Here’s a handy list of our favourite restaurants in Tórshavn – and a couple of our favourite bars as well.
Tórshavn may be small for a capital city but it still manages to punch above its weight when it comes to quality and choice of restaurants. Whether you want to try traditional fermented fish or lamb or a five-course vegan taster menu you’ll find plenty for every palate.
Restaurants & Cafes
Katrina Christiansen
Located near the harbour, Katrina Christiansen is my favourite restaurant in the Faroe Islands. The menu is tapas style with dishes inspired by Faroese food. Here you can choose five or seven-course menus with wine or beer pairing (the beer pairing is very filling!). For Vegans/vegetarians I can heartily recommend the five-course vegan menu.
Húsagarður
Húsagarður is the restaurant located in Hotel Brandon. They offer three or five-course menus as well as à la carte dishes drawing inspiration from Nordic cuisine. There is also an extensive wine cellar.
Bistro 1.Hædd
Bistro 1.Hædd is located in Hotel Hafnia. The restaurant has evolved over the years since the hotel was opened in 1951 when a small kitchen allowed guests to cook for themselves. Now teh restaurant serves a classical French menu with fresh Nordic produce.
Kafe Kaspar
Kafe Kaspar is on the ground floor of Hotel Hafnia and offers light meals such as burgers, bagels and club sandwiches. You can also get takeaway meals.
Ruts
Ruts is another highly regarded hotel Restaurant. Located in the Hotel Føroyar, the dining room has arguably the best view overlooking Tórshavn, Nólsoy and the fjord.
1933 Restaurant
Also located in Hotel Føroyar, 1933 is a casual lobby and cafe offering lighter meals and snacks. Between 11:0 and 16:00 you can get afternoon tea, and into the evening you can have burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
Hallartún
Hallartún is a French style bistro and bar located in the Hilton Garden Inn.
Bitin
Located in the town centre opposite the Tourist Information Centre, Bitin as a lovely small cafe offering new style Nordic sandwiches – perfect for when you are wandering around the shops doing some tax-free shopping or picking up some last-minute souvenirs.
Etika
Etika is a chain of sushi restaurants. There are two located in Tórshavn, and one in the village of Saltangará on Eysturoy. In Tórshavn one is located north of the town centre past the Nordic House – the one you are more likely to see (and the one I have visited) is near the harbour opposite the Hotel Hafnia.
Given the Faroese love of fish, and the fact that you are never more than 5km from the ocean, it is no surprise that sushi is so popular – but there is also plenty of choice for vegetarians!
Moss
Moss is a recent arrival on the Faroese food scene – so recent that I have not yet had a chance to visit. Moss offers a Mediterranean cuisine influenced by the Portuguese owner, Ana. As well as offering Mediterranean dishes throughout the day you can also get a picnic hamper to take out, and if an Archipelago holiday is not complete without a pastel de nata, then you can get them here!
Kaffihúsið
Kaffihúsið is a cafe on the harbour serving a variety of teas and coffees and a large selection of cakes!
THE TARV Grillhouse
Located at the northern end of the marina, the building that now houses THE TARV (Faroese for The Bull) has been home to numerous local businesses and organisations – the front still bears the name of Poul Hansen Heilsøla (a wholesaler who have relocated out of the city centre). THE TARV serves beef from Galicia, Galloway, and Greater Omaha as well as grilled fish.
Áarstova
Located in the historic old town area of Tórshavn, with its distinctive grass roofed building, Áarstova offers a traditional Faroese menu of lamb and seafood.
ROKS
ROKS is a laid-back sister restaurant to KOKS (the Michelin-starred restaurant that has temporarily relocated to Iceland) and Ræst . ROKS keeps the emphasis on the best quality Faroese seafood (ROKS is also a Michelin listed restaurant), combining both modern and classical cooking techniques. Guests can expect a hands-on experience delivered with a professional and friendly service.
Ræst
Sister restaurant to ROKS, Ræst is also Michelin listed. Its name means ‘fermented’, and the set menu is indeed centred around fermentation and ageing, with an insight into the heritage of Faroese food and flavours.
Paname Café
The Paname Café is another great option for a rest if you’re exploring Tórshavn on foot. Located between the cathedral and the parliament building (the modern one near the main shopping area, not the grass-roofed government building on Tinganes ), it’s a great place to stop for a coffee and cake – and it also houses a bookshop which is well worth a look around as there are books in English as well as Faroese (and there are books on learning Faroese too!).
Pubs & Bars
There are several pubs and bars in Tórshavn, but below are some of my favourites.
Mikkeller Tórshavn
Mikkeller is a Danish brewery and they have pubs throughout northern Europe – and even some in Asia – and also have had pop-up shops in other major cities of the world. Their pub in Torshavn is located near the harbour, next to Katrina Christiansen – perfectly placed to pop in for a swift half of craft beer before your meal! They also have a running club who meet every Thursday afternoon! As well as an exceptional (if expensive) list of ever changing beers, there are also board games for your use.
Ástaklokkan
Ástaklokkan is a small restaurant (four tables!) a few doors up from Mikkeller and is a good option if wine is your preferred tipple.
Blábar
Blábar is a jazz and blues bar in the main shopping area of Tórshavn. You’ll often find music here of an evening – but there will often be an entry fee (or if you’ve already entered someone from the band will come round and ask you for ticket money). The Faroese have a long and proud tradition of singer-songwriters, so it really is worth checking out some live music if you can – some of the songs may well be in English, and even if they’re in Faroese or Danish you can still get swept along with the atmosphere!
Essabarr
Essabarr is another bar where you are quite likely to find live music – I get the impression the acts here are less well known than you’d find in Blábar – you’re as likely to hear cover versions of English-language pop songs as Faroese songs.
Irish Pub Torshavn
Wherever you go in the world you’ll find an Irish Bar and Tórshavn is no exception. It’s what you’d expect – they serve a good selection of beers and the usual pub food.