Set to develop Restaurant SKREI

11 February 2026

Set to develop Restaurant SKREI

Museum Nord has signed an agreement with Classic Norway Hotels to develop Restaurant SKREI – where the dining experience will be a natural extension of the museum visit.

Classic Norway Hotels expands its involvement in Lofoten when Nyvågar by Classic Norway Hotels is given responsibility for developing and operating Restaurant SKREI. The restaurant concept will be established as part of SKREI, Museum Nord’s new centre for knowledge and experiences related to the Lofoten fisheries and the Northeast Arctic cod. The restaurant will open at the same time as the museum in the summer of 2026.

Restaurant SKREI will be an integral part of the overall experience at SKREI and will be developed as a year-round concept with a clear identity and local roots. The restaurant will have capacity for 100 guests, in addition to a chambre séparée and outdoor areas. It will accommodate both café and lunch service during the day as well as a full restaurant experience in the evenings.

– “This is a project that combines cultural dissemination, tourism and gastronomy in a way we strongly believe in. The dining experience should be a natural extension of the museum visit, where ingredients, stories and hospitality go hand in hand,” says Nicole Bahnes, hotel director at Nyvågar by Classic Norway Hotels.

– “When Museum Nord talks about the rich traditions of the Lofoten fisheries, the cycles of the sea and the future of codfish, it goes without saying that food culture also plays an important role. We are very happy to have entered into an agreement with Classic Norway and look forward to creating good experiences for our guests that combine food and storytelling,” says Svein Ingvoll Pedersen, department director for Museum Nord in Vågan.

New hires and development work

With Restaurant SKREI, Classic Norway Hotels wants to create a meeting place that works just as well for visiting museum guests as for locals, as well as for parties and events. The ambition is to build a vibrant eatery with flexible operations and a clear year-round perspective – rooted in traditional North Norwegian food culture and innovation.

– “We are committed to developing places with soul, where the people who work there are crucial to the experience. Now we are looking for a chef with extended responsibilies, and more employees who want to help us build something new – shape the concept, culture and quality right from the start,” says Anja Beisland, Operations Manager for Classic Norway Hotels in Lofoten.

The position involves responsibility for building up restaurant operations, developing offers and teams, as well as close collaboration with SKREI and Museum Nord. The role provides great influence and the opportunity to put a clear personal touch on a completely new catering concept at the intersection of culture and tourism.

Restaurant SKREI will open in the summer of 2026 and will be a new contribution to the development of year-round tourism in Lofoten – with the dining experience as a central part of the whole.

about SKREI – Museum Nord

• SKREI is the largest museum establishment in Northern Norway in decades, and one of the region’s largest cultural industry projects. 
• The 5000 sqm new building “The Otolith” opens to the public on June 30, 2026.
• Through an innovative main exhibition, activities and experiences, the public will get to know the Northeast Arctic cod and the Lofoten fisheries. 
• SKREI tells the story of the migrating cod that has been a mainstay of Norwegian culture, economy and society for more than a thousand years.
• SKREI consists of four visitor arenas: The Otolith, Lofoten Aquarium, Lofoten Museum and Espolin Gallery. Together, they provide a deep understanding of Lofoten’s unique qualities and the importance of the Northeast Arctic cod.
• SKREI is open all year round and expects up to 140,000 visitors annually.
• SKREI is run and developed by Museum Nord.