Destinations
Do you want to celebrate a completely different but magical New Year's Eve? Then you should go to Svalbard – where you can experience nature's own fireworks while ringing in the new year.
Gita Simonsen
Svalbard is cold, desolate, beautiful and strange all at once.
The Arctic island is strategically located between 74 and 81 degrees north and is completely unlike anything in mainland Norway. There has been human activity here since as far back as the 1600s. First as an excellent place for whaling, and followed closely by mining, which became an important industry for the island.
There has also been tourism in Svalbard for a long time, and people have always been fascinated by the mighty mountains, ice and fjords. Today, almost two-thirds of the island is protected, and the island is also a base for important polar research. Its wildlife is unique, and its conservation is a key priority. Fortunately, it's still possible to visit this spectacular landscape. There is always something new to experience on the mighty Arctic island no matter the season.
Mighty nature
There has also been tourism in Svalbard for a long time, and people have always been fascinated by the mighty mountains, ice and fjords.
Svalbard is a year-round destination, including during the polar night. For more than two months, from mid-November to late January, darkness reigns around the clock. The polar night, which is when the sun is more than 6 degrees below the horizon, lasts from 12 November to 30 January. It is not just a period of permanent darkness, but a beautiful time that creates a very special atmosphere.
The moonlight, silence, dusk, northern lights, and not least the people, make the polar night unique. But believe me, you can get used to it.
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It is perhaps a little surprising that you will find some of the best restaurants in Norway in Svalbard. In addition to serving international dishes, you will also find unique, local food. Here, you will be served Svalbard reindeer, Arctic char, seal, whale, and Svalbard grouse. The latter is a unique grouse species, which is both larger in size and has a different taste than mainland species. It is said that Arctic game and fish have a cleaner and purer taste than that which is sourced elsewhere.
However, a good burger and a delicious pizza are never far away. Several well-known restaurants and hotels offer special menus on New Year's Eve. Here, everything is arranged for a complete evening. In addition, everything seems to taste better when your senses are heightened in the dark. Here are some of the places that you should check out around New Year.
best restaurants
It is perhaps a little surprising that you will find some of the best restaurants in Norway in Svalbard.
Located in what was once a warehouse, Gruvelageret serves delicious Arctic food in historic surroundings. The interior and décor are inspired by hundreds of years of mining on the island. The restaurant has a relatively isolated location outside the city. Even though it is in a barren location, you need a reservation before you arrive, since it is always full. Gruvelageret serves a 4-course menu based on seasonal, local ingredients and should definitely be on your restaurant list when visiting Svalbard.
Huset has both a fine dining restaurant and a bistro serving less complex dishes. The restaurant focuses on Nordic food, with a good mix of local ingredients from Svalbard. The Norwegian tasting menu, paired with wine from Huset's huge wine cellar, is a sure winner. The wine cellar holds over 15,000 bottles, from over 1,000 makers. The house also becomes a nightclub as the evening progresses and is definitely worth a visit for both the dance floor and tasty drinks. Wherever you choose to enjoy your New Year's dinner, you can end the night with a club atmosphere here.
dog mushing
Despite the fact that the sun never appears, there are a number of activities you can do in Svalbard during the polar night.
Funktionærmessen is located in Funken Lodge, a beautiful boutique hotel in Svalbard. Funktionærmessen serves gourmet food, where their specialty is king crab and dry-ripened Côte de Bœuf. They have both 4 and 7-course set menus, and the dishes can be paired with wines from its impressive cellar. The menu is envisioned with socialising in mind, and the dishes you get here are designed to be shared with your dining companions. The restaurant is renowned for its wine from well-known Bordeaux vineyards, and also has many different varieties of champagne, as many as 70 in fact.
Funken Lodge is also home to Funken bar, Svalbard's only pure cocktail bar. It's the perfect place to enjoy an aperitif before dinner in the restaurant.
"Barentz Gastropub", or "Barentz" as it is known among the locals, is the pub at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The gastropub has perhaps Longyearbyen's best pizza, and if you enjoy sports, the pub offers big screens and big games.
Huset – The house
Huset has both a fine dining restaurant and a bistro serving less complex dishes. The restaurant focuses on Nordic food, with a good mix of local ingredients from Svalbard.
Svalbar is the perfect place to drop by after a long day of adventures. This is a casual place where you can dress exactly as you please. Bring your friends, shoot pool, and enjoy delicious and traditional pub food with a cold beer. The food tastes delicious when enjoyed with a local beer brewed at Svalbard Brewery.
Svalbard offers three restaurants inspired by Asian flavours. Restaurant Polfareren at the boutique hotel Svalbard Hotell Polfareren offers dishes with a Japanese inspiration. The kitchen has a new menu every month. Restaurant Nansen combines the best ingredients from the Arctic with Asian flavours - Asian fusion and local food from Svalbard. The restaurant located in the Radisson Blu Hotel.
1,000 different varieties
Karlsberger Pub, also known simply as KB, is a small but very historic pub in the centre of Longyearbyen.
Karlsberger Pub, also known simply as KB, is a small but very historic pub in the centre of Longyearbyen. The pub has one of Europe's best selections of whisky and cognac (over 1,000 different varieties), as well as a unique collection of Armagnac from as far back as 1908. The interior is also worth the trip. Historical photographs of miners adorn the walls, and many exciting bottles are on display, and the skilled bartenders are more than happy to tell you the story behind them. If you're not too fond of the water of life, they also serve beer, etc.
It is not only Longyearbyen that Svalbard offers culinary experiences. Isfjord Radio Restaurant is located in the small boutique hotel Isfjord Radio Adventure Hotel, reachable by either boat or snowmobile. Spend a night at the hotel, enjoy Arctic delicacies and round the evening off in a sauna. Isfjord Radio Restaurant has both Travel Green and Eco Lighthouse environmental certificates.
Svalbar
Svalbar is the perfect place to drop by after a long day of adventures. This is a casual place where you can dress exactly as you please.
Despite the fact that the sun never appears, there are a number of activities you can do in Svalbard during the polar night. Dog sledding with eager huskies, snowmobile trips over untouched nature, a northern lights safari in a snowcat, special overnight stays out in the wilderness, or a visit to a whaling station. It is not recommended to go anywhere without a professional guide, because in addition to about 3,000 inhabitants, the mighty polar bear also calls Svalbard home. In fact, there are over twice as many polar bears as residents. 6,000 in number!
Both Hurtigruten and Visit Svalbard offer their own tailor-made packages if you want to spend New Year's Eve plus in Svalbard. Here, various restaurants, unique overnight stays and activities are combined to give you a taste of all the great things you can experience in Svalbard.
Enjoy your trip to svalbard
Gita Simonsen
Offers from Radisson
Located on Norway's largest island, only 1,300 kilometers from the North Pole, the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen in Longyearbyen invites you to discover the wonders of the Arctic.
Embrace activities such as dog sledding or snowmobile safaris during your stay at our hotel in Spitsbergen. Experience the mystical northern lights during the polar night in winter, or have fun in the four months of midnight sun.
Keep the chill at bay in one of the 128 cozy, comfortable rooms at our hotel in Longyearbyen. After a day full of Arctic adventures, warm up in Barentz Gastropub and unwind with a cocktail. Then, head over to Restaurant Nansen for a lovely dinner with a spectacular view.
