Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eyvind Hellstrøm serves light, modern cuisine, using market-fresh ingredients.
Seafood is the star here, and the menu changes daily. On our most recent visit,
we decided on the delightfully chilly carpaccio of scallops in oyster sauce. If it
suits your mood, we always recommend the catch of the day, which the chefs
smoke to perfection. Two other courses we've enjoyed are steamed halibut with
caviar cream sauce or sole steamed in seaweed, giving a tangy aroma of the sea.
Other main dishes are saddle of reindeer with pears and pepper sauce, loin of
veal with sage, and herb-roasted Norwegian rack of lamb.
Bygdøy Allé 3.
&
22-44-63-97.
Reservations required. Main courses 320NOK-420NOK ($45-$60); 3-course
fixed-price menu 750NOK ($107); 5-course fixed-price menu 950NOK ($135); 7-course fixed-price menu
1,150NOK ($163). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 6-10:30pm. Bus: 30, 31, 45, 72, or 73.
Bølgen & Moi Briskeby
CONTINENTAL This is a showcase branch
of a chain that's now scattered throughout the urban centers of Norway. Backed
by the creative zest of two Norway-born chefs and entrepreneurs (Mr. Bølgen
and Mr. Moi), the chain is known for being creative and stylish, and as a haven
for the discreetly rich and the sometimes famous denizens of Norway. It's set in
the Oslovian suburb of Briskeby, within a redesigned industrial building whose
premises are lined with original paintings and photographs by avant-garde
artists, most of them Norwegian. The fussiest, most prestigious, and most exper-
imental venue here is the gourmet restaurant, one floor above street level, where
only about seven tables accommodate diners for elaborate, drawn-out meals.
Frankly, we prefer the street-level brasserie; it's a wee bit less self-consciously
grand, and the food is good enough to satisfy all but the most jaded palates.
Well-flavored examples include a version of bouillabaisse made with Nordic sea
fish; oven-baked free-range chicken with lemon-flavored couscous;
pot-au-feu
of
breast of veal; and breast of duck with wild-mushroom-covered bruschetta.
Løvenskioldsgate 26, Briskeby.
&
24-11-53-53.
Reservations recommended, required for the gourmet
restaurant upstairs. Brasserie main courses 195NOK-265NOK ($28-$38); fixed-price menu 445NOK ($63).
Gourmet restaurant fixed-price menus 640NOK-980NOK ($91-$139). AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-Fri
7:30am-12:30am; Sat 9am-12:30am. Brasserie closed 3 weeks in July. Gourmet restaurant closed July to
mid-Aug. Tram: 19.
EXPENSIVE
Feinschmecker
SCANDINAVIAN One of the most prestigious restau-
rants in Oslo will entertain you with the same style and verve it's produced for
such guests as King Harald and his queen, Sonya. The dining room's antique
furniture and small-paned windows evoke old-time style despite the building's
modernity. Menu items change frequently; the roster of staples includes grilled
scallops with crispy potatoes; sautéed ocean crayfish tails with apple cider, wild
rice, and sun-dried tomatoes; and grilled monkfish with sautéed mushrooms
and morel-enriched cream sauce. A particularly sought-after main course is rack
of Norwegian lamb. For dessert, try the gratin of raspberries, which has been
preeminent here since the place opened in the 1980s. One of our local friends,
a savvy food critic, has proclaimed this the best restaurant in Oslo. We're not
prepared to go that far, but it ranks near the top.
Balchensgate 5.
&
22-44-17-77.
Reservations recommended. Main courses 265NOK-345NOK ($38-$49);
fixed-price menu 675NOK ($96); 5-course menu 745NOK ($106); 7-course menu 895NOK ($127). AE, DC, MC,
V. Mon-Sat 4:30-10:30pm. Closed 3 weeks in July. Tram: 12 or 19 to Ilesberg.
Magma
MEDITERRANEAN/CONTINENTAL This is one of the
genuinely hot restaurants of Oslo. Established in 2000 on a busy boulevard
within the city's quietly prosperous West End, on the street level of the Rica
