Time to stop by one of everyone’s (well, mine at least ;-D) favorite places to grab a snack while at Epcot — Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe in the Norway Pavilion!
This place has some pretty amazing cult favorites for being so small (which it is…very, very small).
The custardy Schoolbread and the Rice Cream Pudding are some pretty incredible snacks in and of themselves, but I couldn’t wait to branch out on a recent visit. (Nope…no Aquavit this time, kids. ;-D But maybe something even better??)
Better than School Bread?!?
Atmosphere
Located just beyond the Stave church in Norway, you’ll smell the wonderful pastries of Kringla before you open its door.
Outside View
Once you’re in, you are greeted by a host of cases that hold everything from sandwiches to pastries. (Note: Don’t try to lift the glass panels to get better pictures — you’ll get yelled at. Trust me.) This is also a terrific spot to get coffee, or even that shot of Aquavit if you’re looking to Drink Your Way Around the World. (You’ve been warned.)
There’s no indoor seating here, but there is a covered patio with lots of tables and chairs just through the exit. It’s a nice spot to relax and catch the breeze from the World Showcase Lagoon. Oh, and there’s a little hidden restroom here, too…always good to know.
Eats
There are some really interesting sandwiches here for guests who are looking for something more than just a hamburger or chicken strips. The kids’ menu is a pretty small affair, but today, we were sticking to desserts.
Menu 1 - Click to Enlarge
Menu 2 - Click to Enlarge
Okee, let’s start with these gorgeous filled waffles! I’m starting to realize that you just can’t go wrong with waffles in Disney World. Mickey waffles, mascarpone-topped waffles, salted-caramel waffles at Contempo Cafe, waffle sandwiches…it’s all good. (Yep, I just started drafting a “waffle” gallery post. Coming sooooon! ;-D)
Waffles
These particular waffles are thin heart-shaped waffles, joined together like a six-leaf clover, then folded over and sandwiched with berry jam. (I think it’s strawberry jam, but being Norway it could be lingonberry…which would be awesome!)
Speaking of awesome, these were that. Not too sweet (believe it or not), fluffy waffles with that tangy jam were an excellent pairing. A great shareable snack.
Waffles Up Close
Next, we tried the Lefse, which seems to be Norway’s answer to the crêpe…or maybe the taquito? Made from a dough that includes potatoes and rolled with a cinnamon-sugar butter, I thought this might be interesting. I hear from a lot of you that these are one of your favorite treats!
Lefse
But, sadly, I didn’t love these. I’m pretty sure it was the potato-based wrap that caused the trouble for me, as who doesn’t like cinnamony-sugary butter?!?
I got the great advice from a reader (too late, unfortunately) to ask the cast members at Kringla to warm these up before serving them. That probably would have made a huge difference for me!
Lefse - Long View
Maybe this would work with a savory filling, or maybe I just got a bad batch! 😉
Lefse - Close Up
Overall
It’s always fun to try new things at Disney parks, and while the lefse just did NOT work for me, the waffle was delicious! I’d love to hear about your favorite Kringla treats in the comments. (And feel free to defend the lefse if you’re a fan!)
Are you on a quest to try all of the snacks available at Walt Disney World? Then don’t miss our guide to all things delicious at Epcot, The Disney Food Blog Mini-Guide to Epcot Snacks!
What are your favorite must-have snacks at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe? Let us know in comments below!
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My bf and i LOVE the VEGETABLE TORTE! Its truly one of the best things we’ve had from WDW. We always look forward to having one. its cheesy and crisp. Going back labor day weekend.. can’t wait to have another bite! =) <3
The Sweet Almond Pretzel is by far my favorite. It is COVERED in almonds – yum!
Tradition for me is having a Cloudberry Horn and a latte while waiting for Illuminations.
ummm, salted caramel waffles? why didn’t I know about this earlier? *puts contempo cafe on list for next visit*
The sweet pretzel with almonds is on my snack list for my next trip.
I really need to stop here for a snack on a future trip 🙂
Loved this week’s episode of the WDW Radio podcast with you AJ – (Epcot snacks) – although I was sooo hungry by the end of it!
My grandmother is 100% Norwegian (her parents came over her before she was born) and we have lefse every Thanksgiving. Grandma and the aunts make the potato wrap the night before and we fill them with butter and brown sugar. Don’t know which is proper – brown sugar or cinnamon, but I much prefer the brown sugar and was also disappointed in the Disney version.
Their sandwiches are very good though 🙂
How funny that I log on here today to search for this bakery to find a review, only to find one on the home page! My Norwegian mother is coming to visit, and I had told her about this bakery. I grew up eating kringla and lefse, although the lefse was always warm, and we ate it with chicken and rice. My sisters did not like the chicken and rice, so they always warmed the lefse and ate it with butter. My mother has already asked us to bring back some kringla and lefse for her!
The waffles look great, and the Lefse looks interesting. But what caught my eye was the ham and apple sandwich on the menu. I may need to try it out next time I’m in Epcot.
@ M.T. – I’ve never eaten here…and that dish caught my eye. Two kinds of delicious cheeses!! How can you go wrong?
THIS is on my list of places to eat during my next WDW trip!
Kat – I ordered the ham and apple sandwich my last trip and it was quite good. I had that with Rice Cream and a Voss water for (1) Counter service meal.
I always stop by here for the Rice Cream.
CHeers!
Lisa
I am from a Norwegian family that has lefse every Christmas. But we don’t eat it as a sweet treat. We spread butter (lots of butter) on it and use it as the bread portion of the meal. Mmmm – I want some now. Oh, yes, warm is better.
And every time at Epcot we have to stop for a Cloudberry Horn.
Glad to see that someone else mentioned the cloudberry horn. This continues to get overlooked and is an incredibly light and delicious snack.
M.T — The Veg torte looks great!! I’ve got pics, but haven’t ever tried it!
Courtney — It’s delicious! 🙂
Sharon C — YUM! Love cloudberry horns.
Bret — They serve them for breakfast only, and always subject to change. But worth a visit just in case!
Raelynn — Yum!
Emma — So glad you enjoyed! As I was posting this I realized that Lou and I had covered these in the podcast, too! 🙂
Michelle — Maybe I’m just VERY Norwegian and that’s why I didn’t like them as much, then. I’m taking that excuse! Thanks for sharing the story!
Danica — Oh, yay! Be sure to check out the other reviews from here, too. We’ve got school bread and rice cream on the blog, and there are plenty more to come! I pretty much bought the whole bakery when I was researching.
Kat — Yes! Let us know what you think!
Kristina — It’s definitely a great place to go — you can easily do a couple of meals here!
Lisa — Great idea! Thanks for the comment!
Kat —
AJ, I totally agree with you about the Lefse! I also thought this was some sort of Norwegian dessert taquito and I was so bummed when I tasted it. I remember really not enjoying the mouth feel (too greasy?) and wished it was warmed. At least the others in my group were willing to let me share with them so I know that this place has some amazing stuff 🙂
Thank you for this post…can’t wait to visit Norway and try some of these snacks (totally missed it in the past). My questions are:
-Are the filled waffles worth a snack credit or more?
-I don’t see them listed on the pic of the menu…are they just called “filled waffles”?
Thanks so much! Love the site!
Those waffles look amazing. I love a thin waffle. And I’ve never had school bread yet, but I’ll have rectified that in September after I waddle out of there.
We have tried a couple of bakery items in Norway, including school bread, cloudberry horns, and yes, lefse. The cloudberry horn was definitely my favorite. I found the school bread too sweet and too much; half went into the trash when I couldn’t interest anyone else in my family is splitting it. Now with the lefse, we were hoping for a less-sweet, more European type item, and so we weren’t disappointed. Without question, heating improves them (which I did back at our food court). Butter or lingonberries on the side would be good too. 😉
Ok, sorry, have to defend the lefse! I MUST get these on every trip. But yes, I agree, they are better warmed up! Try it that way next time. And yes, in a true Norwegian home these can be served as savory or sweet (according to my 100 Norwegian grandmother), but usually they are sweet with butter and some kind of sugar. I prefer them with the cinnamon sugar, but I just like cinnamon in general so… YMMV. Thanks as always for the great review!
Do they serve those filled waffles all day? We are planning on going to the bakery for dinner on our next trip and I think my kids would prefer the waffles to the kids meal offered (they aren’t fans of the Uncrustables that were served there the last time we went).
@Kristina & AJ – YES! Do try the vegetable torte. its delicious. they toast it for you so its nice and warm. the crust is flaky and cheese is melty. and you get a nice bite from the mushroom, spinach and potatoes.. MMm! *sigh.. cant wait till i head back there. i think that will be our first meal of our trip. =D heee
I want to try those waffles – yum! Has anyone tried the salmon sandwich? That looks fantastic too.
And AJ, pretty please tell us that you have a review of the salted caramel waffles!
This question is somewhat related to this post but I have the quick service dining plan and I know for lunch and dinner it includes a dessert. So if I were to eat here for lunch, would school bread be considered a dessert and I could get something else for my snack? I’m wondering if there are certain items that can be considered as dessert on the dining plan and some for snacks? Thanks!
Jaia, I had the salmon sandwich once, it was very good! Worked as a light dinner, which for the price is fantastic.
I also wasn’t a fan of the lefse. I found the potato bread to be too dry. I hadn’t thought of asking for it to be heated — that might help.
I also want to try the ham and apple sandwich. I noticed it when I was there trying the lefse and thought it looked really yummy.
The sandwichs at Kringla are one of our favorite lunches in Epcot. Easily top 3 or 4. The Roast Beef is hands down my favorite sandwich in WDW, just make sure they toast it for you. Ham and Apple sounds weird but it is really good too. I’ve never been overly impressed with the pastries but the pretzels are pretty good.
I’m with you on the lefse AJ, I didn’t like it all. It was so dry and bland. Maybe heated it would be better. As for the school bread, it’s on my list of things to try this month when we’re at Epcot.
The Kringla sweet pretzel with almonds is not only delicious; it’s also vegan! It was a favorite snack of ours on our last trip. We even bought a few on our last day to eat on our drive home as a snack…and again for breakfast.
I’m also from a Norwegian family.
As with Michelle, brown sugar & butter is the only way I’ve ever been served lefse.
But I’ll have to try it with cinnamon and see how I like it.
I’ve only gotten beer from the Norway Pavilion before.
But now I’m excited to give the lefse, sandwiches and dessert a try.
I’ll still order a beer too. lol
Those waffles look so good. Might need to try those next year when I go.
I have to say though that my favorite thing there was the pear almond tart. It was over a year ago, so it could be gone, but it was amazing. It was like pecan pie, but with almonds and half a pear in the middle and an amazing shortbreadish crust. Yum, I want one right now.
LOVE those waffles, but I think the lefse was horrible. Unfortunately I talked my parents into getting me a lefse when I was about 10, and then I couldn’t finish it and got in trouble for wasting their time and money (:
Thanks for the reviews of these two items! I’ve not yet tried either, but I am a big fan of the Kringla Sweet Pretzel!! Very yummy!! I do also want to try the cloudberry horn some time too!
I love the kringla bakeri, my favorite has to be Viking Coffee!!! I just love the name and the taste is pretty good too. I’m sure it’s probably not authentic Norwegian but still a lot of fun, especially on cooler day visits, like January or February.
Our family has lefse at every holiday family gathering…we use butter and loads of brown sugar! Yummo!
I get the Rice Cream every time I go to Disney! I’m not sure whether I want to branch out or not;) lol. The Ham & Apple Sandwich sounds good. I love muenster cheese!
You almost have to be Norwegian in order to love Lefse. It’s definitely an acquired taste. Most of us eat it at Christmas, and my family likes it chilled (with butter, cinnamon & sugar). I’ve tried the Lefse at Kringla bakery and found that it wasn’t sweet enough for my taste. It was still tender enough and good, especially in that I was at Walt Disney World in my favorite pavilion. 🙂
For me, it has to be the waffles with strawberry jam! They are the BOMB!!! It reminds me of my Farmor’s waffles in Norway. Everything I eat them, I am reminded of her. I miss her dearly. ❤😪