Den Gode Nabo AS
I over tretti år har Den Gode Nabo servert kalde drikker og varm mat ved Nidelvas bredd — skjeve gulv og vegger i det gamle pakkhuset gir en autentisitet ingen nybygg kan matche.
History
Den Gode Nabo opened around 1995 in the basement of Øvre Bakklandet 66 as a neighborhood pub for residents on the Bakklandet side of the Nidelva river. The venue quickly became popular far beyond the immediate area and was expanded several times to meet demand. The operating company Bryggen Gastronomi, led by restaurateur Trond Kolstad, went bankrupt in October 2015. After the property was sold in April 2016 for 20.2 million kroner, the pub reopened the same year with Trond Kolstad's son Kristian Kolstad as general manager. The current company is Den Gode Naboen AS (org.nr. 917 158 231). The building at the address was originally constructed in 1889, when a Miss Elisabeth Jenssen purchased the property at auction and established 'Bazaren ved Bybroen' (The Bazaar by the Town Bridge).
People
Trond Kolstad operated Den Gode Nabo for 25 years through the company Bryggen Gastronomi, along with the neighboring restaurants Bryggen and Sabor Tapas & Grill. After the bankruptcy in 2015, his son Kristian Kolstad reopened the pub in 2016. Kristian is a trained chef who completed his apprenticeship at Britannia Hotel in Trondheim, and has worked at Feinschmecker in Oslo, with chef Sven Erik Renaa in Stavanger, and at the Norwegian embassy in London. At the reopening he stated that 'the most important thing is that Naboen should continue to be Naboen as it has always been — a good neighbor for students and people of all ages.'
Den Gode Nabo was the birthplace of 'Det Gode Øls Klubb' (The Good Beer Club), Trondheim's beer club which took its name from the pub. Most of the club's member meetings were held here in the early years. The pub has also hosted 'Irish Session Trondheim', a traditional Irish music session normally held the first Wednesday of the month. The venue is described as more than a pub — a cultural meeting place reflecting Trondheim's history, integrated into the historic wooden house environment of Bakklandet. Many brewery employees started their careers here.
Den Gode Nabo is known for an extensive beer selection with a focus on craft beer, and was for a long time one of the few venues in Trondheim serving specialty beers like Leffe and Carnegie Porter. The food menu includes hot and cold dishes such as chili con carne, grilled double-decker sandwiches, locally cured meats and cheeses, and soups. The floating barge 'Lekter'n' previously served seafood and summer fare in collaboration with Sabor Tapas & Grill. The venue hosts regular showcases with Norwegian and international breweries, and offers beer tastings for groups of up to 25 people.
Architecture
The building at Øvre Bakklandet 66 is a two-story structure from 1889 with walls of concrete and wood, clad with fascia boards, horizontal and vertical panels. The roof is a gable roof covered with tiles. The property is a large corner estate at Gamle Bybro with two wharves facing the Nidelva river on the back side. The pub occupies the basement level, and the interior features deliberately preserved sloping floors and walls from the original wharf construction. The decor is rustic and cozy with old wooden tables, soft armchairs, and a fireplace.
Location
Den Gode Nabo is situated directly on the Nidelva river with two wharves facing the water. The pub's most famous outdoor feature is 'Lekter'n' — a floating serving barge moored to the wharf edge right outside the building, in the middle of the Nidelva. From Lekter'n and the wharf terrace, guests have views toward Gamle Bybro with Lykkens Portal, Nidaros Cathedral, and the colorful wharf house facades along the river. The Bakklandet neighborhood stretches along the east bank of the Nidelva with continuous rows of wooden houses and cobblestone streets.
Den Gode Nabo occupies the corner building at Gamle Bybro (the Old Town Bridge) at Øvre Bakklandet 66, where Bakklandet meets the bridgehead on the east side of the Nidelva. The venue is part of a larger property complex that also houses other establishments, including the sushi restaurant Sabrura and 7-Eleven. Nearest neighbors include the iconic Gamle Bybro, Baklandet Skydsstation further up the street, and the colorful wharf house rows along the Nidelva. Bakklandet was founded in the mid-1600s as Trondheim's first suburb and incorporated into the city in 1846.
The name means "the good neighbor" — and that's exactly what the place is for Bakklandet residents. An informal pub where everyone knows everyone.
Opening Hours
- Monday: 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Tuesday: 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Wednesday: 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Thursday: 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Friday: 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 1:00 AM
- Sunday: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Local Tip
Terrassen rett over elva er en av Bakklandets mest ettertraktede uteplasser, spesielt på solrike ettermiddager.
