Come with your heartiest appetite, because Stavanger’s multi-Michelin-starred dining scene is bringing a lot to the table. Alongside its bounty of in-demand restaurants, Norway’s oil (and fish canning) capital is a slick city break which harbours a fascinating seafaring heritage and fjord-focused adventures aplenty.
Friday afternoon
Shortly after touching down in Stavanger, you’ll be whizzed from the airport in a private electric car to Eilert Smith Hotel, a seaside stay with plenty of curve appeal. Originally designed by local architect, Eilert Smith, the former functionalist warehouse still leans into its industrial-chic heritage by blending travertine, marble and brass, while adding softer touches like cloud-like duvets and oak furnishings crafted by Eikund, a Norwegian furniture studio which reimagines classic designs from the 1950s and 1960s. Make yourself at home in your suite, taking in the views across the harbour of Stavanger’s rooftops.
Friday evening
It’s just a short trip downstairs for dinner at RE-NAA, the hotel’s three-Michelin-star restaurant which draws inspiration and ingredients for its seafood-led tasting menu from Rogaland’s fjords, forests, and mountains. If you’re lucky enough to secure a reservation (bookings are snapped up at least three months in advance, although the hotel keeps back a table for two on Fridays and Saturdays for its residents), you’ll be presented with 25 impeccably prepared courses which change with the day’s deliveries from fishermen, foragers, and farmers. Really, it’s dinner and a show, as you can watch Chef Sven Erik Renaa and his team hard at work in the open kitchen throughout the evening.
Saturday morning
In the summer months, early risers can join Eilert Smith’s guided sunrise hike up Pulpit Rock, one of Norway’s most famous mountains (featured in that cliffside showdown in Mission Impossible: Fallout). The 2am pick-up means that you’ll beat the crowds and enjoy the views across the Lysefjord almost all to yourself, with snacks and fresh coffee prepared by the hotel to keep you fuelled.
For a more relaxing start to the day, Eilert Smith’s in-the-know team organises scenic drives into Stavanger’s surrounding fjordlands, stopping at Dirdalstraen, a family-run organic farm shop with a waterfront wood-fired sauna and fibreglass boat to rent for day trips around Høgsfjorden and Frafjorden. Browse the beautiful selection of locally sourced produce (including sought-after wild salmon from the Dirdalselva River), sheepskin and yarn from the family’s own animals, and homemade preserves from the fruits in season.
Saturday afternoon
Head back into the city for a six-course lunch at Bellies, an innovative, ingredient-led restaurant which is guided by nature’s larder. The menu depends entirely on the produce available to the kitchen each day, and puts plant-powered creations on prettily-dressed plates with tender, loving care.
Set aside a few leisurely hours to shop the effortlessly chic collections at Bazaar, a small, independent boutique (with the dreamiest fitting rooms) run by Ida Maria Storalm and Margot Storalm. The mother-daughter duo is on hand to offer styling tips and an intimate, personal shopping experience from made-to-last labels like Monoki by Diane Goldstein, Sea New York, and Utzon Copenhagen (seriously covetable shearling). You can elevate your home as well as your wardrobe, with fragrant candles and soaps from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella.
Saturday evening
Just down the street from Bazaar is Michelin-starred Hermetikken, owned by sommeliers Knut-Espen Misje and Silje Hanasand. The cosy, candlelit restaurant’s open kitchen is headed up by chef Stuart Barber, who weaves his Norfolk coast background with the freshest Norwegian seafood. The result? Cooked-to-perfection courses (mopped up with buttery brioche) and quite possibly the best cloudberry soufflé you’ll ever eat, set in a dining-amongst-friends atmosphere.
Stop by Norvald Vinbar (from the couple behind Hermetikken) for a glass of wine, or end the evening with a Negroni nightcap back at Eilert Smith.
Sunday morning
Breakfast at Eilert Smith is served in your room or suite, which is kitted out with a bespoke kitchenette and dining table for you to start the morning as you might at home. Take your time tucking into the generous homemade spread (from bed, if you wish), including made-to-order eggs, sourdough, whipped butter, seasonal jam, golden granola, and a protein-packed salad. Guests of the Residence should take advantage of the travertine tub, and indulge in a long soak (with bubbles courtesy of Bazaar’s bathroom range).
Sunday afternoon
Don’t leave without wandering the cobblestone, white-washed streets of Gamle Stavanger (Old Town), and popping into the Norwegian Canning Museum for an insight into the city’s once-booming sardine industry, spread across restored fish-packing warehouses. There are guided tours of the exhibitions every Sunday from noon.
If time, stock up on artisan supplies from fifth-generation butchers, A. Idsøe, before your flight home.
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