Tromsø’s food scene is surprisingly eclectic, combining traditional local dishes with international cuisine. Seafood in particular is unbelievably fresh, while hearty reindeer sausages and stews are just what you need during the cold nights. The city’s restaurants are known throughout Norway, and have helped put Tromsø on the foodie map.

Emma’s Drømmekjøkken (Emma’s Dream Kitchen) is a favourite with locals, particularly for the fish au gratin, a traditional northern Norwegian dish, and the friendly hosting skills of owner Anne Brit Andreassen. The à la carte menu is made using local ingredients, with things like Cognac-marinated cloudberries and reindeer in a creamy morel sauce.

Mathallen is a restaurant that focuses on ingredients found in the wilderness around Tromsø, serving it in a modern, natural style that perfectly encapsulates everything great about northern Norwegian cuisine. The short menu changes regularly, and the chef’s tasting menu is truly special.

De 4 Roser (The Four Roses) leans towards Italian and French cuisine, but again uses the fresh fish, game and wild mushrooms of the Tromsø countryside to create something truly unique. Chilled cloudberry soup, foie gras on gingerbread and a Norwegian cheese parfait give you an idea of the dishes served by the skilled team in the kitchen.

Fiskekompaniet puts the focus on fresh, healthy food that’s almost exclusively based on fish and seafood. Everything from Lyngsfjord prawns to king crab can be sampled at the shellfish bar, while salted cod with saffron sauce and halibut with beetroot and celery purée give those after a more inventive meal something to talk about.

Of course, there are plenty of places to go to if you’re only after a quick bite or a hot drink before venturing out on one of Tromsø’s many excursions. Risø Mat og Kaffebar is known for serving the best coffee in the city, as well as plenty of sandwiches for a relaxed lunch, while Verdensteatret – Tromsø’s beloved old cinema – has a bar and café attached which serves light bites, a good selection of beers and hot drinks.

There are hotels for all budgets and tastes in Tromsø, both in and outside the city. Laukliens Kystferie is perfect for nature lovers, with fishing cabins dotted around the Kattfjord waterfront. Lyngen Lodge is another hotel outside of (but near to) Tromsø that’s surrounded by fjords, mountains and incredible scenery.

For something a little more urban and central, Clarion Hotel The Edge is a very modern iconic building in Tromsø with a bar on the eleventh floor and in-house restaurant, while Scandic Ishavshotell overlooks the harbour and caters to all needs with a breakfast buffet voted one of the best in all of Norway. If you’re on a budget, then you can’t go wrong with a room at Thon Hotel Polar, as it’s right in the centre and still full of Scandinavian style and charm.