainable/organic products such as olive oils, vinegars, jams, rye crackers and canned goods, all hand-picked by the owners Hanne N. Berentzen and Tom Sørensen. Ostehuset even has its own bakery where every midnight they fire up the oven for aromatic, rustic sourdough loaves. 

Even before I tuck in to their quiche made with local oyster mushrooms from ToppSopp (more on them soon) with a zesty salad of greens and cucumber, I can tell this is the kind of place any foodie would want to spend time at.

There are long communal tables, and the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant, making you want to stick around just a little longer. You walk in for an espresso, stay for a meal and pick up the makings of an easy dinner (thinking planche apéro here) on the way out.

Founded in 1999 as a small shop in the city center with a deli, cheese counter and just a few tables, the idea was to create a place where you could also grab a good cup of coffee and a hearty sandwich. The concept was embraced by locals, and it wasn’t long before Ostehuset moved to a larger location (today there are two addresses).

As I chatted with owner Tom after lunch, I became even more enthusiastic about the place. “Our concept is based on sustainability,” he told me. “We love vegetables and fish and don’t use much meat in our menu. The focus is on vegetables, and we’re adding more plant-based dishes. We really like to work with local producers and also have a vegetable plot about one kilometer from here where we go and harvest things like squash, broccoli, salad or whatever is growing at the moment.”

With a name that literally means ‘the cheese house,’ Ostehuset is definitely a hotspot for local curd connaisseurs who come in for anything from a few varieties for a cheese board to a cheese and wine tasting. Their cheese counter offers roughly sixty artisanal cheeses, half of them Norwegian.

Tom, a true cheese lover himself, is eager to shed light on the cheese revolution that has been taking place in Norway during the past few decades: “It wasn’t until 2004 that we were allowed to make cheese from raw milk. Before that, cheesemaking was heavily regulated. Norway currently has about 150 small dairies from north to south that are making artisanal cheeses, mostly cow’s milk, but also a lot of goat’s cheese. Just in this area alone, there are about eight or ten small-scale producers making different cheeses. The quality of our cheese is rising, and we’ve taken home many awards.”

Ostehuset’s passion for cheese is being bundled into a five-part book series showcasing the different cheese families. Two have been published so far and each features profiles, stories, recipes and wine pairings.

Before leaving, Tom brings out a cheese he is particularly proud of: the Lille Aske, an ashy, puck-shaped goat’s cheese made about thirty kilometers from here by Bo Jensen’s dairy. It has a firm yet creamy texture and subtle lactic tang. I can certainly taste why it was awarded ‘Super Gold’ twice at World Cheese Awards in London and Bergen.

Later that evening, I’m sipping on ‘The Elevator,’ one of Salon du Nord’s three signature cocktails. Made with zippy ingredients such as yuzu sake, lime and lemongrass, I dare say it’s one of the best I’ve ever had.

Hotel Victoria, where I’m based, has been gracing Stavanger’s skyline since 1900 and has a long history inherently connected to the city. It underwent a complete renovation in 2019 and reopened in August 2020. After a fine tipple at its well-dressed wine and cocktail bar, we head to Fish & Cow, a cozy brasserie on the marketplace and the sister restaurant of Tango, one of Stavanger’s fine dining addresses. No hesitation is made when I ask for a plant-based meal and the chef happily obliges, creating a beautiful dish of roasted celeriac steak with pumpkin sauce, sweetcorn and chanterelles. 

I’m thrilled to see that sustainable and forward-thinking cuisine is a common thread here in Stavanger, and that most restaurants will cater to a plant-based diet. Before heading back to Amsterdam, I sample a colorful ten-course menu at Bellies, a fully plant-based restaurant located on the city’s east side. It opened in 2019 by Tony Martin, who previously worked as a chef in Tango and RE-NAA.

Martin works with local produce and gets part of his inspiration for the seasonal menus from foraging. And when it comes to foraging, there’s no one more enthusiastic about the surrounding landscape’s bounty than Kristine Enger, as I would soon discover.