7 Great Restaurants in the Faroe Islands

By Fríða Weihe Verified Expert

What are the best restaurants in the Faroe Islands? Can you do fine dining on these islands in the North Atlantic Ocean? Are there many good Tórshavn restaurants? Is there a traditional method of cooking still practiced? Fancy something special only served on plates in the Faroe Islands?

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Well, you are lucky. There are lots of great restaurants where chefs use their passion and local knowledge. Here we have listed the best restaurants and food experiences when going out for a dinner in Faroe Islands.

The list is for foodies and people with a notorious addiction for good food. Keep on reading if you also want to find out where you can go out dining where ancient cooking methods are still in use. With deep roots in the rich food culture, the New Faroese Kitchen is keen on serving the tasty (and fermented) culinary tradition.

1. Barbara Fish House

Black mussel in Faroe Islands — *Dining at Barbara Fish House is a great experience. You get everything from local black mussels to smoked and even dried fish.*

This fish house in the city centre of Tórshavn will let you experience some of the best fish and seafood that the Faroe Islands has to offer. All products on the menu are caught around the 18 islands guaranteeing you some of the freshest and most tasty seafood in the world. Get here hungry!

Barbara Fish House has an amazing collection of wines. The waiters will guide you to the best suitable white wine for the dishes ordered. Seats are often sold out days before but when you are in luck you can also drop by and have a delicious seafood experience. If you want to secure yourself an evening here you can also reserve your table.

2. Húsagarður

Couple dining at Húsagarður — *Restaurant Húsagarður lets you taste some of the best local produce in the archipelago.*

Situated on Hotel Brandan’s ground floor, Húsagarður is a restaurant using local produce whenever and wherever it is possible with an offset in Nordic cuisine. Marrying the local with the international, the chefs create dishes full of familiar flavours without pretentiousness and dogma.

With a wine cellar housing over 2.500 bottles the brigade of waiters serve food and wine in symbiosis. Húsagarður strive to find the most exciting wines to serve their guests – wines that tell a story of their origin and the people making them. The head waiter and sommelier is excellent.

Whether coming for a row of starters, a single main course or a full five course tasting menu with wine pairing, Húsagarður and its meticulous staff cater for high and low in an attentive and unpretentious way.

3. Ræst

Dish at Restaurant Ræst in Faroe Islands — *Traditional Skerpikjøt served at Restaurant Ræst. Skerpikjøt is dried lamb leg with a distinct fermented taste.* *For those wanting an acquired taste at restaurants in the Faroe Islands, look no further.*

Fermented. That is by all means the most accurate description of Ræst. This wooden old house dating centuries back has been transformed into a culinary heaven. The restaurant has specialised in fermented courses.

Windswept, cloudy, and cool makes the Faroe Islands the ideal spot on earth for fermenting meat and fish. The Faroe Islanders have used and tested the fermenting method since the first Vikings came to these salty shores some thousand years ago. Fermentation also known as the umami taste has since then become a signature for the Faroe Islands. Now it is your turn to visit a restaurant serving solely fermented food.

This traditional practice has become a culinary experience. At Raest you can taste fermented soup, fermented fish, fermented meat and so forth. Basically, all courses on the menu are fermented.

Brush aside your fermented scepticism. This is your opportunity to get a true experience of what the Faroe Islands cuisine has to offer.

4. Katrina Christiansen

Tapas table in Faroe Islands — *Tasty tapas at Katrina Christiansen. The restaurant is located in the heart of the capital, Tórshavn.*

Tapas inspired by the Faroe Islands. How does that sound? Katrina Christiansen combines traditional tapas with the rich Faroese food tradition. This cosy restaurant in the heart of Tórshavn will let you taste the nature in the Faroe Islands.

The building used to be filled with business activities form general shops to a barbershop. Now the friendly waitress will serve you some of the utmost produce in the North Atlantic. The restaurant tend to be fully booked so reserve your table in good time.

5. The Tarv

Food platter at The Tarv in Tórshavn — *Tarv has a great menu throughout the year.*

Discover this newly renovated building by the harbour in Tórshavn. Enjoy the sea-view while you are being served grilled meat in one of the best steakhouses in the world. There are also a couple of great fish dishes on the menu.

This is a tasty treat with the Tórshavn marina just outside the window. The magic happens in the open kitchen that adds to the warm atmosphere. All rooms are rustic and the metropolitan interior design looks good.

The gently staff will help you match the right wine to your grilled gourmet experience. When at The Tarv make sure to end the night by ordering one of the chilled drinks served at the bar.

6. Áarstova

Lamb shoulder dinner in the Faroe Islands — *Lamb shoulder is served at Restaurant Áarstova in the capital, Tórshavn. A juicy dining experience!*

This down town restaurant in Tórshavn offers an excellent culinary experience. Located in charming old houses all grass-roofed, Áarstova is the perfect place for an evening out.

When looking at restaurants in the Faroe Islands that serve local lamb, this is the place to go. The best-selling course on the menu is the braised lamb with local potatoes and roots. The juicy lamb comes with a lovely gravy.

You will sit pretty close to other guests here. That is a part of the concept, really, when dining in an old Faroese house that used to be a pub and guesthouse more than hundred years ago. Áarstova is one of the favourite restaurants by the locals.

7. Fiskastykkið

Lady at Fiskastykkið — *Fiskastykkið lies in the village Sandavágur on Vágar island. Enjoy fresh fish and a warm atmosphere.*

Looking for restaurants in the Faroe Islands outside of the capital? There is one restaurant in first place that will let your senses go on a magic journey. The plates at restaurant Fiskastykkið are filled with stories. This highly creative restaurant in the village Sandavágur will thrill your senses.

There is an amazing menu of locally sourced and organic produce. There is fresh caught salmon grilled just upon serving and a delicious fish soup. You can also have one of the lovely vegetarian dishes on the menu.

You will be swayed by the intensity of taste here. The restaurant has an old touch. It feels like coming into someone’s home in terms of ambience albeit being an old fish factory.

*Tasty salmon from the Faroe Islands on traditionally Faroese rye bread.*

The restaurant has a relaxing and calm atmosphere and it ads to the cosiness of this place that the owner emphasises local organic produce. The chef serves a light salmon salad, which is a good choice for those seeking to taste salmon from the Faroe Islands. Have a glass of homemade rhubarb juice, which is really tasty and refreshing.

Closed Restaurant KOKS

KOKS located near Lake Leynavatn — *The gateway to restaurant KOKS. Everything about the restaurant is truly unique.*

Even though it is now closed, we need to tell you about KOKS. As the first Michelin-starred restaurant in the Faroe Islands, dining there was all about tasting the Faroe Islands in all its gastronomical glory. All the restaurant in the list mentioned above have been inspired by KOKS one way or another.

KOKS was awarded two Michelin stars in February 2019 and again in February 2020 when KOKS was also rewarded with a sustainable emblem by the Michelin Guide. KOKS maintained its position as the leading restaurant in the Faroe Islands when it was awarded two stars once again in September 2021.

Restaurant KOKS in the Faroe Islands is closed. There are currently no indication of when the restaurant will open up again.

Dish at Restaurant KOKS — *Dish at KOKS.*

The restaurant was located away from the crowds near Lake Leynavatn. There are literally no other houses nearby.

This extraordinary location together with the best fine dining experience in the Faroe Islands made lasting impressions on guests. This was a unique chance to experience the true tastes and flavours of the Faroe Islands.

KOKS was an extreme experience. Poul Andrias Ziska, the head chef at KOKS, was rewarded Young Chef of the Year by Michelin in 2019. In order to get to KOKS you had to drive off-road in a Land Rover along Lake Leynavatn.

Dine at ROKS Restaurant while KOKS is Closed in The Faroe Islands

The head chef Poul Andrias Ziska praises the local food culture. Wherever you meet him, expect to taste dried food, smoked and fermented produce, and dishes with ingredients which have been exposed to the traditional salting method. Poul Andrias Ziska is all about local produce when possible and otherwise Nordic produce only.

Foodies from around the world come to this untouched Nordic archipelago to experience the distinctive local cuisine heritage. At the time, KOKS was definitely the best Faroe Islands restaurant. The legacy of the restaurant can be experienced in the restaurants listed in this article. Oh, one more thing!

The KOKS team has opened a new sister restaurant in Tórshavn while KOKS is closed. The sister restaurant ROKS is lead by the same team as KOKS. The restaurant ROKS is a Seafood & Wine bar serving sea urchins, mussels, crab, langoustines and many other seafoods. ROKS is located in downtown Tórshavn.

Are you planning to taste what the Faroe Islands kitchen has to offer? Check out flights to the Faroe Islands and take the next step.