Best cafés in Henningsvaer | Lofoten Islands
Today I thought we could talk about cafes - Sometimes it’s hard to find a good cafe and we all have different criteria for what actually makes a cafe ‘‘good’’. I am a big cafe lover and it’s my favorite way to enjoy some me-time wherever I am. To make it a little easier for you to find what you are looking for, I have written a guide for the biggest cafes in Henningsvaer where I cover everything necessary. Do they have a toilet? Free Wi-Fi? Do they cater to everyone? etc. All this you will find in this post! I do hope you’ll enjoy it and that it will come to good use if you’re ever visiting the beautiful Lofoten Islands. If you feel like there is something I’ve missed, please let me know down below!
For a Quick Q/A about each café, scroll down to the last part of each cafe section.
Klatrekafeen
First impression? Super cozy, odd chairs and tables, burning candles & citrus fruit everywhere. There is old climbing gear (it is a climber’s café after all) and other odd things on the wall. You instantly feel welcomed by the crackling fireplace located in the middle of the room. Here they offer food like burgers (Both Beef, Veg & Fish), Chili Con Carne & soup of today, but also traditional Norwegian dishes like cream-based fish soup & Bacalao made with Klippfisk. (fish that’s been dried on the cliffside)
They also have a selection of cakes & homemade cinnamon buns during the summertime. If you’re only after a drink that is fine as well as they have a selection of local beer, spirits, Wine, Cider & Tap beer which you can enjoy either inside or outside by the harbor. Part of their outside seating is covered by a roof & has heating which makes it comfortable to sit outside, even on rainy days.
They mostly have meat dishes but also offer Vegan/vegetarian-friendly food. If you happen to stop by, I recommend trying their Latte with Oatly’s ikaffe which is my all-time favorite milk! If you’re in a hurry they offer takeaway cups & can also make some of their food Takeaway.
Q&A
Okay to chill/Write/Read/Edit photos? Yes, if the café isn’t full, they don’t seem to mind if you stay put for a while.
Free Wifi? They do not have Wi-Fi
Solo travel friendly? Yes! If it is busy you might have to share a table with a few other people but remember, a stranger is just one Hello from becoming a friend.
Pricey? For Norway, No. A pint of beer is 10 euros & a Vegetarian Burger is 19 euros which are quite normal in Norway.
Bathroom? Yes, they have multiple bathrooms inside.
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly? Yes! They have both plant-based milk, vegan treats & food options
Lysstøperiet
First Impression? This is a super cozy place, it has a brighter contrast in the room but is decorated with odd chairs & tables, just like Klatrekafeen. It offers (according to me) the best coffee in town. Besides good coffee they also make and sell candles here, their homemade colorful candles really make the cafe pop with color and they offer a big selection of pastries at the counter. Besides that, they make their own cinnamon & the traditional vanilla custard-filled buns that are delicious, and what’s even better - they’re huge!
They offer simple sandwiches, fish & Chips, hamburgers, or Pizza! The Bar stool seating area is perfect when you’re by yourself and they offer free Wi-Fi. At this cafe, they do not offer any spirits but have a small range of wine and local beer.
The small seating area right outside quickly fills up on sunny days but they also offer a less known seating area outside around the back. If you’re in a hurry you can order Pizza takeaway and grab a T/A coffee in a Bio-degradable cup (without the lid). Besides selling their own candles, they have a small range of higher quality items such as good quality tea, Organic honey, dark chocolate, etc. that they sell in the cafe.
Q&A
Okay to chill/Write/Read/Edit photos? Yes, if the café isn’t full, they don’t seem to mind if you stay put for a while.
Free Wifi? Yes! They offer Free wifi to customers.
Solo travel friendly? Very! They have a bar stool area which is perfect if you’re by yourself.
Pricey? For Norway, No. A Latte costs 4.5 euros, 4 euros for a cake and the Pizza is roughly 18 euros
Bathroom? Yes, they have one bathroom!
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly? They have plant-based milk & treats.
Trevarefabriken
First impression? It used to be a woodworking plant and you can sort of tell by the massive structure. Here they have gone for the more minimalist retro style with bare walls, old-school furniture, and plenty of green plants. This is probably the most vegan-friendly cafe you will find in Henningsvaer and besides plant milk, they offer raw balls and other vegan treats. Unfortunately, I have mixed views on their coffee, sometimes it has been amazing and other times it’s been pretty bad. Their vegan food, on the other hand, is really good!
Thanks to their big structure they fit a lot of people so you never really feel like you would be stealing a spot from another customer if you decide to sit and read a book for a few hours. They also offer free Wi-Fi here and sell some of their merch. Their merch, like the rest of Trevare, is pretty clean and simple but still looks very nice! They have a small outdoor seating area right outside the cafe, or a much bigger outdoor area on the backside, towards the ocean. You can get a mesmerizing skyline during sunset from their location.
You can tell that it is quite newly opened and there seems to be something new popping up every week, but with a little effort, this place will grow into something even better! For the shuffleboard lover, they have a game inside, as well as a ping pong table. They have a liquor license but offer quite a small selection of basic spirits. They also offer wine, cider, and bottled beer but it feels like their main focus is tap beer where you have a choice between either the Local Lofotpils or their own - Trevare øl.
Q&A
Okay to chill/Write/Read/Edit photos? Yes, I say this is probably the most laid-back place for this because there are so many seats for customers so you could probably hang around for hours without feeling bad.
Free Wifi? Yes! They offer Free wifi to customers.
Solo travel friendly? Yes! They have various of places to sit, if it is busy you might have to share a table but that could lead to a new friend!
Pricey? I’d say it is around the same price as the other cafes, but I noticed that the cups are smaller here. Food & drinks cost is roughly the same as well.
Bathroom? Yes, they have several bathrooms!
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly? They have plant-based milk, treats, and food options!
knusarn
First impression? It has a very simple and clean look, very neutral colors, and no patterns. They will make you a good coffee here and serve some good sweet treats as well. They also sell the bakeries bread so if you’re in the search for freshly baked bread this is the place to visit! They have simpler food here like Bacalao, hamburger, fish soup, toast, and Salad and if you happen to step by I would suggest you try their almond meringue cake - it is so good!
If you’re after activities they have a tourist information desk and book excursions for tourists every day! They have activity folders for the one who is after an excursion and for the one who is just looking for a souvenir - they got you covered as well! They have an outside seating area and I would guess that their seating area gets the most sun out of all cafes on a sunny day!
They provide free wifi to customers and are the only cafe in town that serves ice cream! How crazy is that?! Here they only have them in tubs though so when I am in the mood for some Ice-cream I always go to Mix, they have the best selection of soft-serve ice cream!
Q&A
Okay to chill/Write/Read/Edit photos? Yeah, I do not think they would mind!
Free Wifi? Yes! They offer Free wifi to customers.
Solo travel friendly? Yes! But most tables are quite big so you will probably have to share them with some strangers.
Pricey? The price is about the same as in the rest of the cafes.
Bathroom? Yeah, they do, but you will need to get an access code from the staff.
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly? They have plant-based milk! I have not seen any plant-based pastries here tho.
That was everything for me. I hope this makes it easier to pick a Cafe in Henningsvaer! After writing this post I realize that I love different things in each cafe and would like to merge them together into ONE PERFECT Cafe. Haha, A girl can dream, right? Which one of these places sounds like your favorite cafe? let me know down below!
Other places in Henningsvaer that offer coffee and/or sweet treats:
Lofoten Galleri| Bar Nord | Lofoten Opplevelser Centre | Mix
Hope you liked this little cafe guide and if a new cafe has popped up in Henningsvaer, please don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll update this to keep it as accurate as possible!
That was everything for now, and until next time, take care! xo Nathalie
