Bergen
Wine tasting in Bergen
In Bergen, the port city on Norway's west coast, the rain makes a wine bar a good idea most evenings. Some of Norway's award-winning wine lists sit in the lanes between Torgallmenningen and the cathedral. Here is where to taste, learn and drink well.
13 November 20265 min read
Picolo Editorial
Picolo has a commercial partnership with De Bergenske, which owns Bergen Børs Hotel. The assessments in this article are our editors' own.
In short: wine tasting in Bergen
Vinmonopolet, Norway's state wine retailer, runs classes at Valkendorfsgaten 6: five wines in two hours, from 745 to 995 kroner. Pergola near Skostredet lists around 450 wines at fair prices, and TempoTempo is the place for natural wine. Our first choice is Bergen Børs Hotel, where Frescohallen fills the old trading hall beneath Axel Revold's frescoes.
Last checked: November 2026.
Vinmonopolet's classes
The classroom shares a building with the Valkendorfsgaten shop, with its own entrance a little further along. Classes last two hours, from 18.00 to 20.00, with five wines and no more than 27 people. Prices run from 745 to 995 kroner, and classes are taught in Norwegian. Topics include learning to taste, Italian wine, pinot noir, Beaujolais and Piedmont.
Wine bars with plenty by the glass
Pergola
Pergola on Nedre Korskirkeallmenningen opened in 2010 and lists around 450 wines at fair prices for Norway, according to the wine guide Star Wine List, with Italian food: pizza, salami and cheese.
Villani
Villani on Skostredet is an Italian restaurant whose list is strongest on Italy but also covers classic French regions, Spain and the New World. Come when dinner and wine deserve equal attention.
TempoTempo
TempoTempo on Domkirkegaten focuses on natural and low-intervention wines, with a list that changes often and a kitchen that stays open late.
Dråpen Vinbar
Dråpen on Vaskerelvsmauet has one of the city's strongest Californian lists and won silver for best Californian wine list in Star Wine List's Norwegian awards in 2021.
When dinner is the tasting
Lysverket, in the KODE art museum building by the Lille Lungegårdsvann lake, serves a menu of local produce and won its first Michelin star in 2022. Its list runs to around 600 bottles, mostly organic or biodynamic, and won Norway's best medium-sized wine list from Star Wine List in 2023. With a wine pairing, dinner becomes a tasting in itself. Book well ahead.
Tastings and events
Bars and restaurants host their own tastings, from champagne evenings to tapas with Spanish wine. The programme is in the Visit Bergen events calendar under food and drink, and most require booking. For dinner without a wine theme, see our Bergen restaurants.
Picolo picks the hotel for you
Picolo is the hotel guest's best friend. We take on the role of guide and do the work before you book: we look at the hotels in the area, where they stand, what guests say and what is actually there. Then we choose the one hotel that suits this particular trip best. For a wine weekend in Bergen the choice fell on Bergen Børs Hotel, because Frescohallen is under the same roof and the bars of Skostredet are a few minutes away. Guests rate it 9.2 out of 10 on Hotels.com. You can also book directly with De Bergenske.
Our first choice in Bergen
Bergen Børs Hotel
Bergen Børs Hotel occupies the city's stock exchange from 1862, between the fish market and Bryggen, the old Hanseatic wharf. In the old trading hall is Frescohallen, where frescoes painted by Axel Revold in the 1920s cover the walls and hotel guests take breakfast. In the evening the hall becomes a restaurant and bar with a growing wine list. The bars of Skostredet are a few minutes' walk away, and after dinner you take the lift rather than hunt for a taxi in the rain.
Frequently asked questions about wine tasting in Bergen
Where can you take a wine class in Bergen?
Vinmonopolet runs wine classes at Valkendorfsgaten 6, in the same building as its shop. Classes last two hours, with five wines, and cost between 745 and 995 kroner. Topics include a beginners' class, Italian wine, pinot noir and Piedmont. Classes are in Norwegian, so ask first if you need English.
What is the best wine bar in Bergen?
It depends on what you want to drink. Pergola lists around 450 wines at fair prices, Villani has a strong Italian list, and TempoTempo is the place for natural wine. For a full dinner with pairing, Lysverket has one of Norway's award-winning wine lists.
Where can you drink natural wine in Bergen?
TempoTempo on Domkirkegaten is Bergen's best-known address for natural and low-intervention wine. The list changes often and the kitchen stays open late. Lysverket's list is also mostly organic and biodynamic, but it belongs to a full dinner.
Where should you stay in Bergen for a wine weekend?
Stay in the centre, between the fish market and Bryggen, to walk to the bars on Skostredet and Domkirkegaten. Bergen Børs Hotel occupies the old stock exchange and has Frescohallen under the same roof. Our guide to the best hotels in Bergen has more options.
Sources
Class details come from Vinmonopolet's page on wine classes in Bergen. Details of the bars, Lysverket and the awards come from Star Wine List. The building date of the exchange and Revold's frescoes come from the Bergen city archives. The photograph of Bryggen is by Svein Magne Tunli, via Wikimedia Commons. Hotel photographs are press photos from De Bergenske. Last checked November 2026.
Skål from Bergen
Picolo Editorial