Southern Norway - Norway - page 225

(p. 226). For people with hearty appetites, this is the most favored dining spot
in town. However, its food, although good, is not the best in town. The on-site
Tre Seil (see below) is better. Still, the ingredients are market-fresh and deftly
handled by a well-trained kitchen staff. Sometimes the chefs get a little fancy,
offering an appetizer such as a West Indian-inspired dish of minced shrimp and
chile pepper toasted with grilled avocado and served with soy sauce. They also
offer truly excellent stuffed baked potatoes and such standard but well-prepared
dishes as lamb chops and perfectly roasted chicken. But most guests prefer their
specialty, which is grilled steak. Tender cuts are used, and the steaks are char-
broiled to your specifications and served with mashed potatoes in an herb-
butter sauce.
In the Clarion Tyholmen Hotel, Teaterplassen 2.

&

37-07-68-00. Main courses 210NOK-265NOK

($30-$38). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 5:30-11pm.
Serdinand NORWEGIAN/INTERNATIONAL This is Arendal's most
popular steakhouse. Set on the street level of the Scandic Hotel (recommended
above), it boasts a mustard-colored and brown decor, lots of exposed paneling,
a pleasant staff, and a warm and cozy setting. Typical but good menu items
include salmon, reindeer, and lamb. There's also a limited array of fish dishes,
especially trout and catfish, prepared either with butter and white-wine sauce,
blackened, or any other way you prefer.
In the Scandic Hotel, Fiergangen 1. & 37-05-21-50. Reservations recommended. Main courses
100NOK-145NOK ($14-$21) at lunch, 198NOK-255NOK ($28-$36) at dinner. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri
10am-10:30pm; Sat 10am-11pm; Sun 3-10pm.
Tre Seil NORWEGIAN “Three Sails,” also located in the Clarion Tyhol-
men Hotel (p. 226), is the most prestigious restaurant in town. With its nauti-
cal decor, it offers big windows looking out over the moored yachts and boats
bobbing in the harbor. You'll enjoy excellent cuisine and formal service. The
upper-crust clientele frequently orders the steak—the best in the area. For a rec-
ommended main course, we'd suggest the herb-marinated filet of lamb with
squash, onions, and peppers in a creamy game sauce. You might also try the
salmon with a sour-cream sauce and Norwegian crabs. We're especially fond of
the chef 's large prawns gratinée with garlic, herbs, and butter. For a real “taste of
Norway,” opt for the grilled filet of reindeer saddle or the perfectly grilled filet
of salmon caught in Norwegian fjords.
In the Clarion Tyholmen Hotel, Teaterplassen 2. & 37-07-68-00. Reservations recommended. Main courses
175NOK-275NOK ($25-$39); 5-course fixed-price menu 560NOK ($80). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 6-9:30pm;
Sun 3-9pm.
EASY EXCURSIONS
In the bay of Arendal, Merdøy Island is like a time capsule. Virtually intact
architecturally from its days as a prosperous 19th-century town, the island's
clapboard-sided houses retain their allure today.
There are no restaurants, only a small cafe, and there's a lovely bathing beach
nearby where you can picnic.
The Merdøgaård Museum ( & 37-07-35-00 ) on the island is run by the
Aust-Agder Museum (see above). The museum is the perfectly preserved early-
19th-century house of a long-departed sea captain, with the furnishings still
intact. A guardian lives on the premises to show you around. It's open June 25
to August 12 daily from noon to 4:30pm. Admission is 20NOK ($2.85) adults,
10NOK ($1.40) children.