Restaurant Kroa (Steakers Svalbard AS) — Restaurant in Spitsbergen

I walked into this establishment and liked the look at the feel of the place, felt very cozy. Odd thing was that every table had a reserved sign. When I asked about it, I was asked if I wanted to eat when I said yes, a table was magically free. I ordered the homemade moose burger and was told it could ordered after 4pm, so I'd have to wait 15mins, no problem I said. The plate of food looked nice when it arrived and the sweet potato fries were good and so was the lingonberry dipping sauce. What comes to burger, well, game meat is dark red, I know this as I operated a restaurant that served this type of food for years. This meat was grayish pale pink. It has a strange taste to it. The meat had either never seen moose, or had gone bad. I managed to eat half of the meal with long teeth, but stopped thinking I might get sick. I mentioned this to waiter who remained completely indifferent. I again mentioned this when paying as it is customary to deduct something customer is unsatisfied from the bill. Same reaction. I even mentioned the meat should be checked as it might have gone bad and just got a shrug. Terrible food safety practice and...

I recently dined at Kroa in Longyearbyen and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The restaurant has a warm, welcoming vibe—think rustic wooden décor, soft lighting, and plenty of chatter from the friendly crowd. It’s clear this is a favorite spot among locals, especially the younger set, which made for a lively yet relaxed atmosphere.

I opted for one of their signature burgers, and while it was well-seasoned and cooked to order, I found it just a touch below the outstanding burgers we’d enjoyed at Stationen the evening before. That said, the quality of the meat was good, and the toppings were fresh and thoughtfully paired.

Service was efficient and unfussy, striking the right balance between attentive and unobtrusive. Prices were fair given the generous portions and the warm ambiance. All in all, Kroa is a fantastic choice if you’re looking to mingle with locals over hearty fare in a cozy setting—even if you might find a slightly stronger burger elsewhere. I’ll happily return to soak up the atmosphere and try more...

A cozy place with great interior design harking back to the settler days with modern sprinkles. The service was excellent and very polite, perfect English as expected in Norway. The food was solid but nothing to write home about. The Moose Burger was a bit bland tastewise and the game taste didnt come through, my assumption as that salt was simply missing. Also the veggies were not stacked on top of the meat but below which led to the bun falling apart quickly. Still, solid however. The Pizza selection is odd even vor American Style; almost every Pizza has Pineapple on it. I however like American Style Pizza and it was decent in all regards. Just the toppings seemed really random. I had another piece of a friends Pizza who ordered one with chinese slaw and minced meat - weird selection. If you like that kind of thing this place is for you, if not best to check the menu in advance. All in all a...