Housed within the historic Britannia Hotel — widely regarded as one of Scandinavia’s finest properties — Britannia Bar has quietly become a global cocktail destination. A double victory at the 2026 Bartenders’ Choice Awards, where it took home both Best Cocktail Menu and the People’s Choice Award for Norway, has confirmed what industry peers have been saying for two seasons running — following its sweep at the 2025 Bartenders’ Choice Awards — the bar’s current list, Portraits of Britannia, is among the most rigorously researched hospitality concepts in Europe.
A Menu Built From Family Archives
Under the direction of Executive Bar Manager Øyvind Lindgjerdet and Head Bartender Daniel Kovács, the team has rejected the “new signature list every six months” playbook in favor of a 10-drink menu rooted in genuine historical research. Each cocktail is keyed to the personality of a figure who shaped the hotel — architects, gardeners, pianists, and aristocrats included.
To build the program, the bar team tracked down and interviewed family members and descendants of the people behind the Britannia’s 150-plus-year story. The result is a liquid archive: every serve carries a narrative that traces back to a specific person, room, or season in the hotel’s past.
Technique Tuned to a Nordic Palate
Operationally, the menu is calibrated for a Norwegian drinker who favors structured, textured, and slightly softer builds over the bone-dry martini-style serves common in London or New York. Lindgjerdet and Kovács lean heavily on fat-washing, clarification, and fermentation to deliver that signature “soft” Nordic structure — without sacrificing complexity.
Five Signature Serves to Order
The Bleken — Honoring painter Håkon Bleken, this serve pairs unaged Inderøy VÏ aquavit fat-washed with clarified Røros butter. The result is savory and silky, lifted by the floral notes of bird-cherry blossom.
The Ingeborg — A robust build of Michter’s Rye, plum distillate, and jammy blueberry, finished with chestnut wood for gentle tannin and structured warmth.
The Nansen — Inspired by polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen, this umami-forward cocktail layers aged aquavit, ice apple, and foraged Siberian hogweed with truffle seaweed.
The Wedel — A nod to the diplomats who once frequented the hotel. A clarified milk punch built on Rémy Martin 1738 Cognac and Dolin Rouge, the silky, transparent liquid carries French blue tea, raspberry, and lemon without the heavy acidity of a standard sour.
The Viktor — A tribute to the hotel’s long-tenured gardener, combining Bareksten Gin with toasted cardamom and coconut oil. Lush in mouthfeel, clean and green on the finish with cucumber and lime.
Further Portraits Worth Trying
The Norum — Named for Karl Norum, the architect behind the hotel’s iconic masonry. A sturdy base of aged aquavit and barley vodka mirrors his “building blocks,” while Levanger apple adds crisp acidity and foraged pine and spruce deliver an earthy, aromatic finish.
The Cecilie — A tribute to Cecilie Debes, wife of the hotel’s founder. Built around Fru Lysholm Aquavit — a brand with deep local roots — plus the herbal bitterness of angelica, the tartness of white rowanberry, and rhubarb and aromatic grass for a bright, green lift.
The James — Inspired by the Duke of Roxburghe, one of the hotel’s original “Salmon Lord” guests in 1870. Monkey Shoulder forms the backbone, softened by creamy white chocolate and the tropical-citrus punch of sea buckthorn. Yarrow, a wild herb common along Norwegian riverbanks, ties the drink back to the Duke’s fishing legacy.
The Stensrud — Dedicated to investor Kristoffer Stensrud, this highbrow Gin & Lillet variation leads with Beefeater Crown Jewel for bold juniper, smooths it out with honeyed Lillet Blanc, and lifts the finish with pineapple mayweed, grapefruit, and orange oils.
The Benito — Honoring the hotel’s former resident pianist, this is a masterclass in using waste products for flavor. Yoghurt whey lends tangy silkiness to a base of Jacopo Poli Sassicaia grappa, Campari and Cocchi Torino supply bitterness, and fresh strawberry brightens the build into something simultaneously classic and innovative.
Hospitality as Storytelling
The bar’s success traces back to the leadership of Lindgjerdet and Kovács. Service is simultaneously professional and warm, structured around storytelling: bartenders share the familial and historical threads behind every ingredient as they build the drink. Lindgjerdet has also personally designed the artwork for each cocktail, closing the loop between the bar’s program and the hotel’s visual heritage.
The Salmon Lord Legacy
The Britannia Hotel originally opened in 1870 to serve the Salmon Lords — British aristocrats who traveled to Trondheim for its world-class fly fishing. That tradition of high-end international hospitality still runs through the property today. A full restoration completed in 2019 returned the hotel to its position as one of Northern Europe’s leading five-star icons.
Beyond the Bar: The Britannia F&B Ecosystem
Britannia Bar sits inside a larger, exceptionally high-caliber food and beverage program. The Michelin-starred Speilsalen anchors the fine-dining side, while two additional outlets round out the property.
Jonathan Grill is an informal, high-energy concept built around Japanese-style tabletop grills. The menu highlights dry-aged meats and pristine seafood, including a signature whole-fish sashimi service.
Brasserie Britannia is a classic, lively room that functions as a central hub for Trondheim locals. The French-influenced menu is consistent, and the atmosphere rarely dips.
For industry professionals, Britannia Bar has become a benchmark for how a historic hotel bar can leverage its past — through rigorous research and modern technique — to build a concept that reads as globally contemporary without losing its sense of place. It is exactly the kind of program that defines the current generation of industry leaders, and the type of opening that sits alongside Europe’s most-watched bars in 2026.
