I recently returned from a winter Scandinavia trip and the final stop on our tour was Tromsø. We went during the polar night and aurora season – it was cold, it was dark, it was insanely beautiful. With lots of nature excursions and early starts on the itinerary, good coffee is a must. So let’s get straight into the best coffee in Tromsø.
Tromsø ‘city’ is very walkable as long as the snow permits. All of the coffee shops on this list are within a 15-20 minute radius of the Hurtigruten terminal and the bus station underneath.
I will say that walking in the snow is slower going than you might expect, and I also highly recommend bringing spikes if you are visiting Tromsø in winter. I saw numerous people slip over while I was there!
If you’re on the hunt for more Tromsø recommendations, see my guide to Tromsø here. It includes bars, restaurants, activities and more.
Vervet Bakeri
The best espresso I had in Tromsø was at Vervet Bakeri. A tiny bit off the beaten track, it is in a convenient location if you are staying at The Dock By Scandic (but slightly less so if you aren’t). It is a 15 minute walk from the Hurtigruten terminal and close to the Polar Museum and the Gateway To The Arctic mosaic though, so you can group these all together for efficiency. Either way, an excellent coffee and open early.
Kafebønna
Kafebønna has at least 4 different locations around Trømso – Stortorget, Strandtorget, Kirkegata and Storsenter (a little out of the way for the average tourist, but close to the airport). You will likely walk past at least one venue while you are exploring which makes it a very convenient coffee stop. The Stortorget and Strandtorget stores are open from 7.30am on weekdays, as per the Kafebønna website. My coffee was great and the service was speedy.
Tøllefsen
A cute little spot in downtown Tromsø that you might have a photo of without realising. It is quaint and photogenic outside and trendy but understated (and still photogenic) inside. The store itself is small and tables are scarce but the coffee is really good. It opened in 1924 and a descendant of the woman who opened it runs it today, which is very cool. Tøllefsen also serves wine and is open in the evenings (late on Friday and Saturday night).
Risø
Risø was already on my list, but overhearing the bartender at trendy Rørt bar say that Risø was where the locals eat sealed the deal. It is a lively and cute brunch spot with great coffee and a hearty, wholesome brunch menu. Most of the menu is bread based but there were omelettes and soup available when I visited. Well worth adding to your Tromsø itinerary.
Note: there seems to be two venues: Risø Kaffebar and Risø Mat Og Kaffebar. I imagine the coffee is great in both, but I only tried the latter.
Other coffee shops I tried in Tromsø
To prove I did my research, I wanted to include everywhere I tried in the effort to distill this list.
- Rørt – I didn’t rate the coffee at the time (I think the barista overslept on the day we went) but my travel companion said the buns were DELICIOUS and the cocktails from the night before were also very good. So, perhaps I caught them on an off day.
- Koselig Kafe – very cute but I didn’t rate the coffee personally.
- The airport generally – and I had one of the worst gluten free sandwiches I have ever had in my life. If you have the option, absolutely eat and get coffee in town before heading to the airport.
- One I didn’t try: Svermeri Kafe Og Redesign – as I went in I noticed a sign on the door that said you have to buy cake if you want coffee. I didn’t want cake so I didn’t try it. It did look cute but I can’t vouch for the coffee.
More coffee resources
- Best coffee in Bergen
- Best coffee in Oslo
- Best coffee in Copenhagen
- Best coffee in Munich
- Best coffee in Brisbane
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