Tórshavn is the capital of the Faroe Islands and was our base for a few days as we got to explore the beautiful scenery and landscapes around us.
This central hub will offer you some spectacular restaurants to dine in through the evening, as well as unique shops to pick up a souvenir for someone back home.
Torshavn was named after the Norse god Thor, while the name means Thor’s Harbour. Thor was the guardian of the gods and the god of thunder in Norse mythology.
Where To Stay
There are a number of hotel options in Tórshavn, including the enormous Hilton Garden Inn or the more natural Hotel Føroyar.
However, I can only dive into detail around the hotel I stayed at, Hotel Brandan.
The room size was generous, as was the bed size, meaning plenty of room to spread out. The art on the wall above the bed was certainly unique.
They also provide an espresso machine in the room, plus some tasty herbal teas (along with the usual goodies).
The rain shower had a strong level of water pressure, which was perfect first thing in the morning before the adventure ahead.
Long gone are the days of a box TV in the room, they had a decent sized screen attached to the wall playing about 20 channels, including one in English (a news one inevitably). Not that you should be spending time in the room watching TV, but it’s nice to have when knackered in the evening after a long day exploring.
One frustration was that the temperature was turned up very high while there was no aircon. Considering it was relatively cold outside, I understand the need to make sure everyone is warm, but I went to the reception to ask if there was a fan and unfortunately they didn’t have one, so you had to wedge the window fractionally open to try and cool down the room.
The view from our room was of the Tórsvøllur football stadium, which has a capacity of 6,500, an impressive number considering the population of the Faroe Islands.
The breakfast was the highlight for me. It might sound silly, but a good breakfast makes or breaks my view of a hotel and they did a magnificent job. Any hotel that offers smoked salmon at breakfast gets a thumbs up from me!
They had the usual hot food options, as well as pastry goods, a fruit and yogurt section, breads and spreads, cereals and plenty of meats and cheeses.
For a full list of accommodation options in the area, Visit Faroe Islands has a great article on the best hotels in the capital.
Shopping
Firstly, I would love to highlight Tutl, the record shop in town which features predominantly local artists.
They have headphones setup where you can have a listen to a playlist of artists from the Faroe Islands and I have to admit I’ve since added Elinborg to my Spotify playlist and play her regularly, the relaxing music and incredible voice are captivating.
The people working here were highly knowledgeable on local artists and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
Next up is H. N. Jacobsens Bókahandil, a book store with books of multiple languages, including Faroese, Danish, Norwegian and English (I wish I was multi-lingual).
Of course, being a grown-up kid, I went to the back where they had numerous board games, which were really tempting to pick up, who cares if they’re in a different language.
Of course, I can’t go on without giving a shout to Tim Ecott, a great guy we met while in Tórshavn, who wrote the book ‘The Land of Maybe’ which is available here (written in English).
Next door to the book store was a cafe which served a luscious latte, while if you enjoyed the cuppa, they sell the coffee beans in store, not to mention some funky tea pots as well.
If you would like to pick up some clothes for yourself or for someone back home, then a trip to Gudrun & Gudrun should be on the cards.
Following the airing of Danish TV show ‘The Killing’ in 2007, demand shot up for the famous Gudrun & Gudrun star sweater, which was worn by Sarah Lund throughout all three seasons of the hit series.
They’ve since launched a number of variations to this hand knitted jumper, including a short sleeved version and a grey skiing one with a soft alpaca trim.
I have to admit, I found a really soft hat and I had forgotten to pack one, so not buying one while in here was a big regret.
Where To Eat
There are a number of restaurants in Tórshavn, depending on what culinary origin you’re in the mood for, from Sushi to Thai, as well as local options.
Near the harbour, there is an inevitable focus on seafood with many offering the daily catch, plus plenty of salmon, my favourite food in the world.
Eating out at restaurants wasn’t a thing in the Faroe Islands historically, as they weren’t allowed to sell alcohol historically, therefore everyone preferred to eat at home.
Prohibition was introduced in 1908, however it only became legal again in 1992 to drink alcohol, therefore the drinking culture is still in its youth, but this has led to a growth in the restaurant and bar scene in the area.
If you’re a fan of seafood, then a trip to Roks is a must. They have to two taster menu options, one being shorter for 650, or the full menu for 950. We all opted for the full ‘Vit Fara Til Stroks A Roks’ menu, which was the perfect amount, albeit very filling.
This included a crispy cod skin with a citrus dip, sea urchin with toasted bread and tamari, razor clam tartar, monkfish cheek with gribiche sauce, langoustine with fino sherry sauce, blue mussels with lemon pepper, Greenlandic snow crab with burnt onion butter, catch of the day with a langoustine sauce and butter beans, Skyr sorbet with gooseberry vermouth and finally a Swiss alpenkase cheesecake with honey and white balsamic vinegar.
Quite a list! This was the first time I’d ever eaten crab and I was instantly converted, it was delectable.
The staff were quick to top up our drinks and were polite throughout the evening, happy to answer any questions you may have.
We also ate at the Hotel Hafnia restaurant Panorama. The name is given thanks to the panoramic views you get of the city.
The plate was full of various meats and seafood, plus there was chocolates in a bowl which were quickly nibbled away. I’ve never eaten a meal with so many types of meats and fish on a single plate, it was a great chance to tick off a number of dishes while here. As you can imagine, I instantly ate all the salmon and then looked around to see if anyone had leftovers.
Our final meal in the Faroe Islands was at the Tarv Grillhouse, a two-story restaurant serving incredible steak. My tenderloin was cooked to perfection, virtually melting in my mouth, while I was also offered a piece of salmon by someone we met through our trip who couldn’t eat all of their food, which I was more than happy to receive.
We also ordered a number of starters, such as Faroese smoked salmon with morel cream cheese, as well as chilled unpeeled Nordic red shrimp with dip.
The dessert inevitably included rhubarb, a key ingredient we found throughout our trip, being a rhubarb trifle with Spanish macaron. Honestly, it was so flavoursome and sweet, I didn’t want it to end, eating each spoon slowly to make the most of every moment.
Exploring Tinganes
Quite possibly the oldest parliamentary meeting places in the world, Tinganes is the historical core of Tórshavn and was great to walk around after a sizeable dinner in the evening.
While we were used to seeing every building in different colours, you had a consistent red wood with grass insulation on the roof in Tinganes. As you will notice while in the Faroe Islands, there aren’t too many trees around, meaning wood was hard to come by. However, the wood used on these buildings are predominantly driftwood floating over from places like Mexico.
You could also see at the time of our visit one of the buildings being tarred to help insulate and strengthen the wood against weather conditions.
You have the prime minister’s office being one of the most prominent buildings in Tinganes, with people occasionally popping in and out, as well as a number of other buildings such as a dwelling house, a store warehouse and a hall, not to mention a few homes.
The cobblestone streets make the area feel very traditional and striking. Right at the edge of the bedrock is where Vikings would traditionally have held meetings to discuss trade deals and strategies. This is also where the flag pole is setup, flying high above the buildings.
Looking out at the harbour, you can see numerous cruise ships, as well as fishing boats and naval ships all stationed.
With it not getting dark until around 1am in the winter, this was a nice area to explore in the evening while still feeling safe.
The Botanic Gardens
The botanic gardens can be found right in the city centre, alongside the Trappan stairs, while it’s called Bojsensgardur.
You can see numerous plants and flowers that can grow in this climate, while this offers a relaxing area you could enjoy lunch or simply explore while walking through town.
Steinprent
I loved hearing about how the prints were made at the Steinprent galleries, using stone lithography with traditional methods still adopted today.
Using a special and very heavy limestone sourced from Germany, the Steinprents are all uniquely made and can only produce a set amount of prints, making them highly exclusive and are all hand signed & numbered by the artist.
Downstairs you can admire all the art on the wall, while upstairs is where the magic happens by their team of experts.
The owner is an expert in the subject and spoke with such passion, it made it fascinating to learn about the art process and the history of the Steinprent galleries.
Can I Drink Tap Water In The Faroe Islands?
Yes, you can drink the tap water in the Faroe Islands. I did every day in Hotel Brandan, it tasted fine and no issues at all, but of course I quickly asked the staff first before diving in.
The tap water is known here to be purer than most bottled waters you could buy from supermarkets, so you can rest assured you don’t have to waste a small fortune buying premium bottles.
For this reason, I’d recommend filling up an empty bottle with tap water and taking it with you each day, especially as there may not be too many shops or cafes in the area you might be exploring if heading outside of Tórshavn.