What Havfruen AS does

Havfruen AS, operating as Restauranthuset Havfruen, is a privately-held seafood restaurant founded in 1987 and headquartered at Kjøpmannsgata 7 in Trondheim, Norway. The company occupies historic waterfront wharf buildings (bryggelokaler) on the Nidelven river near the Gamle Bybro, Nidarosdomen, and Bakklandet districts, and self-identifies as the longest-running seafood-specialized restaurant in Trondheim. Its menu centers on fish and seafood dishes built primarily from local and short-distance Norwegian ingredients, supplemented by meat alternatives, and is anchored by a seasonal Christmas buffet (julebuffet) featuring lutefisk, pinnekjøtt, and homemade caramel pudding priced at 895 NOK per person.

The company generates revenue through a direct-to-consumer restaurant model: à la carte dining, walk-in service, advance reservations handled through the Gastroplanner booking platform, and private event hosting. Capacity infrastructure includes a basement event venue (Selskapslokale) accommodating up to 50 guests (70 with the Chambre Séparée; up to 80 with the main dining floor), and a separate private dining room (Chambre Séparée) for groups of up to 14 at no incremental charge. The restaurant runs recurring events and pop-ups throughout the year, including a recurring seasonal collaboration with Ansnes Brygger (led by Ola Skjåk Bræk) that supports the Christmas buffet. Marketing is conducted via a WordPress-based website and organic social media channels (Facebook, X, Instagram).

Havfruen AS operates as a small independent establishment with 16 employees, a single Trondheim location, no disclosed parent company, no subsidiaries, and no recorded external investment. The business has no app, no public API, no proprietary technology stack, and no disclosed AI capabilities. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the financial profile is heavily dependent on seasonal demand — particularly the November through December Christmas buffet window — alongside year-round à la carte and private event revenue.

Name

Havfruen AS

Legal name

Havfruen AS

Website

https://havfruen.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Restauranthuset Havfruen is a Trondheim, Norway-based seafood restaurant founded in 1987, operating from historic waterfront wharf buildings and serving Norwegian seafood, à la carte dining, and seasonal Christmas buffets to individual diners, groups, and private event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Restaurant

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups) (THAJAGAL)

Keywords

• Seafood restaurant
• Norwegian cuisine
• Private event venue
• Christmas buffet dining
• Historic waterfront dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Trondheim

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant dining: Revenue from à la carte dining and buffet service including seasonal Christmas buffet with lutefisk and pinnekjøtt. Additional revenue from private event hosting and venue rental.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Havfruen AS operates Restauranthuset Havfruen, a seafood restaurant in Trondheim serving à la carte dining and a seasonal Christmas buffet (lutefisk and pinnekjøtt). The business also rents private event spaces (Selskapslokale and Chambre Séparée) for celebrations and corporate gatherings, with custom menus crafted from local Norwegian ingredients. Founded in 1987, it occupies historic waterfront wharf premises and serves as Trondheim's longest-standing seafood-specialized restaurant.

Product overview

Restauranthuset Havfruen operates as a seafood-focused restaurant in Trondheim, Norway, established in 1987. The restaurant offers a main dining experience specializing in seafood and meat dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, complemented by seasonal offerings such as the Julebuffet (Christmas buffet). Additional services include private event hosting through the Selskapslokale (event venue) accommodating up to 80 guests, and the Chambre Séparée private dining room for intimate groups of up to 14 guests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restauranthuset Havfruen (À la carte dining) Seafood restaurant located in Trondheim, Norway, operating since 1987. Specializes in seafood and maritime dishes with additional meat options, featuring locally sourced and short-chain ingredients. Situated in historic waterfront warehouse premises near Nidelven river, Gamle Bybro, Nidarosdomen, and Bakklandet.
• Julebuffet (Christmas Buffet) Seasonal Christmas buffet featuring lutefisk and pinnekjøtt (traditional Norwegian holiday dishes), with homemade caramel pudding for dessert, priced at 895 NOK per person. Available November 5 through the Christmas period, in collaboration with Ansnes Brygger.
• Selskapslokale (Event Venue) Private event space located in the basement level of the restaurant building, with views toward Bakklandet. Accommodates up to 50 guests (70 with Chambre Séparée), featuring its own entrance, restrooms, elevator, and bar. The main restaurant floor can serve up to 80 guests when combined. Custom menus are tailored in collaboration with the kitchen.
• Chambre Séparée (Private Dining Room) Private dining room for smaller groups, accommodating up to 14 guests. Features an independent TV for presentations, videos, and images. Available at no extra charge for dinner guests, usable as a meeting room before or after a meal.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ansnes BryggerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOla Skjåk Bræk and team from Ansnes Brygger collaborate with Restauranthuset Havfruen for special events and pop-up dining experiences, including lutefisk and pinnekjøtt buffet offerings during the Christmas season.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Speilsalen (Britannia Hotel): Trondheim's flagship fine-dining venue within the Britannia Hotel with broader luxury hospitality positioning—competitor for upscale private events, corporate hospitality, and tourist dining spend.

Direct peers

• Solsiden Restaurant: Long-established seafood-focused restaurant on the Nidelven waterfront in Trondheim, directly competing for the same local diners, tourists, and private-event customers as Havfruen in the same micro-market.
• Sjømagasin: Iconic Oslo-based seafood restaurant tradition with deep brand equity serving classic Norwegian seafood dishes—comparable full-service seafood specialization, seasonal Norwegian menus, and high-cover event capability.
• Røst: Norwegian seafood concept built around coastal/seasonal fish menus—comparable specialized seafood proposition and seasonal Norwegian ingredient focus.
• Børsen Spiseri: Historic Trondheim restaurant in a heritage building with traditional Norwegian cuisine—overlaps with Havfruen on heritage-premise appeal and the tourist dining circuit in central Trondheim.
• Fiskeriet: Oslo seafood restaurant offering à la carte and seasonal menus centered on Norwegian fish—directly comparable product positioning, heritage-style branding, and tourist/local diner mix.
• D/S Louise Restaurant: Premium seafood and meat fine-dining venue in Oslo/Akershus serving Norwegian seasonal ingredients—matches Havfruen's pairing of seafood specialization with select meat offerings and event/private dining.

Regional players

• Ekebergrestauranten: Iconic Oslo destination seafood restaurant offering scenic-view, classic Norwegian seafood dining—an archetype of destination seafood dining Havfruen emulates at a smaller, regional scale in Trondheim.

Others

• Ansnes Brygger: Local microbrewery and food producer partnered with Havfruen for pop-ups and seasonal buffets—adjacent ecosystem participant sharing the same Norwegian-provenance and event-driven model.
• Mat fra Trøndelag (local producer network): Network of short-travelled, local Trøndelag food producers whose supply underpins Havfruen's local-ingredient positioning; relevant as enabling/ecosystem participants rather than competitors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/havfruen-as

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Havfruen AS