Pingvinen
Pingvinen things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Description
Ratings
Plan your stay
Posts
Norway, alongside Iceland and Japan, are the only 3 countries which allow whale farming for profit. Ethics aside, I initially wasn’t interested since I was very keen on trying the meatball. However, the owner made a case that it’s apparently a specialty of the restaurant and the taste is a unique mix of beef and fish. Thus, I made an impromptu decision to get the Fresh Whale Steak (359NOK). Served medium rare, I agreed with the owner’s description, though I found the texture somewhat fibrous and dry. Meat itself tasted pretty bland, helped somwhat by the demi glace. Conclusion, I am happy that I tried it, however it’s not really something I’d imagine eating again afterwards. Also got an Ale with Cherry (105NOK) which I will go back for hahaha.
Michelle SiarilMichelle Siaril
00
Pleasantly chaotic, lots of guests so we got seated with another couple. They do not take reservations, so stand in line if it is crowded. A bit confusing whether to order at bar, eventually we did but we were supposed to wait I guess. Nice selection of locally brewed beer, house wine was good. We ordered "pensetorsk", a traditional fish of pre-cured (salted/sugared) then boiled cod with hollandaise. Absolutely wonderful, must do this at home! And braised reindeer, which was tender but a bit dry. Unfortunately it lacked a compensating sauce, it came only with a dab of broth sauce and some sweetsour lingonberries (like cranberries). Very good as well. All in all a very nice place with good home-cooked food, no shortcuts.
Jonas BorgJonas Borg
10
We chose this restaurant based on the glowing reviews and the reasonable (for Norway) prices, but wound up being really disappointed. While we accept that we may not get/appreciate traditional Norwegian cooking, we found the dishes we received to be uninspiring and bland. The food was competently cooked, but both dishes (meatballs and fish pie) lacked basic seasoning and just didn’t taste like much. After all the rave reviews of the fish pie, we were shocked to be served something that was drier than the Sahara desert and more akin to a fish cake (and desperately needed a sauce of some kind); we’re not sure what about this dish constituted a gratin/gratinated since it is genuinely just a crumbed block of flaked white fish (no other ingredients). All veggies were just boiled and tossed on the plate, also without basic seasoning (salt and pepper). Simple food can be good, but even then there should be some basic seasoning! Our meals came out within 3 minutes of ordering, which suggests everything is pre-made rather than cooked to order, and it’s obvious in the textures on the plate. Service was cursory and not overly attentive, which maybe is the Norwegian way. Despite the lackluster food, this place is really popular so if you do want to eat here, make a reservation in advance. However, if we were to return to Bergen we would definitely try somewhere else.
Stephenie HarrisonStephenie Harrison
30
This is a popular restaurant in Bergen but we weren't overly blown away by the food for how busy the restaurant is, the service and the price. We had the Aquavit cured deer as a starter, Plukkfisk and Lapskaus as mains and cheeses for dessert. The best meal was the starter. The Plukkfisk was nice, but is pretty much a fish pie (nothing special though) and the Lapskaus was probably the most disappointing dish we had. It says on the menu it should have lamb in it, but it was pretty much only sausage and just a standard stew otherwise. The cheese board was also just average ie some okay cheeses, but once again not amazing. Overall, we weren't blown away, had an okay time but did ultimately feel slightly disappointed.
Ian StewartIan Stewart
00
A nice local restaurant! We ordered fish soup as a starter, and it was very fresh and tasty. For the main course, we had whale steak and reindeer. The whale meat was more or less what I expected, with a taste that was a mix of beef and liver. I really liked the root vegetables; they complemented the whale quite well. The reindeer meat was also good and fresh at first, but the portion was quite large, and by the end, we couldn’t finish it and found it a bit too meaty. Next time, I’ll try something different. I had an ale with the whale, which paired well. Overall, it was a nice experience with local food, but next time, I’ll order something I’m more familiar with.
An HANAn HAN
00
DID NOT PASS THE VIBE CHECK! I’ve been in Bergen for days and have never felt like a second class citizen until I walked into this place. My wife and I approached the bartender and server, made eye contact, and were ignored. I gestured several times signaling intent to order and even pointed to a beer on tap but was completely ignored (there were no other people at the bar other than the girl on her laptop). After waiting several minutes, we took a seat thinking that a server would take our order at a table. This never happened. After 10-15 minutes we just left. A local recommended this place to me, but I will never give them my business after this.
Eric SkadsonEric Skadson
50
Nearby Attractions Of Pingvinen
Bergenhus Fortress
Fløibanen
Bryggen
Bryggen Hansa Quarter
Bryggen
Fløibanen
Festplassen
Citybox Bergen
USF
St. John's Church

Bergenhus Fortress
4.4
(3.1K)Click for details

Fløibanen
4.7
(1.8K)Click for details

Bryggen
4.7
(1.5K)Click for details

Bryggen Hansa Quarter
4.7
(1.2K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Pingvinen
Fishmarket in Bergen
AS Bryggestuen - Bryggeloftet
Olivia Zachariasbryggen
Fish Me Fishmarket
Trekroneren
Brasilia Bergen
Fjellskål Sjømatrestaurant
Det Lille Kaffekompaniet
Villani Skostredet
Daily pot

Fishmarket in Bergen
4.2
(5.7K)Click for details

AS Bryggestuen - Bryggeloftet
4.5
(1.9K)$$$
Click for details

Olivia Zachariasbryggen
4.3
(1.5K)$$
Click for details

Fish Me Fishmarket
4.1
(1.3K)$$$
Click for details