NUGA Sushi & Noodles — Restaurant in Spitsbergen

Successful marketing on their homepage, but it doesn't really reflect reality. It's a small, basic venue located in a corner of a hotel building. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing, which is nice of course, but the rest isn't very inspiring. You would think that the menu is surprisingly cheap for being in Longyearbyen but that's just because the servings are minimal and the quality is very basic. I paid about $15 for a bowl of what seemed to be instant noodles in yakisoba sauce with some vegetables (some warm, some raw). The sushi presented as "large rolls" are to be identified as what is normally called "small rolls". You'd have to order at least two to get even close to satisfied. Better is to order the large platter, but since that is around $100 and up, I don't know about value for money. The dumplings are very good though (you get 4 pcs/serving). What really took away a star from this review was the unbelievably slow service! We didn't order anything spectacular and the place was half empty. Still, we sat for more than 30 mins just to get the dumplings, then at least another 20 mins for some basic noodles and small serving of sushi. Meanwhile, there was no attention from the waiter, no "sorry for the delay" or anything, so I take it that service is just very slow here - don't arrive starved or risk becoming hangry in...

Sometimes I need to use Google Earth to find something somewhere most Americans have zero interest learning exists, let alone actually travel to. I didn't need to find a restaurant, just a town name and location. As an extra perk I got to find out there's a delicious Japanese restaurant up on or near the Arctic Circle, especially Japanese food. I bought a Japanese cookbook when I was a kid and had never eaten or been any where near Japanese food. My first taste confirmed my suspicions; I love it.

Why am I writing a review? Largely as a reminder to myself, just as I can remind myself that, in a similar way I learned the grocery stores in the Faroe Islands look fabulous (the Midwestern US ones are dreadful). I rate the same as the current rating so I try not to affect...

The restaurant is found on the ground floor, inside of Svalbard Hotell The Vault. No outdoor shoes are allowed to be worn here, but there is an area to leave your shoes next to the entrance.

The restaurant itself is quite cosy, but hosts a really comfortable dining experience. The prices are quite expensive, but you certainly get some quality food for it. Every dish was fantastic. We definitely over ordered, as portion sizes were quite large. The presentation was wonderful. Service was great, though a little slow (expectedly) at peak time.

We also enjoyed a game of jenga, whilst waiting for our food to be prepared. Really suited us for the first night in Svalbard (we were guests...