Tromsø - Norway - page 389

crowd. Duck into either to see what might be happening at the time of your
visit. Grønnegata 81. & 77-63-00-00.
Åpen Bar This much-frequented nightspot is a modern bar that opens
toward a view of Tromsø's major shopping street. It is decorated with art by
some of North Norway's leading young artists. Some of the best tapas and other
light fare are served here, with plates costing from 150NOK ($21). An under-
30 crowd frequents the place, and there is often dancing to recorded music. A
mug of beer costs 53NOK ($7.55). It's open Tuesday to Thursday 3pm to mid-
night, and Friday and Saturday noon to 3am. Strandtorget 3. & 77-68-46-00.
Blå Rock Café You'll be greeted at the entrance to this battered but congen-
ial pub with a sign that screams ROCK AND ROLL RULES , and if you opt to abide
by that premise, you might find yourself having a perfectly marvelous, albeit a
bit grungy, time. The setting is a blue-sided wooden house at the end of the
town's main shopping street (Stortorget). The staff is friendly, the youthful clien-
tele looks like it was just assigned Catcher in the Rye as a reading assignment, and
the pub's visual and musical references invariably revolve around punk cultural
icons from Britain and the U.S. They stock about 50 kinds of beer here, most if
it priced at around 51NOK ($7.25) for a foaming half-liter mugful. It's open
Monday to Thursday 11:30am to 2am, Friday and Saturday from 11:30am to
3am, and Sunday 1pm to 2am. Strandveien 14. & 77-61-00-20. Cover 30NOK ($4.25)
Fri-Sat.
Compagniet Nightclub On the premises of a previously recommended
restaurant (see “Where to Dine,” earlier in this chapter), this is one of the more
legitimate nightclubs of Tromsø, as opposed to one of the hard-drinking taverns.
It is both a nightclub and disco, drawing a 20s-to-40s crowd. Live acts might be
featured, but only occasionally. Most often a DJ plays for your dancing pleasure.
Entrance is free until after midnight; then there's a 50NOK ($7.10) cover. It's
open Thursday to Saturday 9pm to 1:30 or 3am, depending on business. Sjøgata
12. & 77-66-42-22.
Driv Café For virtually any activity in Tromsø that's aimed at, organ-
ized by, or attended by university students, this antique wood-sided warehouse,
set directly adjacent to the harbor in the heart of town, will be involved in some
way. It was originally built in 1902 as a warehouse for fish, and today, its thick
interior beams and aged planking evoke an age when hardworking, hard-drink-
ing fishermen, hunters, trappers, and whalers made their sometimes precarious
living from the sea. Today there's a simple cafe filling up the seaward side of the
place, and a bigger and more battered-looking bar area where bulletin boards list
virtually every cultural activity available within the region. The cafe is open
Monday to Thursday from noon till 2am, and Friday and Saturday from noon
to 3:30am. Some kind of concert is scheduled every Wednesday and Thursday
night beginning around 9:30pm, and every Friday and Saturday the place
becomes a disco and pickup bar between 10pm and 2am. Entrance fees to con-
certs range from 30NOK to 60NOK ($4.25-$8.50), depending on the artist,
and admission to the disco costs 20NOK ($2.85). Søndre Tollbodgate 3B. & 77-60-
07-76.
G. In the center of town, this is both a modern cafe and bar that is especially
popular from morning until late at night. As the night wears on, the patrons get
younger, presumably because the over-40 crowd retires. Light food is served;
platters cost 50NOK ($7.10), with mugs of beer going for 48NOK ($6.80).
Paintings by local artists are not only exhibited, they're also for sale. It's open

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