image
White wooden houses in Old Stavanger

Food and drink

Best restaurants in Stavanger: three stars, one food street and fish soup

Stavanger has four Michelin-starred restaurants, including three-star RE-NAA, and an entire street where people go to eat. These are the places we would choose, from tasting menus to fish soup on the quay.

 

This page contains affiliate links. If you book through them, Picolo earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Our picks are made independently by our editors.

It is a Tuesday evening on Pedersgata and the street is busy. People wait outside a nine-seat sushi counter, a burger bar and a gelateria, while a couple of blocks away one of Europe's most talked-about seafood kitchens serves its menu.

Stavanger is Norway's surprising food city. Oil money gave it an audience that wanted to eat well, and the sea outside supplied the produce. Today it has four Michelin-starred restaurants, and plenty of good cooking without stars.

Short answer: where should you eat in Stavanger?

RE-NAA holds three Michelin stars and is worth the trip on its own. K2, Hermetikken and Sabi Omakase hold one star each. For a looser night, head to Pedersgata, and for lunch have fish soup at Fisketorget on the harbour.

  • Best fine dining: RE-NAA

  • Best sushi: Sabi Omakase

  • Best vegetarian: Söl

  • Best lunch: Fisketorget

  • Best food street: Pedersgata

RE-NAA: three stars

RE-NAA holds three Michelin stars, the highest rating there is, and serves a long menu built on seafood and the produce of Rogaland. It shares a building with Eilert Smith Hotel in the centre.

The catch: tables are released far in advance and go quickly. Watch for the booking window and be flexible on dates.

K2 and Hermetikken: a star each

K2 on Pedersgata follows the seasons with modern technique and makes its own cocktails to match. Hermetikken holds its own star and leans on fermenting and preserving, as its name suggests: canning was Stavanger's great industry before oil.

Sabi Omakase: nine seats

Sabi Omakase is a nine-seat sushi counter with one Michelin star, the most personal table in town. For similar fish at a fraction of the price, the original Sabi Sushi on the same street is where the chain began.

Pedersgata: the food street

Pedersgata, east of the centre, has become the city's food street. Here you will find Bravo, in a converted house with natural wine, Casa Gio with handmade pasta in a tiny room, Hekkan Burger and Siddis Gelato. Come on a weeknight without a booking and pick whatever has a free table.

Söl, Tango and Gimi: three different nights

Söl on Hetlandsgata is almost entirely vegetarian, with a natural wine list. Tango at Skagen is Nordic fine dining for a formal evening without the stars. Gimi on Niels Juels gate is a grill restaurant and cocktail bar with bone marrow and turbot on the menu.

Coffee and baking: the morning before

Stavanger takes coffee as seriously as dinner. Kokko in Østervåg is a roastery and café in a building worth the visit for its architecture alone, with every cup brewed by hand. Micro Kaffi on Nykirkebakken is tiny and uses beans from small roasters.

Molinå on Verksgata mills its own grain for its sourdough. Come early, as the best pastries are gone before lunch. It is a good start to a day that ends on Pedersgata.

Waterfront houses on the Vågen harbour in Stavanger

Vågen


The harbour is home to Fisketorget and the quayside restaurants.

Vågen and Fisketorget: lunch by the water

Fisketorget on Strandkaien is a restaurant and fishmonger in one, with a menu that changes with the catch and a creamy fish soup people come back for. Villa 22 on the quay serves wood-fired pizza and sharing plates.

Afterwards, have a drink at Broremann Bar or Pjolter & Punsj, or a glass at Norvald Vinbar on Øvre Holmegate, the street of brightly painted houses.

The lounge at Eilert Smith Hotel in Stavanger.Foto: Hotels.com

Eilert Smith Hotel


The lounge at Eilert Smith Hotel in Stavanger.

Where to stay if food is the reason for the trip

Stay in the centre between Vågen and Pedersgata and you can walk everywhere. Our guide to the best hotels in Stavanger has more options.

Eilert Smith Hotel: sleep above RE-NAA

Eilert Smith is a small design hotel in an old townhouse in the centre, with RE-NAA in the same building. The rooms are calm and carefully done. If you have landed a table at RE-NAA, this is the obvious place to sleep.

Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Eilert Smith Hotel

The lobby at Hotel Victoria in Stavanger.Foto: Hotels.com

Hotel Victoria


The lobby at Hotel Victoria in Stavanger.

Hotel Victoria: the classic on the harbour

Victoria is one of the city's oldest hotels, on the Vågen harbour. From here you walk to the fish market, Old Stavanger and Pedersgata without needing a car. A safe choice for a weekend spent eating your way around town.

Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Victoria

Good to know before you book

  • Book RE-NAA and Sabi Omakase well ahead: both have few seats and long waiting lists.

  • Several starred places open Wednesday to Saturday only: plan for the end of the week.

  • Pedersgata is best on a weeknight: at weekends the smallest places have long queues.

  • Pair it with Preikestolen: the hike takes a day, and a good dinner makes a fine ending.

Stavanger restaurants: frequently asked questions

Which restaurants in Stavanger have a Michelin star?

RE-NAA holds three stars, while K2, Hermetikken and Sabi Omakase hold one each in the 2026 Michelin Guide Nordic Countries.

Where is RE-NAA?

RE-NAA is in central Stavanger, in the same building as Eilert Smith Hotel.

What is Pedersgata?

Pedersgata is the street east of the centre where many of the city's restaurants, bars and cafés sit side by side, including K2 and Sabi Omakase.

Where can you get fish soup in Stavanger?

Fisketorget on Strandkaien by the harbour is known for its fish soup and makes a good lunch stop.