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Shopping, food and city life in the heart of Kristiansand With a varied and impressive mix of shops, restaurants and cafés, one of the finest grocery shops you can find in Norway, 450 parking spaces available for its guests, and a new hotel, Torvkvartalet is the place to visit for food, fashion, design and wellness in Kristiansand.
having this mix of smaller shops together with an international clothing shop like Zara in town has been very beneficial.”
By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Aptum
Restaurants overlooking the square
Since its opening in October 2017, Torvkvartalet has become a popular meeting place in the heart of Kristiansand. “This new shopping centre is for anyone who wants shopping, food and city life all at once. Even though the building has been renovated, it was important for us, as well as the locals, to take care of the city’s history and charm by keeping parts of the facade as it was,” says owner Jon Bjørgum. He believes that the contrast between modern and old has managed to make the building blend in beautifully with the rest of Kristiansand city centre. Because of this, Torvkvartalet has won 72 | Issue 125 | June 2019
several awards, while quickly becoming a favoured spot in town. The shopping centre has a varied selection of shops, with everything from local, independent boutiques to bigger chains. “This combination of well-known and smaller concepts has worked very well. Tønnesen 1937, a family-run shop from Mandal, is a great example of a place people love to discover. It offers something quite different from a traditional shoe shop. Another great concept is Retro clothing shop, another well-liked boutique,” he says. “For Kristiansand,
With a row of six restaurants and cafés, all with outdoor seating and excellent views of what is happening on the square, Torvkvartalet has plenty to offer guests of all ages in terms of food. “It was a dream of ours to create a place with an array of restaurants. The aim is to provide a varied dining experience with both Norwegian and international flavours within a distance of 150 metres, making sure we utilise the square to its fullest by creating a space that is alive and buzzing,” Bjørgum explains. “Eat international delicacies at Herlig Land, get Italian flavours at Jonas B., visit Torvet Bistro to try