Even if you don’t like fish, be sure to visit Bergen’s excellent fish market since the offerings are by no means limited to fish (or even to food for that matter!). If the smell seems a repellent contrast to the otherwise beautiful surroundings, it’s helpful to remember that the city owes its existence (like most towns in western Norway) to fish and its importance as a port where Norwegian dried fish were exchanged for other commodities.
For all this history, however, the best reason to visit the market is to get an inexpensive lunch (or breakfast or early dinner). Take your time and compare the offerings since prices vary. In general, a salmon, shrimp, or langoustine sandwich should cost you about NOK 20, but some stands charge significantly more or only serve the fish on half a roll. Many of the stands place free samples alongside the daily catch, and some others will allow you to take a small taste of their more exotic selections without charge – just ask. My experience was that the sellers were invariably quite friendly.
Nearly all stands offer basic fish sandwiches, fish filets for sale, and cooked prawns (shrimp) that you can shell and eat sitting at the dock. Others, however, offer such delicacies as cooked crabs, oysters, caviar (which is apparently less expensive in shops), and whale meat (which is dark, tough, and tasteless). Nor are selections limited to sea creatures: one stand grills up elk burgers (more interesting for the novelty value than the taste) while several sell both elk and reindeer sausage. Across the street, a smaller market has stalls selling flowers, vegetables, homemade ice cream - and Norwegian ostrich! Quite a few stands on both sides of the street sell sweaters, postcards, and assorted knick-knacks – several other travelers advised me that these tend to be rather overpriced and shoddy in quality.
As may be evident from this description, I ate lunch at the market all 3 days I stayed in Bergen. The best way to complete your repast is with a cinnamon roll from the nearby Baker Brun, which claims to have invented (and certainly has perfected) this traditional Bergen treat.