Allen’s Stavanger
Food scene
This is a cozy, romantic restaurant with quality food. Reservations recommended as it's small. For special nights or a nice meal that doesn't mind the cost.
45 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Casa Gio
48 PedersgataThis is a cozy, romantic restaurant with quality food. Reservations recommended as it's small. For special nights or a nice meal that doesn't mind the cost.
This is the best takeout pizza in southwest Norway. It's not cheap, but if you want real Italian pizza, pick up one of these. It's takeout only.
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Panzanella Pizzeria
55 PedersgataThis is the best takeout pizza in southwest Norway. It's not cheap, but if you want real Italian pizza, pick up one of these. It's takeout only.
Decent sushi place by Norwegian standards. This is not the fanciest sushi place (Sabi Sushi), but it's surprisingly cozy despite being right at the bus station, and the staff are great. I'm very picky and while I wouldn't write home about this place, it's solid suhi and usually has tables even if you don't book. And the view of the busses and lake are kind of exciting and remind me of a real city. A hidden little gem here. But a city gem, not overly fancy.
Sushi San
3 JernbaneveienDecent sushi place by Norwegian standards. This is not the fanciest sushi place (Sabi Sushi), but it's surprisingly cozy despite being right at the bus station, and the staff are great. I'm very picky and while I wouldn't write home about this place, it's solid suhi and usually has tables even if you don't book. And the view of the busses and lake are kind of exciting and remind me of a real city. A hidden little gem here. But a city gem, not overly fancy.
This is a great Indian restaurant that you can sometimes get into without a reservation. Great service and quality food. Recommended. It's also right by the library plaza which is a cozy little area with two bakeries, a Mcdonalds for people who don't care about food, and a Kanel Snurren (only place to get real French bread in town except for this old French man who apparently sits on his porch one day a week and sells bread, though I have yet to discover what day and time: rumor has it you can find this info on good old FB).
Jai Hind Indisk Restaurant
7 SølvberggataThis is a great Indian restaurant that you can sometimes get into without a reservation. Great service and quality food. Recommended. It's also right by the library plaza which is a cozy little area with two bakeries, a Mcdonalds for people who don't care about food, and a Kanel Snurren (only place to get real French bread in town except for this old French man who apparently sits on his porch one day a week and sells bread, though I have yet to discover what day and time: rumor has it you can find this info on good old FB).
An affordable cafe and excellent brick oven pizzeria, this little gem is in the library/culture house building and has a great view of the central plaza downtown. I love working on my computer here or just taking in some cozy people watching. This is the most lively part of the center in the day, and it even has a little sense of culture with a bookstore nearby, the library itself (amazing for Norwegian resources and all the DVDs in the world upstairs for free!), and the movie theater (try the luxury cinema where you can sit in big leather chairs and drink adult drinks if you are an adult). Renaa also has great and very affordable (for Norway) daily soup.
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Renaa Xpress Sølvberget
2 SølvberggataAn affordable cafe and excellent brick oven pizzeria, this little gem is in the library/culture house building and has a great view of the central plaza downtown. I love working on my computer here or just taking in some cozy people watching. This is the most lively part of the center in the day, and it even has a little sense of culture with a bookstore nearby, the library itself (amazing for Norwegian resources and all the DVDs in the world upstairs for free!), and the movie theater (try the luxury cinema where you can sit in big leather chairs and drink adult drinks if you are an adult). Renaa also has great and very affordable (for Norway) daily soup.
I am very picky about burgers. It's all about the meat. Sure I enjoy an overcooked burger smothered in junk to hide the low quality meat, but a real burger begins and ends with that actual pattie and Døgnville gets it. They also do smother it in amazing things, so don't worry, but it's a great little spot with a nice bartender and solid burgers. Take it from me!
77 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Døgnvill Burger Stavanger
13 SkagenI am very picky about burgers. It's all about the meat. Sure I enjoy an overcooked burger smothered in junk to hide the low quality meat, but a real burger begins and ends with that actual pattie and Døgnville gets it. They also do smother it in amazing things, so don't worry, but it's a great little spot with a nice bartender and solid burgers. Take it from me!
Fancy fish place and where the local expats take their parents when they come. Quality food, good service, and great set menus. It's on the waterfront and highly recommended for a fancy but relaxed dinner and ambience.
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Fisketorget Stavanger
37 StrandkaienFancy fish place and where the local expats take their parents when they come. Quality food, good service, and great set menus. It's on the waterfront and highly recommended for a fancy but relaxed dinner and ambience.
Very small but great little Italian cafe and restaurant. Hard to get a table, but this is a very relaxed place where you can get a great coffee or eat one of their select pasta or pizza dishes. More like a deli than a full-blown restaurant, the food is great. Try the vegetarian lasagna if they are serving it.
Italo AS
9 SmedgataVery small but great little Italian cafe and restaurant. Hard to get a table, but this is a very relaxed place where you can get a great coffee or eat one of their select pasta or pizza dishes. More like a deli than a full-blown restaurant, the food is great. Try the vegetarian lasagna if they are serving it.
This is a short walk from the house and is the closest restaurant that has decent food. They have pizza, fabulous soup, and pricey but very nice sandwiches (get the heated ones, not the cold ones unless you are doing takeaway). It's also a nice spot for a coffee and a chat or to work on your laptop. It's large but cozy and has a circus theme. Beware: it has some of the best ice cream around.
Sirkus Renaa
61 LagårdsveienThis is a short walk from the house and is the closest restaurant that has decent food. They have pizza, fabulous soup, and pricey but very nice sandwiches (get the heated ones, not the cold ones unless you are doing takeaway). It's also a nice spot for a coffee and a chat or to work on your laptop. It's large but cozy and has a circus theme. Beware: it has some of the best ice cream around.
Sightseeing
I've never been here, but literally everyone I've talked to says it's a great museum, even if you have no interest in all things oily.
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Norwegian Petroleum Museum
1a KjeringholmenI've never been here, but literally everyone I've talked to says it's a great museum, even if you have no interest in all things oily.
In summer this is the must-see hike. It's intermediate and reasonable for most hikers even relative beginners and children.
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Βράχος Καθέδρα
In summer this is the must-see hike. It's intermediate and reasonable for most hikers even relative beginners and children.
Flørli is amazing. You can dare to climb the 4444 stairs from the water to the top of the mountain (I'm afraid of heights, and I did it, but it was a little scary). You can camp or reserve a private or tourist cabin (DNT: the host there is wonderful and knows how to dance salsa: ask her!). You can get there by boat or car/boat (depending on the schedules). There are also lots of nice little hikes around the area and an amazing waterfall. Highly recommended for solo, couples, and families.
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Flørli
Flørli is amazing. You can dare to climb the 4444 stairs from the water to the top of the mountain (I'm afraid of heights, and I did it, but it was a little scary). You can camp or reserve a private or tourist cabin (DNT: the host there is wonderful and knows how to dance salsa: ask her!). You can get there by boat or car/boat (depending on the schedules). There are also lots of nice little hikes around the area and an amazing waterfall. Highly recommended for solo, couples, and families.
Preikestolen and Kjerag are the two most famous hikes here, both highly recommended. Kjerag is a bit longer and in rainy weather the slopes can be a bit difficult for beginning hikers (they have a chain, though it's not necessary to use it much in sunny weather). You can drive or take a charter bus to the hike, and it's not required that you go out and stand on the terrifying rock in the famous pictures. I used to go out there, but as I'm terrified of heights, now I just eat my lunch and kick back while others give me the willies going out there and daring the heights.
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Kjerag
Preikestolen and Kjerag are the two most famous hikes here, both highly recommended. Kjerag is a bit longer and in rainy weather the slopes can be a bit difficult for beginning hikers (they have a chain, though it's not necessary to use it much in sunny weather). You can drive or take a charter bus to the hike, and it's not required that you go out and stand on the terrifying rock in the famous pictures. I used to go out there, but as I'm terrified of heights, now I just eat my lunch and kick back while others give me the willies going out there and daring the heights.
Bars and Dancing
A cozy bar that sometimes has food and on Thursday nights has Latin dancing (salsa and bachata earlier in the evening and then loud reggeaton). They also have an outdoor area if weather allows. A nice place for a beer or nibbles.
7 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Frøken Pil
37 ØstervågA cozy bar that sometimes has food and on Thursday nights has Latin dancing (salsa and bachata earlier in the evening and then loud reggeaton). They also have an outdoor area if weather allows. A nice place for a beer or nibbles.
A cozy bar and cafe with a little back patio (covered and heated) that has amazing desserts and very nice beers. They also have board games and drawings of the great writers of the English language (Joyce, Woolf, etc.). It's small so not easy to get a table, but it's quieter and cozier than the other loud bars on the Color Street (famous street: see the description I put up). They also sometimes do Sunday pancakes, though that may not be happening. You can call them. They have coffee and hot drinks also. A gem for calm, cozy people on the rather wild Color Street.
51 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Bøker og Børst
32 Øvre HolmegateA cozy bar and cafe with a little back patio (covered and heated) that has amazing desserts and very nice beers. They also have board games and drawings of the great writers of the English language (Joyce, Woolf, etc.). It's small so not easy to get a table, but it's quieter and cozier than the other loud bars on the Color Street (famous street: see the description I put up). They also sometimes do Sunday pancakes, though that may not be happening. You can call them. They have coffee and hot drinks also. A gem for calm, cozy people on the rather wild Color Street.
This is the hippest bar in Stavanger and one of only two nice ones that aren't stuffed into downtown. The clientelle is a little more international and a little less drunk than downtown. They also have great local beers and okay food (the beer is the draw).
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LERVIG LOCAL
2A Alexander Kiellands gateThis is the hippest bar in Stavanger and one of only two nice ones that aren't stuffed into downtown. The clientelle is a little more international and a little less drunk than downtown. They also have great local beers and okay food (the beer is the draw).
Cafes
All of the Kanelsnurrenn bakeries are great, and I'm quite picky about bread. They have excellent coffee and sweets/rolls also. The focaccia is also tied for best in town. There are several locations and they are all nice. My favorite for actually hanging out and reading or working on my computer is down by fiskepiren (the waterfront out by the fairies: see my listing for this).
Kanelsnurren avd. Stavanger sentrum
4 SøregataAll of the Kanelsnurrenn bakeries are great, and I'm quite picky about bread. They have excellent coffee and sweets/rolls also. The focaccia is also tied for best in town. There are several locations and they are all nice. My favorite for actually hanging out and reading or working on my computer is down by fiskepiren (the waterfront out by the fairies: see my listing for this).
Neighbourhoods
Historically, Pedersgata has been a neighborhood with a high population of immigrants. This is still the case, though it is being gentrified a little with new apartments. In any case, it still retains its exciting flavor of international restaurants and people and is the only place in town that feels like a real city. If you like international people, different languages, foreign foods, and friendly people, this is the place to go.
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Pedersgata
PedersgataHistorically, Pedersgata has been a neighborhood with a high population of immigrants. This is still the case, though it is being gentrified a little with new apartments. In any case, it still retains its exciting flavor of international restaurants and people and is the only place in town that feels like a real city. If you like international people, different languages, foreign foods, and friendly people, this is the place to go.
Culture
Check the schedule online for Folken. They have cultural events, concerts, art films, and a little bar downstairs for cozying before the show.
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Folken
24 LøkkeveienCheck the schedule online for Folken. They have cultural events, concerts, art films, and a little bar downstairs for cozying before the show.
This is the best local bookstore. They have a small but decent English section: fiction and classics.
Norled
1 BørehaugenThis is the best local bookstore. They have a small but decent English section: fiction and classics.
This is an archaeology (archeology) museum run by the university and thus of very high quality. Recommended. It is a short walk from the house.
30 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Arkeologisk museum i Stavanger
30A Peder Klows gateThis is an archaeology (archeology) museum run by the university and thus of very high quality. Recommended. It is a short walk from the house.
This is the weirdest museum I've ever been to. You'll see. Great for kids. They also have a big but rather cozy cafe with lots of space to eat pancakes, drink coffee, and play with toys or color. There is a whale skeleton out front that you will see if you walk downtown. It's missing a vertebrae. I'm guessing there is some sort of puzzle or mystery there.
38 ντόπιοι το προτείνουν
Stavanger Museum
16 MuségataThis is the weirdest museum I've ever been to. You'll see. Great for kids. They also have a big but rather cozy cafe with lots of space to eat pancakes, drink coffee, and play with toys or color. There is a whale skeleton out front that you will see if you walk downtown. It's missing a vertebrae. I'm guessing there is some sort of puzzle or mystery there.
Learn to dance salsa, bachata, kizomba, line dancing, and west coast swing. Also check their FB page for events if you want to join a night of friendly social dancing.
The Stage
13 SandvikveienLearn to dance salsa, bachata, kizomba, line dancing, and west coast swing. Also check their FB page for events if you want to join a night of friendly social dancing.
Weekend Trips
A 2-4 hour trip depending on if you drive or take the train. The train is comfortable and has great views running along the water. Highly recommended. Kristiansand is a cozy little city with much better weather than Stavanger and it makes a nice weekend visit if you can find the time.
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Kristiansand
A 2-4 hour trip depending on if you drive or take the train. The train is comfortable and has great views running along the water. Highly recommended. Kristiansand is a cozy little city with much better weather than Stavanger and it makes a nice weekend visit if you can find the time.