ROKS — Restaurant in Tórshavn

Very rarely do I rate a restaurant in this price range with only two stars, but this was unfortunately the weakest dining experience of our trip to the Faroe Islands, and by a wide margin.

We paid 2,160 DKK (290 EUR) for the smallest tasting menu with wine for two people. For that price, expectations are justifiably high, and this meal did not deliver at all.

Service was chaotic. The staff appeared understaffed and overrun, but that should never be an excuse on this level. If this was the case, it could easily be explained to the guest upon arrival.

One server consistently spilled wine while pouring and wiped our table with a dirty cloth, leaving it messier than before. Others made some effort, but there was a lack of attention and flow throughout the meal.

As someone who’s dined at over 30 Michelin-level restaurants, including 25 starred ones, this was a reminder that service doesn’t need silver trays - it needs heart and pride.

The food itself had minor highlights (a deep-fried cod bite with chimichurri and roe stood out), but most of it fell flat. The Arctic char was well cooked but overwhelmed by garlic. The Greenland snow crab was bland and disappointingly presented, more like filler than feature. Dessert was overly acidic and unbalanced (I believe this was the first time neither of us managed to finish the dessert), and the wine pairing felt a bit careless. Using the same sweet wine for both crab and dessert was a mistake.

Perhaps the most telling moment: the leftover lamb from Áarstova the kitchen at our accomodation reheated the very same night, was the gastronomic highlight of the day.

In terms of value for money, I would honestly recommend going to Áarstova or Barbara Fish House instead. Both are part of the same restaurant group, so this suggestion should be pleasant for the owners, but as a customer, you’ll get a far better experience and considerably more value.

ROKS may have the ambitions, but right now, the execution just doesn’t live up...

One of the most memorable meals I had in Faroe Islands. I was staying nearby and I did a walk in days before to make a reservation. Was served by a pretty nice young lad who helped confirmed my booking 3 days later. The next day I finished my tour earlier than expected and dropped by to ask if could switch the day and the same guy told me it was okay and I returned the same night. There were 2 menus, the 6 course and the 11 course menu and I decided to try on the latter. Place was not crowded initially but was almost full by the time I was halfway through dinner. The service of the 2 young staff were very good and prompt, only 2 of them managing all the diners and they managed to pull it off so well. Food wise was really good. Really loved how generous they were with the ingredients and how fresh the seafood were, just like it was just taken out from the sea. Almost every dish was good, and was quite surprised when I read the menu on the dishes which I thought might taste strange but all the flavours complemented each other so well! Like who would have expected scallops to go along so well with vanilla? Of course there were some really good dishes which were my favourites, like the mussels and the snow crab. Especially for the snow crab, the flavour was so good that I painstakingly slowly tried to dig every inch of the meat to make sure I finish the whole crab as clean as I could. Desserts were pretty good too. They even had the non alcoholic vermouth to go along with the sorbet. A very enjoyable dinner and frankly speaking go for the 11 course meal you get so much more dishes and the price is more worth it. A definite recommendation for me to visit this place in Tórshavn, and would give it a 4.5...

If ROKS and Ræst are somehow related, as has been noted on some sites, then they are distant cousins. While Ræst was thoughtful and spectacular in service, presentation, and ambiance, ROKS could not be more different. I will start with saying that the food at ROKS was delicious, if uninspired in presentation (though this may be in part due to the lethargy of the service staff).

The service, seemingly conducted by young students, was rushed and there did not seem to be a strong familiarity with the menu or the wine list. Requests for various types of wine were met with blank stares until I ordered by giving a number on a list. This felt like ordering off a fast food menu rather than a fine dining experience.

The wine, once delivered, was one of the most sparing pours I have encountered in a restaurant. Perhaps that was the standard there, but it has not been my experience across the Faroe Islands thus far. I could have forgiven that, had the server noticed the long-empty glasses that we sat with for multiple courses.

The upstairs seating is cramped and hot — and we had the misfortune to be seated quite closely to a table of 4. With nowhere to move, ambiance and dinner conversation was less than optimal.

For an almost $500 bill, this was not the experience either of us hoped for. My advice — avoid ROKS and stick with the much more mature and...