Hildr: Cosy neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Tromsø

The family-run, community-focused restaurant Hildr has welcomed guests for almost a decade. Hildr’s gastronomic delights based on fresh local ingredients combined with its warm and inviting atmosphere has earned it a reputation as one of Tromsø’s best restaurants.

Located at Skippergata, one of Tromsø’s oldest streets, Hildr opened its doors in 2015 as a family-friendly restaurant and meeting point for music, art and culture. Almost a decade later, the lively and charismatic restaurant has become a well-loved gem among locals as well as tourists. With its homey vibe, quirky decor, and fantastic location in the heart of Tromsø, Hildr has the feel of an intimate, authentic neighbourhood restaurant.

Set within a historic building dating back to 1833, the restaurant is run by husband-and-wife Marius and Gabriela Carlehed Jacobsen along with a dedicated team of friendly waiters, chefs and bartenders. Over the years, the building has served many functions, for instance as a post office, a law office and a speciality tea shop. The illustrious building has also been the home of several writers, including the well-regarded author Bernt Lie who wrote the novel that gave the restaurant its name, Hildr.

The venue’s literary and cultural history is quite literally part of its heritage – during a recent renovation, diaries, love letters and other writings were discovered under the floorboards. It’s a unique site for a restaurant, and its literary past inspired the design of Hildr’s charming bar in the style of a library. “When we first saw the building, we knew it was our kind of place – it has so much history and character,” Gabriela says. “With Hildr, we wanted to create a space where people could feel at home. We love to give people memorable experiences in a cosy atmosphere surrounded by friendly faces.”

The Hildr team believes that the atmosphere is almost as important as the food in a restaurant. “We pride ourselves on a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. We don’t care if you come in a black suit or a tracksuit – everybody’s welcome here,” Gabriela says.

Gastronomic experiences based on local ingredients

Utilising high-quality local ingredients is a key principle at Hildr, and the dynamic menu changes according to the season and the current inspiration of the chefs. With every effort made to use the best and most fresh ingredients from the region, Hildr’s dishes are inspired by the food traditions of Northern Norway as well as international flavours.

“Relying on fresh, locally sourced ingredients makes for better food you can enjoy with a clear conscience. In our experience, both locals and visitors to the region care about where the food comes from,” Gabriela explains. A lot of the ingredients are foraged from the Tromsø region’s bountiful forests, mountains and fjords, and the meat and fish used in the restaurant are all sourced from local fishermen and hunters.

Alongside carefully crafted tasting menus with optional drink pairings, Hildr serves exquisite meals according to what’s in season. The restaurant is known for authentic food designed to excite, inspire and surprise. “We like to experiment with taste and explore unusual flavour combinations. Our guests appreciate the playful, challenging element of our cooking,” says Gabriela. “A lot of people want to try something a little out of the ordinary. Tourists especially appreciate the food they don’t get at home, and which gives them better insight into the culture and culinary heritage in Tromsø.”

The tight-knit team behind Hildr values flexibility and innovative thinking when it comes to the food, and welcome people with all dietary requirements and restrictions. The menu favours pescetarian dishes due to the abundance of excellent fish and seafood in the region, and vegetarians and vegans are well-catered to. “We love to get creative, and can make something for everyone,” Gabriela says.

The last original town garden

Much like the food at Hildr, their extensive list of natural and organic wines, speciality beers and handcrafted cocktails is carefully curated with a focus on sustainability and local resources. “We want the drinks we serve to be of the best quality, and we use locally brewed beers and spirits as much as possible,” Gabriela explains.

Hildr also preserves local ingredients using traditional methods such as fermentation, pickling, drying and smoking and has its own smoker on the premises. The garden provides ingredients for culinary delights and has played host to many exciting social events. In fact, Hildr Garden is the last of Tromsø’s original town garden. Restored by talented botanists from Tromsø Botanical Garden in 2005, the garden features alpine plants and herbs used for cooking in the restaurant. The garden is also the home of Hildr’s annual Hagefestn, an intimate two-day festival celebrating local music, food and drinks.

Next year, Hildr will be celebrating its tenth anniversary. “Running the restaurant for almost a decade has been a lot of fun and a fantastic experience. Hildr is our passion project – it’s amazing looking back at everything we’ve done,” says Gabriela.

Web: www.hildr.no
Facebook: Hildr
Instagram: @hildrrestaurant