Side Trips from Oslo - Norway - page 152

and bracelets accented with pink and blue Norwegian stones. If all that some-
how doesn't appeal to you, this is even a great place to stop in for a postcard.
WHERE TO STAY
Reenskaug Hotel Built in 1982 and designed to resemble a large,
privately owned house, with white walls, some architectural gingerbread, and a
sloping roof, this is the better of the town's only two hotels. Set within a garden
that's very close to the town's center, it's a favorite of business travelers in town
to showcase their products. Inside you'll find a decor that's modern, unfussy, and
cozy, with rustic-looking furniture and warm colors. The most requested room
is no. 213, where Knut Hamsun lived and wrote, winning the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1904. Each accommodation comes with a well-maintained private
bathroom with tub or shower. The onsite Restaurant Reenskaug serves classic
Norwegian cuisine, such as beef with béarnaise sauce, smoked salmon, freshly
made fish soup, and open-faced sandwiches—called smørbrød in Norwegian.
Storgata 32, N-1440 Drøbak. & 64-93-33-60. Fax [phone]. www.reenskaug.no. 27 units. Mon-Thurs
1,200NOK ($170) double; Fri-Sun year-round and daily mid-June to mid-Aug 990NOK ($141) double. Rates
include breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; nightclub; 24-hr. room service; nonsmoking
rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room: TV, minibar.
WHERE TO DINE
Det Gamle Bageri Ost & Vinstue (The Old Bakery Cheese & Wine
Room) NORWEGIAN/CONTINENTAL The 1940s thick-tim-
bered building that contains this place was originally constructed in the town
center as the town's laundry. Today, instead of steaming cauldrons of water and
overworked, raw-skinned women scrubbing sheets and petticoats, you're likely
to see a cross section of Drøbak's hip, and usually single, 20- and 30-somethings,
sipping exotic wines by the glass, chit-chatting, and consuming platters of sand-
wiches, marinated salmon, and French or Danish cheeses. Wines derive from
virtually everywhere, and sell for 52NOK to 65NOK ($7.40-$9.25) per glass.
If you're interested in more substantial fare, consider a meal at the more main-
stream Restaurant Molle, recommended separately below.
Havnebakken 1. & 64-93-21-05. Reservations not necessary. Sandwiches and light platters 48NOK-
119NOK ($6.80-$17). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 10am-1am; Fri-Sat 10am-2am; Sun 11am-2am.
Restaurant Molle INTERNATIONAL This is the most talked-about
restaurant in Molle, partly because it's the trendiest in town, and partly because
evenings here have a way of segueing from drinks into dinner into more drinks
and—if it's a Friday or Saturday night—dancing as well. Established in 2002
within a yellow-sided century-old house in the middle of town, it serves an
international medley of food inspired by the cuisines of Greece, Mexico, France,
Italy, Scandinavia, and the U.S. Examples include pizzas; quesadillas; carpaccio
of either beef or salmon; mountain trout with herb-flavored butter sauce; steaks;
and a medley of stir-fries that the chefs whip together in woks. A pair of bars on-
site (known respectively as Bar One and Bar Two—Bar Two is open only on
weekends) serve beer for around 50NOK ($6.65) a mugful, or whiskey for
between 75NOK ($11) and 85NOK ($12) a glass. Friday and Saturday nights,
from 11pm till closing, a DJ spins dance music to a crowd in which anyone not
able to prove that he or she is 23 or older simply isn't allowed inside. There's no
cover charge for the disco.
Torget 1. & 64-93-00-36. Main courses 150NOK-250NOK ($21-$36). AE, DC, MC, V. Restaurant daily
11am-midnight. Bar daily till between 1:30 and 3am, depending on business.

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