Norway’s Food Capital
A modern salmon dish served at Trøndersk Matfestival in 2024. Photo: Wil Lee-Wright/Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke
In recent years, Trondheim has claimed the position as Norway’s food capital, but it hasn’t always been this way.
We have long known that we have some of the best ingredients and many of the country’s top chefs to handle them, but awareness of this outside our region was minimal. However, attention from major national newspapers and Michelin helped us gain recognition as an important food city, even beyond our regional borders
- Jens Storli - worked for years to promote and develop Trondheim as a culinary destination.
Michelin Stars
About seven years ago, Dagens Næringsliv wrote generously about Trondheim as a food destination, and a few years later, Norway’s largest newspaper, VG, dedicated a 23-page food magazine to "Norway’s new food capital."
The magazine was published just before Michelin’s award ceremony for Nordic restaurants was held in Trondheim. Credo and Fagn had already received the city's first Michelin stars the year before, and Speilsalen at the luxurious Britannia Hotel was awarded its star during the event in February 2020.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. It probably disrupted some of the momentum for Trondheim as a food city, but since then, we have been recognized as the European Region of Gastronomy (ERG) and hosted both the World Cheese Awards and Bocuse d’Or Europe
- Jens Storli
Jens Storli was integral in making Trøndelag a European Region og Gastronomy. Photo: Håvard Egge
Home of Nordic Flavours
But Trondheim’s culinary story started long before this. In fact, an unbelievably long time ago.
400 million years ago, the continents we now know as America and Greenland collided with Europe. This event pushed large amounts of the oceanic crust over our region, shaping the bedrock. When the last ice age ended 20,000 years ago, the landscape rose, leaving behind nutrient-rich minerals in the sea, fjords, soil, and mountains.
Perfect for producing some of the finest Nordic ingredients. This is also why we can proudly call Trondheim Home of Nordic Flavours,
- Storli
European Region of Gastronomy
One of Trondheim’s unique qualities today is the broad access to high-quality ingredients from a rich and diverse food region. While other places may have one or a few exceptional local products, Trøndelag has an entire food basket at its disposal.
Here, you can experience the best from the sea, vegetables, and meat. We have everything from coastal fisheries to the Sami highlands. This mix of ingredients is essential to Nordic cuisine.
- Jens Storli
This led to Trondheim and Trøndelag being named the European Region of Gastronomy (ERG) in 2022, increasing awareness of local resources, boosting recruitment efforts, and attracting national and international attention.
During the ERG recognition, I noticed that the people of Trondheim truly started to appreciate the incredible quality of our local ingredients and restaurants. It was a proud moment. Historically, Trøndelag hasn’t always had the greatest confidence as a food region.
- Storli
The Norway Seafood Festival showcases some of the world’s best seafood. Photo: Stiftelsen Nor-Fishing
Trondheim – A Culinary City
Many have worked hard to build Trondheim into the food city it is today.
There has been strong political support for elevating Trøndelag as a food region. Organizations like Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke and Trøndersk Matfestival have been key players in this effort.
- Jens Storli
Storli, who worked for years to promote Trondheim as a tourism destination both nationally and internationally.
We saw how much quality we had here and believed that more people deserved to experience it.
- Storli
The city has undergone a fantastic development in food and drink.
"It’s not just the top-tier restaurants – perhaps even more importantly, the quality has improved across the board. Trondheim has reached a point where you can enjoy high-quality food in a variety of settings. That is what defines Trondheim as a food city now," Storli explains, adding:
"Today, you can experience the best local food everywhere – at Christmas markets, music festivals, and even in hotel breakfasts."
Jens Storli worked for many years promoting Trondheim as a tourism destination both nationally and internationally. Photo: Håvard Egge
A Strong Chef Community
Another defining trait of Trondheim is the camaraderie among chefs.
Here, chefs speak highly of each other. This has been one of the city’s strengths and is likely because Trondheim is small enough that many chefs have worked together at some point. Many have been apprentices or employees at institutions like To Rom og Kjøkken and Credo, both of which started around the turn of the millennium.
- Jens Storli
Credo is perhaps Trondheim’s greatest pride and has nurtured many of the chefs who helped shape the food city we are so proud of today.
"Even though Credo has now moved to the National Library in Oslo, there is plenty of exciting new development, and many are willing to take risks," says Storli.
In just the past year, several exciting new restaurants have opened, including Tollbua, Phoenix, Mana, Olgas at the new Hjorten Teater, and multiple ventures by Klempe & Dons.
Modern cuisine with local ingredients by Christopher Davidsen at Tollbua, formerly Speilsalen at Britannia. Photo: Wil Lee-Wright/Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke
Something for Every Taste and Occasion
Even though Credo has moved, Trondheim’s restaurant scene has never been richer, according to food critic Levi Røstad Kvitland from Adresseavisen.
What makes Trondheim special for dining out is its pure focus on high-quality ingredients.
- Levi Røstad, food critic at Adresseavisen
Restaurant critic Levi Røstad Kvitland with his favorite wines. Photo: Private
He also highlights the diversity of dining options.
There is a wide range of high-quality restaurants, from classic to new Nordic cuisine. Additionally, there is a strong variety of excellent places offering both fine dining and rustic cooking, creating a well-rounded food scene.
- Røstad
Kvitland believes that Trondheim has been unfairly criticized for lacking mid-range dining options.
"There are definitely excellent restaurants here for every taste and occasion," he asserts, having visited a large portion of Trondheim’s restaurants.
There are definitely excellent restaurants here for every taste and occasion.
- Røstad
Restaurant Critic Levi Røstad Kvitland’s Three Favorite Restaurants in Trondheim:
🍽 Le Bistro – Rustic bistro food, which first sparked my interest in gastronomy. Similar to the food I make at home.
🍽 Rive Gauche – Another bistro, but distinct from Le Bistro by serving only classic French dishes.
🍽 Saga & Spontan – New Nordic cuisine with a strong focus on wine, which I’m passionate about.
"These are the restaurants I’ve visited most often in recent years. In addition to their high-quality food, they all have outstanding wine selections."
Looking Ahead
Today, you can’t run a good restaurant in Trondheim without using locally produced ingredients. We have the world’s best scallops and langoustines from Hitra, vegetables from Frosta, the world’s northernmost apple cider production on Inderøy, and reindeer and lamb from Røros, to name a few.
- Aslaug Rustad, managing director of Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke
Managing Director of Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke, Aslaug Rustad. Photo: Wil Lee-Wright/Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke
We truly have everything here. Our proximity to top-quality ingredients makes us unique as a food region.
- Rustad
Oi! has worked to establish Trondheim as a food city since the early 2000s, organizing events like Trøndersk Matfestival and Bryggerifestivalen. Now, they are taking over the new Norway Seafood Festival, which they hope will strengthen Trondheim’s position as a culinary destination.
"Norwegian seafood is world-renowned. Now, we hope that people will come here specifically to experience the best seafood in the world," Rustad says.
She dreams of making Trondheim a place where international chefs come to learn how to work with seafood.
We are also working to bring more gastronomic events to the city. When we have such fantastic ingredients, it’s important to attract an international audience.
- Rustad
Håvard Egge
Trondheim resident and Trondheim.com contributor
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