History

Located on Áarvegur, in the very heart of Tórshavn, Tubbak stands on one of the most historic sites in the Faroe Islands’ capital. For generations, everyone travelling to and from the harbour passed this very location, making it a natural meeting place in the city.

The story begins in 1934, when Christian Dahl-Restorff founded Fa. Tubbak, a tobacco shop that quickly became one of the best-known businesses in Tórshavn. The shop served both retail and wholesale customers and was the exclusive Faroese representative for several international tobacco brands. Local residents, fishermen and sailors stopped by before heading to sea, often buying on trust and paying only after returning home. In those days, a handshake and the phrase “A word is a word” were enough.

Just a few years later, in 1937, another local landmark opened next door; Kjøt. Heini Jacobsen, better known as Heini í Kjøt, established his grocery store, which soon became a familiar part of everyday life in Tórshavn. The store remained at Áarvegur until 1963, when it moved to a new location elsewhere in the city centre.

The area continued to evolve when Christian Dahl-Restorff realised his vision of creating a hotel in the heart of the capital. Construction of Hotel Hafnia began in 1950, and the hotel welcomed its first guests in 1951. What started with just 17 guest rooms has grown into one of the Faroe Islands’ leading four-star hotels, welcoming visitors from around the world for more than seven decades.

Today, Tubbak proudly carries forward the name and spirit of the original tobacco shop. While tobacco has been replaced by fire, flavour and hospitality, the ambition remains the same: to create a place where people come together, enjoy great food and drinks, and experience genuine Faroese hospitality.

Every meal served at Tubbak is a tribute to the history of this remarkable address – a place that has welcomed locals, travellers and generations of Faroese people for more than 90 years.