"You're going to disappoint the children. They expect a fat Santa." ~Mrs. Claus, Rudolph the Red…read moreNosed Reindeer When travelling close to Flåm, a restorative and quaint side tour for regular humans (or pit stop for fjamous men in red suits needing to fatten up before a worldwide tour) is a trip to Fjaerland by passengerboat. Fjaerland is a fjolksy village of about 300 people, sitting along the Sognefjord where it meets the Jostedahlsbreen glacier. The town, dubbed "Norway's Book Town", is known for its secondhand bookshops...some even set in old cow sheds and pigpens! If you haven't come for the books, you are likely there to see and experience the surrounding magical scenery by kayak or by hiking through the mountains or glaciers. Whether you've worked up your hunger by hiking, bumming around bookshops, or delivering presents, you'll eventually be fjamished for lunch. There is no fjiner choice than to dine at Fjaerland Fjordstove. Fjabulously situated overlooking the fjord and glacier, Fjordstove hotel and restaurant charms with its amazing setting and shabby chic décor. At the reception desk, we met the fjastinating and hospitable hotel owner, Bard Huseby, who promptly guided us to a seat outside on the wrap-around deck. We felt like we were sitting in the middle of a live postcard with unbelievable views in every direction! Bard was quick to make us feel at home and ensure that we swiftly had beer in our hands to help us cool down and relax. We had grown so fjond of Hansa beer that we all ordered it without a second thought. Unfortunately though, we all regretted that choice later once we found out that Bard makes his own craft beer, Fjaerlands Ale. Hansa glasses in hand, we considered ourselves very fjortunate to enjoy such a tranquil spot where time seemed to stand still. The scene almost fjelt fjictitious, but our hungry stomachs quickly brought us back to reality. While looking over the menu, we appreciatively noticed that the hotel procures its ingredients locally (beef will come from grass-fed cattle in fields close to the hotel), including the reindeer meat in the burgers we ordered. Let's hope none of that meat came from everyone's favorite reindeer, or there will be a lot of sad boys and girls (and adults) this Christmas! So what is reindeer meat like? Our burgers were very flavorful and juicy with no hint of reindeer game-iness or tinsel at all. There was a fjaint aftertaste of wrapping paper, but that quickly crumpled away. I wouldn't say the meat glowed, but it was very lean and tender--definitely a burger that would go down in history! Our lunch and the great views at Fjordstove were some of our fjavorites from our trip! Though we likely won't be back in the fjorseeable fjuture due to the remoteness of the village, you should definitely pop in for fjeast here if you are in the area. If you're lucky, maybe you'll get to peek at Santa's "Naughty or Nice" list!

Amazing dinner - way more inventive and delicious than anyone would expect to find out here in…read morebeautiful, remote Fjærland. Three course dinners are served here each evening with seasonal, local ingredients at 7:30 sharp. This charming hotel has a farmhouse feel overlooking the water and nearby glaciers, and the setting is intimate with about a dozen tables. We weren't guests at the hotel but we decided to make a reservation as this was a quick walk from where we were staying. It was a relaxed fine dining experience, definitely one of the best meals of our Norway trip and worth a detour if you are wandering the fjords. I would recommend making a reservation in advance using the contact number on their website, note the price for dinner was 550 kr per person as of Aug 2017. Tonight's menu was smoked fish to start with a lovely beetroot creme, a hearty plate of braised ox and cabbage, and finally a creative dessert of rhubarb topped with ice cream and a delightful sweet wafer. This was the type of food we hoped to enjoy in Norway!

This is a beating old hotel. We had a nice room, but it cost $650 USD, which is extremely expensive…read moregiven that it's a 3 star place at best. My family enjoyed the buffet breakfast as we were able to try a bunch of Norwegian foods.

Very nice hotel in Flam! The hotel has the most rooms in the area so probably won't have too much…read moretrouble finding a room, and it's situated very close to the train station The breakfast that is included is absolutely delicious. Probably the best selection of all the hotels we stayed at in Norway, as it has the typical scrambled eggs bacon sausage and all that, but also a wide selection of Norwegian favorites, include smoked salmon, trout, and meats. Their smoothie was also very delicious! You also overlook the fjord from the dining area which is a big plus in the morning Though the common areas were nicely furnished and renovated, the rooms were on the older side. Still clean and functional though, but don't expect top of the line quality. One thing about the doors is that when you close them, the room door only auto locks after a set period of time. You can manually lock it by scanning the key card outside as well. Took us a bit to figure out.

This hotel is excellent. Think classy outdoors person who wants to enjoy proximity to amazing fjord…read moreviews without sacrificing quality of hospitality, interesting architecture, delicious food, and decor that suits this all perfectly. My partner and I attended a wedding weekend here, enjoyed the feast of a reception and morning buffet, rested well in the neat and comfortable rooms, and loved the balcony view.

We loved our two night stay at the Dragsvik Fjord Hotel. Located on a peninsula with views of two…read morefjords and a short walk from the ferry terminal, this hotel couldn't be in a better location! It's a short 10 minute drive to the small town of Balestrand. There are some nice easy hikes close to the hotel, and the staff was incredibly friendly. My compliments to the chef at the hotel restaurant. We ate dinner at the hotel both nights, and the food was outstanding!

We stayed there in August 2024. My friend and I were visiting Norway to research our family…read morehistory. Hafslo was a great home base for us to venture out from each day and the Eikum Hotel was a wonderful place to stay for three nights. The rooms were clean, the beds were comfortable and the hotel was quiet. I highly recommend the Eikum Hotel. The staff was so helpful and friendly and were patient with all of the questions that we asked about their community and country. Breakfast and dinner were unbelievable. The breakfast buffet had a varied assortment of food, each dish was delicious. We ate so much, we did not need lunch. We ate dinner there each evening and each meal was out standing, we were impressed beyond words. This is the place for a comfortable, welcoming stay and if you enjoy eating.

Beautiful. Clean. New. Well maintained. Great condition…read more Close to Flåm. Dinner and breakfast buffet included. Every single staff are awesome.

Get off the fjord ferry in Aurland and stay here for the night. You will not regret the peace and…read morequiet. There is a really good restaurant with impeccably cooked food. Breakfast is very good. The rooms are nice and large.

Wonderful view, glad to know of this place just a short walk from the more touristy spots around…read moreFlåm Fjord tour, Highly recommend!

Great view from restaurant and surprisingly good food. This review is for the restaurant only. We…read morevisited the restaurant at Flåm Marina & Apartments early on a Wednesday evening in the August, and it was mostly empty when we arrived but fairly full when we left. The view of the fjord is beautiful, and that alone makes dining here worth it. You couldn't really hear the music from where we were sitting by the window, but we didn't mind. I tried the cod. The fish was perfectly cooked and paired with tender potatoes and a delicious parsnip purée. Overall, I would recommend the Flåm Marina & Apartments for dinner in Flåm.

This is the closest you'll get to home cooking in Norway without actually going into someone's…read morehome. The owners are very friendly and chatty, while the local moms cook in the open kitchen. While you wait for your food, they even invite you to visit their art gallery, vintage museum collection, and groovy glass observatory on the rooftop. 35kr pear cider...delicious, and the cheapest alcohol you'll find in a Norwegian restaurant. 50kr Troll soup...the wife liked this more than I did, but it was still good. 50kr Fish soup...just lovely. 150kr meatballs...delicious! 180kr Wild Game dinner plate...can't decide between Rudolf the Reindeer or Moose McCullly? How about both! 215kr Reindeer Stew...sorry Rudolf, you were quite delicious though! Hopefully Santa can find is way without you. This hearty dish tastes similar to Beef and Guiness stew. A bit pricey though. 55kr World's Best cake...not sure if I would call it "the best", but it was quite delicious! 45kr Apple Cake...just lovely, and I liked it more than the World's Best cake. Despite the 3 restaurants to choose from in little Balestrand, we loved it so much that we ate dinner here again our second night. (Note: At time of this review, the US dollar was up 50% against the Norway kroner...$1 = 7.5kr vs $1 = 5kr just a couple years ago)

My family and I visited Balestrand and had dinner here. When we walked in the man in the kitchen…read moresaid that it would be a bit of a wait, so my uncle replied, "Do you know how long?" The man then said rudely, "Well how long is a piece of string?" We decided to stay and were given a table (in our own room because we were a large group) by a very nice lady. Later an older lady showed us upstairs to a very cool observatory, she also told us stories and sang us a song. It was unusual fun in the best way, and she is why I changed my 3 stars to 4. About the food: I had the Reindeer Sausages with some yummy vegetables. For desert I tired the 'White Lady,' which they only make if they have time. It had a load of whip cream and sugar!