Some Stavanger spots.

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I've only spent about 10 days around there, but had a good look around a found myself knowing where I liked more than not.
I think overall, the nicest spot I found was a place called Cafe Sting, up near the old tower on the hill (right behind the Vagen- guard's tower?). Quite posey with a slightly arty twist, some could say poncey or pretentious, but the staff were friendly and the coffee was the best I had in town. The pizza was also very nice. I liked how the wine was sold by weight also, a nice touch that helped you control matters. Was good to be away from the crowds, yet still able to sit outside in a nice environment. Good music too.

Pizza Simone, on a little square, up the street from the car-park on the quay (sorry, again my memory and placenames fail me), is a rather OK little place that makes decent sized fresh pizzas for a reasonable price. It's an informal place with friendly staff/owners and a good selection of pizzas. Shame that the food itself was a little bland, but that could've been my choice (vegetarian).
More to follow.
Jem.

 

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On the Vagen Bryggen (?) there are loads of bustling bars, most of which are rather townie and cheesy, and admittedly I spent a fair few hours making a mess of myself with colleagues in some, but just over the harbour, on the old town side are a couple fo better bars, although they don't have outside seating. Cementen is quite pleasant and chilled compared to those over the water, and the prices a tad lower, but it's got a slightly artificial "theme bar" feel to it- almost like the typical Irish bar (to me, "Irish" bars are the McDonalds of the drinking world, ugh- I'd rather use Wetherspoon's any day) and the bar geezers could be a bit moody; as if you were priveliged to be served by them. However the music was reasonably good and atmosphere pleasant.

More to my taste though, was next door in Gnu. (You have to go in around the back). Here it was a bit more alternative/studenty, and the music was right on the spot for me. The staff were very laid back and chatty in the daytime, although a bit slow at night, but then it did get very busy on the weekend evening I was there (escaping the crappy bar over the way my colleagues were in). The word eclectic is over used now, but it perfectly coins the interior of this place- charity shop furniture and post war paradise murals (you know, like Hilda Ogden's panorama) on the ceilings. Didn't spot any ducks, but wouldn't surprise me to see them there. The crowd on a w/e eve could be a bit young (being students I guess), but a nice bunch (- including the most attractive staff from Sting!).

Jem.

 

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The one and only Indian place (Stig's Tandoori? Knut's Balti Hut? Can't remember again), just in the corner behind the quayside, is a decent place serving pretty good food in huge portions. My one big complaint though is the amount of time you need to give the place. I have never been anywhere so slooooooooow. Even took ages to get a menu and asked what I want to drink. When I asked for the bill, I ended by giving up and going to pay at the counter. Or is that the way it's done in Norwegian restos?

Galeien is a bar/resto on the causeway quayside between Buoy and Hundvag (sorry, not doing those funny letters). It's a bit far out from town, and I was only out here because that is near the shipyard I was in, but it's reasonable bar and he has a quayside with moorings outside. There's also a supermarket nearby. Menu looked pretty good too, but didn't eat. Just drank a lot. Aussie red (Rawson's Estate) was 297 NoK a bottle- basically £30 for what you'd pay a fiver for in a supermarket here (ouch), but probably no worse than most bars around. Lots of locals and yard workers in here, but friendly bunch and easy to get talking with them.

Jem.