My favorite pub in my favorite city in the world! The popcorn is amazing; beer selection can't be topped; the food choices are always delicious. Don't miss this place. read more

If you are looking for hearty traditional Scandinavian fare, this place is perfect. It has a cozy bar/pub feel and it's small (do early dinner if you truly want a table, they don't take reservations). I had the lamb stew and my hubby had the fish stew, both of which came with crispy pieces of buttered flatbread that were surprisingly awesome in and of themselves. Menus are in English which is nice for tourists. Waiters friendly. Good central location. Big thumbs up. read more

Pingvinen - Fish stew - Scandinavian Near Me - Bergen, 12

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The best way to describe this place to an American is to think of what your grandmother cooked your parents in the 1950s/60s and then put a Norwegian twist on it. I had the fish pie, which really was fish, breading, macaroni, and some kind of sauce holding it together. Definitely needed some work on the flavoring. The wife had meatballs that were great. The place also has an amazing Norwegian tap selection if you are a beer drinker. We also had wonderful fresh shrimp. I would love to give the place a fourth star, but it really needs a bit more work on the flavoring. read more

We really enjoyed this place on our recent trip to Bergen. Nice atmosphere, tasty authentic Norwegian food, good selection of local beers, and relatively affordable for Americans visiting Norway. read more

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I discovered this place thanks to Yelp recommendations, and the reputation of this restaurant is truly deserved: warm and cozy atmosphere, nice service, a small selection of dishes but only traditional and tasteful cook. I highly recommend it! read more

Has some dishes that are, supposedly, typical Norwegian food. Not that I would know any better. I had a mink whale steak there on one occasion and a fish pie on another. Both were good, though I would not have minded a bit more. I am a big eater, mind. The beer selection also looks good, enabling me to taste some local beer. read more

I did not like this place. I'd say that the atmosphere of this place was a little bit too crowded and dark for my liking, especially since we went there to get food. When the food came, it wasn't anything special and I don't even really remember what we wound up eating, I just remember that we had some stews and a dessert. The only highlight of this meal was the popcorn that I wound up ordering at the end. It was super buttery (which I absolutely love), but I know that there are people who don't like that, so it's up to you! If I drank I think I would have enjoyed this place more, but it wasn't that great in my opinion. read more

Like this place a lot, had an IPA beer and the Meatballs for dinner, fairly reasonably priced compared to other local places, good food and good beer selection. read more

Delicious late night menu. We had the potato soup ( which included heavily buttered bread. Can be scraped off) and potatoes with fish and bacon bits. Also had a local dessert of a pastry with nuts and raisins, simple but tasty and not heavy. The staff was very accommodation and most pleasant. Really liked the establishment. Great place to relax after a long train ride. Highly recommend. read more

Had no problem finding a table for one, yet sat there clueless waiting for someone to take my order until I realized I had to put it in at the bar. The first night I had the Reinsdyrnakke, a reindeer meat stew with mashed potatoes that filled me up and put me to sleep. The following day I returned for lunch to eat the Lapskaus, a salted lamb stew with root veggies and flatbread. I didn't think the reindeer stew could be topped, but the Lapskaus was truly delicious. Bergen's one of the world's great, mini-cities and if you make the trip, eat at Pingvinen. read more

This is a great pub. The food is fantastic, the service is delightful, and the drinks are excellent. Of course, since this is Norway, the prices are painfully crazy. They are not more so than other places in this city. I'm planning to go back tomorrow night. read more

Traditional Norwegian food that tastes great and is not overpriced! Our fist night in Norway, and we were hoping to get some local flavor. Our b&b host recommended the Penguin. We were glad we found it. I had the fish mashed with potatoes. It had bacon chunks on it and was very different than any meal I have had before, I would get it again. Daughter had the pork and root vegetable stew, which was not like an American stew, it was more dry, but she loved it. We paired these with some of their many Norwegian beers on tap. This would be a good place to come for a couple beers, drinks, late night snacks, or full meals. read more

The food was outstanding! I arrived at 10pm into Bergen and was so hungry but there were not many places still open. This place had good reviews so I figured why not give it a try. I'm glad I did! When I got there they were no longer serving the full menu but had at least 5 options of small plates for me to choose from. I had cured lamb and potato salad and it was so delicious I would go back again and order the same thing. And the bartender said it was a small plate but there was plenty of food, I couldn't finish it all. Also the bartender was very helpful, friendly, and patient with me explaining all the options to me in English. I would definitely recommend pingvinen to visitors in Bergen. read more

We loved this place! Great food and great beer in a casual atmosphere. We had meatballs and a pork stew with a couple of beers. Both were excellent, reasonably priced and very large portions. As everyone else says, they have a good beer selection. We will return when/if we ever come back to Bergen. This was our only night in town but we would definitely return. read more

Fantastic unique atmosphere. Amazing food, good allergy indications. Good penguin paintings.

Reasonably priced for the area, and I really enjoyed the plukkfisk because it was something I have never had before and absolutely delicious

...I travel to Bergen once a year and I discovered this place last year. It's got a great casual vibe, super friendly staff and the best traditional Norwegian food I've eaten. I highly recommend it... read more

Such an excellent bar! Friendly and helpful staff, good company, great beer, and great traditional Norwegian daily specials. I came back three or four times during my two-day stay in Bergen I was so impressed. read more

A cozy bar with loads of great local and imported beers. I stopped in, looking to have some traditional Norwegian fare and a brew. I ordered a Hansa Pils and the plukkfisk. The Hansa was good and cheap. The plukkfisk was very yummy and comforting...note that they have this listed as "fish stew" on the English menu which can be deceptive if you don't already know what it is; the bartender said she wasn't sure how else to describe it which is a pretty valid point. Whatever they want to call it, it was great! read more

This was our first dining in Bergen. Fortunately we found this place where locals seem to enjoy. I decided that we are in a paradise for milk products. The best trout I've eaten for ages due to the butter they used for frying and the creamy and possibly cheesy yummy sauce. My husband had meatball and was very pleased. The staff was very friendly and advised good local beer. We didn't regret we waited longish. read more

Lovely traditional Norwegian menu. Very cozy, chilled out atmosphere and nice friendly service.

A friendly local pub that serves up authentic Norwegian cuisine while still being friendly to tourists. Menu changes regularly (I ate there for three consecutive nights and had two different menus) but go with the house specialty every time and you won't be disappointed (if you are a carnivore and will eat anything...). The staff are very friendly and will try to accommodate you, but be warned that the wait for a table or bar seat can be long at times so get in early or very late to avoid waiting around too long. read more

We were looking for traditional Norwegian food at a reasonable price and we found it here for sure. We tried the fish pie, meatballs, carrot soup and stew. Every dish was delicious. The staff speak perfect English so ordering was easy. Highly recommend read more

This is an affordable place (by Nordic standards) for traditional Norwegian food. We had lunch and beers there at noon, and it was a great spot in the midst of the Bergen rain. The fish pie was great, as was the laupskas (which is some kind of stew). Good food for under 20 bucks a person. read more

What an excellent little pub. We had a meal and a couple of drinks and it was just perfect. I was surprised by how much I liked the food. We ordered a fish dish and I liked it even better than the fish I had at a fancy restaurant in the area. "Home food" is the best way to describe it. read more

One word: fiskegrateng! Okay, more than one word... a really popular arts hang-out (packed and jumping many nights) famous for traditional Norwegian cooking with some twists. A really warm, hip-without-being-actually-HIPSTER atmosphere. I look forward to going back... ahead of the evening rush. And yeah, the fiskegrateng DOES rock... tasty! read more

Came to this place my first day in Bergen to get food. It has very comfortable food and very nice presentation. The service was good, the man who served our food was very nice and very prompt with our orders. The beer was very good with many options. I would go here again and recommend it to anyone who would like some comfort food and some other more adventurous options! read more

A real pub feel to the place, warm & cosy, but not too warm in the summer. Mix of furniture in the front part makes it look a bit cheap, but the rest of the decor tells you that you made the right decision to come! As most hotels seem to recommend the place & it doesn't take reservations, expect to wait, unless you are prepared to share or squeeze in at the bar. The staff are friendly and provide an English menu and advise. The lamb stew was hearty and rustic, traditional norwegian lamb stew. The stews are not at all watery so don't expect some thin broth! The fish stew was so filling but delicious but also a bit heavy. The pate was good but would have been better not cooked. The potato dumplings were good mixed with swede, bacon and sausage - and that was a meal for someone with a big appetite!! Good selection of norwegian beers and a local eating there reassured you that this isn't just for tourists! A big win!!! read more

The staff was really friendly, the food very good, and the ambience relaxing. I whole-heartedly recommend. Only con: They could probably use a slightly larger space given the restaurant's popularity. read more

Hearty (Norwegian) homestyle cooking. Think meat and two veg. Cozy atmosphere with various people in attendance. Locals and travellers galore. Lives up to its name as worthy stop for a visit. read more

Friendly pub with good food and an excellent beer selection. Positive reviews in Lonely Planet and Yelp! Led it to be filled with tourists, but Pingvingen lived up to the reviews. We tried four dishes. A starter cured lamb served with Lefse and Potato Salad, a fish pie which was very good, but different from what I expected. It looked almost like a fish cornbread. It was a hearty mixture of Salted codfish an meal. My boys had plattefisk which literally was a mashup of fish (salted?) with mashed potatoes and bacon. My wife had the fish of the day. All of the portions were large. This complemented with an excellent saison and double IPA made for a great meal. read more

A wonderful busy casual restaurant where my husband and I enjoyed a meal. Very nice small dishes like the cheese plate and cured lamb.

Lovely little nook. Martha was a calm and pleasant lady. Good beer and the food was consistent and delicious.

I really wanted to love this place, but there was nothing unique about it that drew me in. Pingvinen is a tavern with above-average food and a decent brew list. Had reindeer shanks and a cheese plate, as well as some whisky. The only thing that was memorable was the cheese plate, which was as good at other institutions in the area. As someone who really likes pubs, Pingvinen was solely an average to slightly-above-average pub in my experience. Don't avoid it, but don't drop everything to come here, either. read more

good low key bar / pub with about 15 beers on tap and more in bottles - Danish and Norwegian beers plus a few others like Murphys and Sierra Nevada. Good authentic local food. I had fish stew, my wife had dumplings with bacon and corned beef(?). Seemed like a lot more locals than tourists. read more

Fish Stew was really good, but a little overrated considering ALL other reviews raved about it. They have a great list of beers from around the world. Service was slow; waiter comes around once every 25 mins or so, but this every place experience in Norway and Sweden. Meatballs are good! It comes with a "pea" mash, which is exactly like mashed potatoes but is green and tastes like peas! read more

Great little casual bar with authentic Scandinavian cuisine and an absurd amount of delicious beers on tap. Quaint candle-lit dinner past midnight on a Monday night is hard to find! This place nailed it. read more

Traditional food with some updates - everything we ordered was delicious, and the setting is cozy and fun. Very busy.

We were looking for some local food while in Bergen. And hoping to find some whale. This was perfect. Meatballs, whale salad, reindeer, and everything had amazing sides! Definitely recommend!! read more

Friendly service and a nice draft selection. Ate at the bar and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere. Had the sausage platter, which was quite tasty. Located on Vaskerelven, it's right in the mix of a good chunk of bars and other eateries. Worth a try! read more