Norwegian Church

The delightful Norwegian Church on Cardiff’s waterfront is a historic church which now houses an Arts Centre and a unique Norwegian/Welsh café.

The delightfully incongruous Norwegian Church on the waterfront is quintessentially Cardiff. It sums up the multi-cultural nature of the city perfectly, and its sense of history. Built in 1896 as a Mission for Norwegian sailors, it was used by them to pick up their mail, read Norwegian newspapers, and have a cup of coffee and a plate of Norwegian waffles.

Norwegian sailors began coning to Cardiff in the 1860s when the coal trade was booming, and there could be as many as 90 Norwegian ships in dock at any one time. They would arrive with wood from the Norwegian pine forests and return to Norway filled with precious Welsh coal.

One Norwegian who settled in Cardiff was a wealthy shipbroker by the name of Harald Dahl. In 1916 his son was baptised in the Norwegian church, and he went on to become famous as the children’s author, Roald Dahl.

Norwegian Church Arts Centre

The church closed in 1974 and was threatened with demolition till the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust was set up to save it. In 1987 it was dismantled and moved from its previous location in the West Dock to its new home. In 1992 it re-opened as an art space with changing exhibitions, and a highly recommended café.

Norwegian Church Café

We can confirm after having lunch here that the Norsk Café is exceptionally good. We like the way they title sections of their menu, like Keeping It Simple (toast, butter, and jam), Something Toasty (choice of toasties like a tuna and cheese melt or a vegan cheese), and Oh… Go On Then! (beetroot falafel with hummus, whitebait and tartare sauce, or onion rings with sweet chili.)

They also serve a meat and vegetable stew which is both a Welsh and a Norwegian speciality, whether you call it Cawl or Lapskaus. You can also get a Norwegian hotdog, a cheeseboard which mixes Welsh and Norwegian cheeses… or Norwegian waffles, just like those sailors of old.