Nordkapp Dining

Editor Rating
5.0
Excellent
Dining
Adam Coulter
U.K. Executive Editor

Dining on Nordkapp is exceptional, wherever you choose to eat. If you ate your entire time in Torget (the main dining room), you would not be disappointed as the quality is high and there is so much variety.

However, it is worth eating in the fine dining restaurant, Kysten, at least once during the journey, partly for variety, but partly because it is outstanding.

There are two other outlets for snacks and sandwiches, but these are mostly used by the interport passengers. There is no room service onboard.

Free Dining

Torget (Deck 4)
Meals: Breakfast (B), Lunch (L) and Dinner (D)

The main dining room at the back of the ship serves all three meals in buffet style, except for the occasional three-course, waiter-served dinner. The food is outstanding, without exception, and fresh -- with fish caught that morning from the port that the ship has just called in at, or meats shipped in from a nearby farm that rears rare breed cattle or pigs. Weirdly, we never saw chicken on the menu, but do get ready for lots of variation of reindeer (stews, sausages, roast, soups) and, of course, seafood in all its many forms (pickled, cured, fried, raw).

There are also a number of vegetarian dishes available at every meal including pastas, salads and roasted and boiled vegetables.

There are two standout evenings during the voyage -- Seafood Night and the set-course dinner. Seafood Night includes crawfish, mussels, shrimp, salmon and crab as well as sushi. There are also meat dishes on offer for nonseafood eaters, as well as vegetable dishes and salads. The three-course set dinner night starts with a delicious risotto of local cod roe, pickles and chives, followed by a unique-style beef loin made in Trondelag. The chef makes a bit of a spectacle, hand carving the beef at the buffet before it is table served. Dessert is a mouth-watering beetroot and chocolate cake.

On some nights, you will get wait staff coming round offering you specialty liquors -- for a fee. Normally we'd say no to this form of upselling, but we make an exception -- and recommendation -- for the aquavit, which as well as being delicious has a fascinating history (ask your waiter!).

The service is outstanding -- young, engaged wait staff, all of whom speak perfect English and are friendly and knowledgeable.

In terms of allergies, these are clearly marked on the menu (when it is a set menu), below each food item; or if it is a buffet, there are little signs by each buffet item.

There is no children's menu, but the chef is always happy to make a burger, pasta or pizza.

Fee Dining

Pricing was accurate at time of review but may have changed since.

Kysten (Deck 4): a la carte, 99 NOK (about $11) to 345 NOK (about $40); king crab set menu, 695 NOK pp (about $80); or 240 NOK pp (about $30) if you opt for an A La Carte Upgrade
Meals: D

Kysten is an outstanding fine dining restaurant, which you ought to eat in at least once. If you're scared by the prices, the best option is to ask onboard for the A La Carte Upgrade. You can also choose the evening you eat on.

Making up one-half of the space shared by Brygga and separated by a glass wine display and an open kitchen, this is Norwegian cooking at its best, at par with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Everything is local, sometimes hyperlocal, with the fish being loaded from one of the tiny fishing villages the ship pulls in to. The menu is a la carte, except for King Crab Night, which includes a glass of prosecco, a lovely salad, exquisite local scallops and, of course, king crab. We love that you can scan the QR code on your crab's shell to find out where, when and by whom it was caught.

The a la carte menu includes a beet salad, beef carpaccio, a reindeer consomme and the aforementioned scallops. Entrees include king crab (note it's 1,295 NOK per kilo, which is around $150); beef tenderloin, pork, arctic char or halibut, all served beautifully on dark granite slabs. Desserts are equally delicious, all made by the chef in the open kitchen and including chocolate terrine, plum and rhubarb tart, rice pancakes and local cheeses. The wine list is extensive and varied and there is also suggested wine pairing. House wines are pricy, starting at 475 NOK (about $55) and 565 NOK (about $65) for red. Service is outstanding.

Brygga (Deck 4)
Meals: L, D

This quick-stop shop sells open sandwiches, snacks and alcoholic beverages from 1 p.m. onward, mainly to locals who are using the ship as a ferry service and do not have meals included.

Multe Cafe (Deck 7)
Meals: B, L

A lovely spot at the top of the ship, with nice views and a Norwegian homey feel. It sells specialty coffees, pastries and open sandwiches, as well as an interesting selection of local ice creams including fish flavor and a beer flavor.

Restaurants

  • Brygga - Bistro*
  • Kysten - Arctic Fine Dining*
  • Multe - Ice Cream & Snacks*
  • Panorama Bar - Panoramic Bar*
  • Torget - Norwegian
  • * May require additional fees

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