Unique restaurants in Helgeland

Listed below, you will find some of the most exciting dining offered in Helgeland. The chefs at these restaurants emphasise using the freshest local ingredients available, and they take professional pride in their menus. By and large, these restaurants also have charming ambience and soul. All in all, this makes for a great dining experience.

“To Elise from Marius” – from farm to table

In the village of Utskarpen, a 35-minute drive from Mo i Rana, is a culinary attraction that is gaining many fans. Elise and Marius’ concept is “from farm to table”. The uncompromising focus of their restaurant is to give you a truly memorably dining experience. They take the concept “from farm to table” quite literally, choosing fresh produce from the farm, meat from pasture-raised livestock, ingredients foraged from local forests, and freshly caught seafood.

Every dish is creatively presented and follows the season’s ingredients. You can look forward to a truly great dining experience!

Torghatten Strandrestaurant

Torghatten Strandrestaurant is situated at the foot of Torghatten, just a short walk from the legendary mountain that has a hole through it. The seaside restaurant enjoys a terrific view of the fjord. The menu features fresh locally caught seafood, such as halibut, cod, tusk and seaweed. The restaurant’s motto is: “Food tastes best when it hasn’t had to travel!”

After eating: Wear good boots and go for a hike up to the Torghatten hole. The 30-minute walk is rewarded with an incredibly beautiful view.

Svang restaurant & wine bar

Svang is a cosy restaurant and wine bar situated at the heart of Brønnøysund. The culinary team is truly international, with backgrounds from Spain, Italy and Asia, and of course Helgeland, as well as Trøndelag, which is the region to the south. They conjure the most delicious dishes for a menu that evolves with the seasons, the available ingredients, and the chefs’ inspirations. You will always find seafood and meat dishes on the menu, and tempting tapas including local cheeses and cured meats.

After eating: Take an evening stroll along Havnegata. Sit on the edge of the quay, enjoying the view of the boats and the bustling life on the water.

Hildurs Urterarium

Hildurs Urterarium is situated at Tilrem, a place just outside Brønnøysund where people have gathered ever since the Viking era. The restaurant guarantees that the meat served is from the neighbouring farm, the game comes the nearby mountains and forests, that the fish is freshly caught from the closest fjord, and that the chef uses herbs picked from Hildur’s very own garden. Hildurs Urterarium offers tasty lunch dishes and a memorable seven-course dinner, as well as everything in between. It also features a summer café in the garden. Dining at this family restaurant, which is housed in a 250-year-old house, is an experience not to be missed!

Before eating: Rent a bicycle at the Tourist Information Office in Brønnøysund and enjoy a scenic ride to Tilrem and Hildurs Urterarium.

Naustloftet Café & Restaurant at Forvik Old Trading Post

Forvik Old Trading Post is situated in Vevelstad, just a ferry ride from the town of Brønnøysund. It is here that you find Naustloftet Café & Restaurant, which serves hearty traditional fare served in charming historical surroundings. The fish soup comes highly recommended, as does boknafisk, a dish made from wind- and sun-dried cod, and which is a Northern Norwegian delicacy!

Tip: Do visit Forvik’s own coffee roastery housed in the old general store. The moment you enter the door, you will notice the wonderful scents of coffee, chocolate, tea and sweets, all in sublime union.

Vega Havhotell – the freshest seafood

Vega Havhotell is beautifully situated on the northwestern shore of Vega, which is the main island in an archipelago that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here the kitchen staff prepare dishes that delight the eye as well as the palate. While rooted in Norwegian food traditions, Jon Aga’s approach is inspired by a modern approach to classical cuisine. Most of the ingredients come from local suppliers on Vega or in Helgeland, which means that close attention is paid to the changing seasons.

Before eating: To work up an appetite, climb the 2000 steps of the Vega Stairs to the top of Ravnflåget. You will be treated to a magnificent panorama of the archipelago, the open sea and the Helgeland coast.

Dønnes Gård – dining in historic surroundings

Dønnes Gård, a former vicarage situated a half-hour’s drive from the ferry quay at Bjørn, has a history that stretches back at least 800 years. Here you are offered hearty food based on local traditions and ingredients. The bread, butter, dressings and all condiments are made from scratch. The summer café at Dønnes Gård is open from 24 June through 10 August. Lunch, coffee and cakes are served daily from 11 am to 2:30 pm, while dinner is served from 7 pm. The rest of the year it’s open on request.

Before eating: Ask for a guided tour of the beautiful mediaeval Dønnes church, which is right next door. The church has, amongst other things, the largest burial chamber in Norway.

Lovund Hotel – great food in the puffin kingdo

Lovund is a small island off the Helgeland coast. The island has a thriving community, and situated at its heart is Lovund Hotel and its gourmet restaurant. The chefs’ prime ingredients are harvested straight from the nearby sea; the dishes draw inspiration from Nordic cuisine. Thanks to the chefs’ passion and expertise, you can enjoy an exciting menu based on the traditional ingredients of Northern Norway, and a cuisine coloured and developed by the proud islanders

Before eating: On Lovund, you can witness a most unusual sign that spring has arrived – an amazing natural phenomenon that is always reliable. On the 14 April every year, more than a hundred thousand puffin arrive all at once! Their nesting colony is just a short walk from the hotel. Well worth a visit!

Klokkergården in Rødøy – true to Granda’s recipes

At the stately Klokkergården, the old sexton’s residence on the island of Rødøy, the chefs are convinced that the best food is made from scratch, using the very best local ingredients. Grandma’s cookbook is at the heart of the food made and served here. Guests are offered wine and other beverages that are perfectly paired with the menu. In the summer, you can dine on the garden terrace. Understandably, this restaurant is very popular, so be sure to reserve your table well in advance.

Before eating: Take a hike! Up Rødøyløva (443 m), that is. This summit offers a stunning panorama of the hundreds of islands, islets and skerries that dot the surrounding waters. Right below the mountain is a beautiful chalk-white beach.

Støtt – Top of Helgeland

Gammelbutikken Restaurant at Støtt, situated in a general store dating from 1878, proudly shows the heritage of the coastal culture. In its ambience you can relax and enjoy the good life, dining on amazing seafood prepared from the local catch. Your host believes that food and drink really should provide a rewarding experience. The portions served at Støtt are generous. When the glow of the midnight sun fills this dining venue and illuminates the sea outside, Gammelbutikken Restaurant is the perfect place to be – unless, of course, you prefer to dine at one of the outdoor tables.

Before eating: We suggest you build up an appetite by taking a guided glacier trek on Svartisen. The transportation provided, from Støtt to the mainland and back again, is by a fast and sturdy RIB sea raft – in itself an adventure.

Restaurant Ellen

In 1885, Ellen Haugan served food and refreshments to her first guests in Mosjøen. In the 135 years since then, some things may have changed at this restaurant, but the ambience and the guiding idea remains the same: the menu at Fru Haugans Hotel is still based on quality local ingredients, with many recipes inspired from abroad. Here you can enjoy great food while savouring the view of the beautiful hotel gardens. You can see the dock down on the Vefsna river, for guests who arrive by boat. After dinner, we suggest continuing your good conversation over a drink in one of the hotel’s pleasant bars.

Before eating: For a dose of good exercise and a bird’s eye view of Mosjøen, climb the 3000 stone steps of the Helgeland Stairs up Øyfjellet, the mountain that overlooks the town.

Fiskebruket Restaurant on the island Myken

Far out at sea, 17 nautical miles off the Helgeland coast, is the small fishing community of Myken. This is where you have to come for Fiskebruket Restaurant and the world-class culinary experience offered by Stian Floer and Tuva Sætnøe. They prepare every brunch and dinner from freshly-caught seafood, and produce and meat supplied by the local farms.

Every dish proves that Stian and Tuva really know how to use the best seafood from our magnificent coast. What could be more natural, given that Myken is surrounded by rich seas? In addition, you will savour the rich flavours of ingredients provided by the traditional farmers of Myken and the Helgeland region.

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