Bergen has a lot of food. Here I will try to collect some of them based on what vibes you wanna go for. This list is ever-changing and expanding.

My tops

This is where I go when I want to eat something.

1. Allmuen, a neighbourhood bistro in the middle of Bergen. Very good sourcing of ingredients, and fun spins on traditionally Norwegian flavours. Low shoulders, great wine, good place for dates. I think all of my extended family and family-in-law has been here. Do "Åpen mat" (Open food – Chef's choice) if you feel curious and have some money to spend.
2. Hoggorm, the "rebellious little sister" of one of our fancier restaurants. Fun spin on pizzas, oysters, good wine list.

Things that are Very Bergen

1. Trekroneren, a hot dog kiosk that has been around since 1973. Don't sleep on it, even though it has gained TikTok notoriety, they still have some properly good sausages. Remember to ask for "a glass of saft", complimentary red berry squash. The "herb sauce" (urtesaus) is homemade, and very good alternative to boring ketchup.
2. Søstrene Hagelin's, a cafeteria-style fish food place with good fish cakes, fish soup and similar. Their claim to fame is that the former King of Norway always ordered fish cakes from here delivered whenever he came to his Bergen castle.

Bergen/Norway traditional vibes

1. Trekroneren, see above.
2. Søstrene Hagelin's, see above.
3. Pingvinen, a beer bar that does traditional Norwegian cuisine. Hearty beef stew, traditional fish dishes, Norwegian flour dumplings (on Thursdays).
4. Enhjørningen, an ancient fish restaurant in a crooked old Bryggen house. Super traditional dishes, try the Bergen fish soup. One of the few places where the service staff and waiters stay for years, which says something about a restaurant.
5. Dr. Wiesener, a restaurant and bar in an old public bath. Great location, good beer, and a good kitchen for traditional Norwegian cooking

Vegetarian (and some vegan)

If you have come to Norway and Bergen for vegan food, you have come to the wrong place. But it's not getting worse, and there are some exceptions.

1. Horn of Africa, a great Ethiopian place, lovely vegetables done to perfection. Also meat-based dishes.
2. Løvetann Cafe & Bistro (meaning Dandelion), a great place to get your greens.
3. Daily Pot, a soup restaurant with almost exclusively vegetarian food, some vegan. Also bowls, sandwiches and a few dessert options.

Budget

If you have come to Norway and Bergen for budget, et cetera, et cetera. But some options still remain.

1. Brød & Vin (Bread and Wine), a Chinese restaurant so cheap they didn't even bother to change the name and branding when they took over the location of an older Italian restaurant. A wide range of dishes served unnervingly quick, and still quite cheap and tasty, so a staple of student cuisine in the city (helped by its proximity to the University). Currently closed, as they have been thrown out of their decades-old location, it remains to be seen if they adopt the old name of their new location when they re-open.

Non-budget

The fancy ones.

1. Lysverket, older sister of Hoggorm. Our "New Nordic" one-star Michelin restaurant, run by a rock star chef.
2. Gaptrast, our newest fancy food place.

Don'ts

1. Egon, any of them. Named after a fictional burglar. Egon has more menu items than they have good reviews. They pay large amounts of money in rent to be at a couple of very central locations, which means they are always easy to find and get to. Their chefs are embarrassed to say they work there, because they don't really make food, they mostly just heat up frozen bags that are sent from their central logistics center. Don't eat at places where food comes from central logistics.
2. The fish market, just don't. The food can be good, but is severely overpriced. Check out any of the other places above that mention sea food or fish, and you will be happier. Fjellskål is the exception, still expensive, but at least the ingredients are good.