Fish & Dish

Fish & Dish Qooqqut Nuan Boat Tour

Are you hungry?

Do you love the idea of catching your own dinner?

Do you enjoy beautifully prepared meals in a restaurant with a spectacular view?

Is the ocean calling you?

If you said yes to any of these questions, the Fish & Dish boat tour may just be a dream come true during your visit to Nuuk. This is a wonderful opportunity to travel by boat into the fiord, spend an hour fishing for cod and redfish, and then have the fish that you caught professionally prepared by a team of chefs in picturesque surroundings. The whole experience sounds so good that we had to try it for ourselves.

And so we went fishing.

It started when we went on the New York-inspired yellow Nuuk taxi boats into the fiord of Qooqqut. Our Trip: We began in Nuuk. We waited at the Colonial Harbour on a grey and windy afternoon. We were slightly worried because there were a couple of cancellations due to the poor weather.* But then the captain stated that the boat is big and sturdy and we are good to go. Our fish & dish adventure could continue. What a relief!

When we got on the boat, we sat down in our cosy seats and felt both excited and slightly nervous (because of said weather conditions). But under the capable guidance of our guide, Maannguaq, and the captain, Andala, we set off to Qooqqut. They did tell us that there may be some waves on the way, but within 10 minutes we were under clear skies with a beautifully calm sea. The climate of Nuuk truly is tricky and often getting just a ways away provides the lovely surprise of beautifully clear skies and sunshine.

After an hour of sailing, we arrived at one of the many fishing spots and began excitedly throwing out rods into the sea. Time for the fish part of the fish & dish! It’s a pretty easy task that only requires a little teamwork and a bit of patience. Eventually, we caught 14 cod! The size and amount of fish you catch will vary from trip to trip, but don’t worry: in case of a 0-caught fish trip (which is highly unlikely). There is always backup fish provided at the restaurant. When we arrived at Qooqqut, we were greeted by the wonderful restaurant staff. They took our freshly caught fish and gave us snacks of fish skin crisps that were delicious and fresh! Then all we had to do was sit down, order our beverages, and wait to be served the fresh fish that we caught.

The menu:

• Spicy fish soup with lots of power
• Steamed cod á la spinach and local herbs
• Fried cod á la oyster sauce
• Deep-fried cod with curry sauce

Final tasting

We could hardly believe how delicious our dinner was AND that we had caught it ourselves! There were many quiet moments around the table during dinner as we were in full enjoyment of the spectacularly prepared food. If fish is not your vibe, don’t worry. They have other menu items such as Greenlandic lamb, caribou, or English Steak. Drinks and desserts are extra, but the fresh Greenlandic water is equally refreshing. Why? Greenlandic water is the best – at Qooqqut Nuan it’s collected at one of the local streams. It is so clean and refreshing. You won’t drink purer water anywhere else! After dinner, we had some time to relax and digest our food. Some of us went for a walk, and some of us enjoyed the view from the restaurant.

When it was time to return to Nuuk, we loaded unto the boat and started our smooth journey. We stopped by an amazing waterfall. There’s just something about the majestic power of waterfalls isn’t there? Captain Andala showed off his amazing boating skills and got unbelievably close to the waterfall. What a king of the waters! Overall, it was a spectacular trip and so much fun to catch our own dinner. A few recommendations: I would recommend bringing your own snacks just in case you get hungry. Also, bring your own mosquito spray and a mosquito head net! There are mosquitos in Greenland in the summertime, so it is always recommended to be prepared. Greenland is beautiful all year, and there’s always a lot to do and see, especially in Nuuk.

*The risk of cancellations due to bad weather are a part of traveling in the Arctic but Nuuk Water Taxi will always refund the cost of the booked trip in such a situation!