10 places for a memorable dinner date
Kristoffer Møllevik / Visit Helgeland
A good dinner and a night away from home can be just what you need to brighten up the darker days of autumn, take a break from the Christmas rush or add a little warmth to winter. Here are some of our best suggestions.
An evening by the harbour in Brønnøysund
Svang Restaurant Og Vinbar / Don’t Be Negative PhotoThe coastal town of Brønnøysund is a lovely place to visit as the days grow colder and shorter. The atmosphere takes on a special quality when the distinctive Torghatten mountain is bathed in the golden light and morning mist of autumn, or covered in frost beneath the winter sky.
Right by the water in the centre of Brønnøysund, that same light streams through the windows of Svang Restaurant og Vinbar. Here, Atle, Mario and Maciej serve local ingredients with their own international twist. Guests can order à la carte or choose a four-, seven- or ten-course tasting menu based on the best seasonal ingredients. The quality is high, the atmosphere informal and the enthusiasm for good food unmistakable.
Stay an extra day: Have a good pizza at Korn, visit the distinctive Torghatten mountain, or take a day trip to Vega and learn about the World Heritage Site at the Vega World Heritage Centre.
Slow days in Herøy
Kristoffer Møllevik / Visit HelgelandIn the old school building on Seløy in Herøy, classrooms and the former woodwork room have been given a new life as a restaurant, shop and guest rooms. Autumn and winter are particularly good times to spend a few days here and settle into the slower rhythm of island life. Let the daylight set the pace, take a quiet walk, or watch the changing weather from the warmth of the old school.
It is worth planning the trip so that guests are here on a Wednesday or Saturday, when the shop and café are open and Remi serves some of the best pizza on Helgeland. The shop has a carefully selected collection of books, ceramics, art and crafts, making it a good place to find Christmas presents or gifts for other occasions.
Stay an extra day: Skolo and Herøy are best enjoyed without rushing. There is time for easy hikes up Stortuva or Åkvikfjellet, quiet walks along the shore or a trip by kayak. It is also worth checking Skolo’s calendar: they regularly host retreats, yoga, ceramics courses and similar activities that guests can join.
A break beneath the Seven Sisters
Kristoffer Møllevik / Visit HelgelandThe town beneath the Seven Sisters lies in the heart of Helgeland. At Scandic Syv Søstre, guests can wake to views of the famous mountain range in its winter colours, linger over breakfast overlooking Dønnamannen, and spend a relaxing afternoon in the warm pool and sauna at Kulturbadet. There may even be time for an afternoon performance or a film before dinner at the hotel restaurant and a final drink in the bar. There is no need to step outside: all this and more is under the same roof, shared by Scandic Syv Søstre and Kulturbadet.
But it is well worth heading outside for a while. In December, guests can visit the Christmas market in the reconstructed longhouse at Høvdingsetet at Sandnes. Or, if the weather is mild, walk part of the way up one of the Seven Sisters for views across the islands off the Helgeland coast.
Stay an extra day: Sandnessjøen has good ferry and express boat connections to many of Helgeland’s islands, particularly neighbouring Dønna and Herøy. Travelling by car makes it easy to make a round trip, taking the ferry to Dønna and driving out to Sjokoladebrygga, then continuing to Skolo in Herøy before taking the ferry back.
Fine dining, Northern Norwegian style
Sarah Aakerøy JohansenIn Barthbryggo, one of the authentic old wharf buildings in historic Sjøgata, guests can settle in for a ten- or twelve-course evening built around the best ingredients of the season, paired with wines from one of Norway’s finest wine cellars. The chefs at Barthbryggo know their ingredients from start to finish, fishing, foraging, drying, pickling and preserving as much as possible themselves. They call it fine dining, Northern Norwegian style: unpretentious, down-to-earth and closely connected to nature.
After dinner, it is a short, leisurely walk past the wooden houses and wharves of Sjøgata to Fru Haugans Hotel. A comfortable bed awaits, or perhaps a final drink in the historic part of the hotel.
Stay an extra day: Every December, Christmas Town Mosjøen sets up the world’s longest Christmas porridge table in Sjøgata. Much of the town gathers for one of the season’s most sociable breakfasts, while the street lights up the December darkness. In the afternoon and throughout the weekend, the town hosts a Christmas market where visitors can buy local food, arts and crafts for themselves or as gifts.
From pasture to plate in Utskarpen
Kristoffer Møllevik / Visit HelgelandIn the small fjord village of Utskarpen, Elise and Marius have restored Utskarpen Gård and created the food destination Til Elise fra Marius. Guests travel from far and wide for an evening built around their “From Pasture to Plate” concept, at what has become known as one of Northern Norway’s best restaurants. Elise and Marius keep close control of their ingredients, working with a small group of trusted farms and fishers, while much of the produce comes from the garden and pastures just outside the restaurant.
Despite the high standard of the food, this is far from a formal restaurant. Inside the warm, old timber walls, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, and between courses guests hear about the place, the food and the people who produce the ingredients. Paired with good wines and a night in the cosy cabins outside, it makes for a memorable food experience.
Stay an extra day: Utskarpen and Rana offer some of Helgeland’s best winter ski touring, and together with MAD Mountain Guides, Til Elise fra Marius offers a three-day ski touring and gourmet weekend. Guests are guided to the best snow conditions before returning for a sauna and a good meal.
In historic charm at Klokkergården
Kristoffer Møllevik / Visit HelgelandKlokkergården is perhaps one of the most distinctive places to stay and eat along the Helgeland coast. The kitchen takes its inspiration from Grandma’s old cookbook, with local dishes made from scratch using local ingredients. Proper food, and very good food at that: salmon, halibut, scallops, fish soup, roast lamb and more. Afterwards, guests can enjoy a slice of homemade apple cake with a good cup of coffee or perhaps something else to drink.
As evening falls, guests can settle into comfortable beds or head out for an evening walk beneath the wide, starry skies of the coast.
Stay an extra day: If conditions are not too icy or cold, the hike up Rødøyløva is well worth doing. The trail starts close to Klokkergården and is one of Norway’s National Hiking Trails. The mountain is only 440 metres high, but offers beautiful views across the surrounding islands and coastline.
The slower pace of island life at Lovund Hotell
Kristoffer Møllevik / Visit HelgelandLovund lies among the outer islands of the Helgeland coast. Its distinctive mountain has long been a landmark on the horizon, facing the open sea beyond. The island is home to one of the coast’s youngest and most dynamic communities, as well as one of Helgeland’s best hotels. A stay here follows the slower rhythm of island life, with large windows in the rooms, restaurant, breakfast room and other shared spaces opening up views of the broad skies outside.
Guests can have breakfast while watching the slow autumn and winter sunrise, take a quiet walk when the mood strikes, then spend the afternoon in the new sauna. The day ends with a long dinner in Pianostuen, the hotel restaurant, with panoramic views towards the north-western sky and, when conditions are right, the Northern Lights.
Stay an extra day: On Lovund, it is good to have time to spare: time to relax in the room, linger over breakfast, have a coffee at the island’s coffee roastery, read a book in the hotel gallery or hire a kayak for a quiet paddle. In short, there is time to take the day as it comes, at whatever pace feels right.
An evening at the outermost point
Ytri, Helgeland’s new high-end hotel, takes its name from its location: Ytri, the outermost point. It sits about as far out on the Helgeland coast as visitors can go, in the Træna archipelago, looking past the Træna mountains towards the open sea. Here, guests can experience what the hotel calls “barefoot luxury”: high levels of comfort and service in a relaxed, informal atmosphere designed to make everyone feel welcome. The experience extends beyond the hotel and into the island community.
Each evening, the hotel’s restaurant Alma serves a four-course dinner based on some of the best ingredients the season and the islands have to offer. Local fish, scallops and shellfish come from the clean, cold waters just offshore, thoughtfully and playfully combined with interesting wines. After dinner, guests can take an evening walk beneath the wide, starry sky or settle into a comfortable chair by the fire.
Stay an extra day: Ytri Island Retreat is on Husøy in Træna, home to one of the most interesting island communities on the Helgeland coast. It is worth leaving plenty of time to wander around the village, visit the Petter Dass Chapel, stop for a coffee or three at Kaffekollektivet, and join one of the hotel’s guided trips in the area.
In historic surroundings on Støtt
STØTTAt the northern end of Helgeland lies the small island community of Støtt, with one of the region’s cosiest and best-preserved old trading posts. It was once a sheltered harbour for sailors and fishers travelling to and from Lofoten, where they could rest and replenish their supplies. The old trading post still offers travellers a peaceful place to stay. Today, guests can enjoy a good dinner at Restaurant Gammelbutikken and sleep in comfortable beds in some of the most charming rooms on the Helgeland coast.
The restaurant knows exactly where its ingredients come from, and Støtt is the only restaurant to make its own stockfish. The fish is bought directly from local fishers and hung to dry on Støtt. It is one of the restaurant’s signature ingredients and gives guests a particularly authentic taste of the coast.
Stay an extra day: The mountains around Støtt offer some of Helgeland’s finest and most rugged ski touring. Together with Meløy Adventure, guests can head for the best mountains, travelling by RIB from the sea or by car from the mainland, depending on the snow conditions and what best suits the group.
