Bergen - Norway - page 270

now call a more creative venue of mingling Nordic ingredients with modernized
classics from northern Spain, France, and Italy. Expect a menu that changes
every 3 weeks but which at the time of your visit might include braised scallops
served with polenta cakes, fresh thyme, and a lime-flower-and-lemon-grass
vinaigrette; Italian-style braesola served with rocket salad; filets of fresh redfish
with a smoked salmon-flavored risotto and a garlic-flavored blue mussel sauce;
and breast of duck with red cabbage and a sweet-and-sour sauce.
Neumann's Gate 5. & 55-96-29-80. Reservations recommended. Main courses 195NOK ($28); 3-course set-
price menu 325NOK ($46). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-10:30pm; Sun 4-9pm. Closed 2 weeks at Christ-
mas and 1 week at Easter. Bus: 100.
Smauet Mat & Vinhus CONTINENTAL/FRENCH/ITALIAN Tempt-
ing smells, and lots of energy, emanate from the open-to-view kitchen of this
restaurant in the style of a 19th-century Norwegian farmhouse. Within a decor
this authentically Norwegian, you wouldn't expect a cuisine this thoroughly
Continental, but that's exactly the combination that you get. Sample the
smoked salmon and capers, always an enticing appetizer in Norway. Subtly
intermingled flavors emerge in the grilled scallops with a purée of pumpkin.
Other standouts include the monkfish studded with lardoons and served with
braised Savoy cabbage; tenderloin of beef enticingly married to tiger prawns; and
the cinnamon-scented, pan-fried breast of chicken with pancetta. The location,
in a house built in 1870, lies just a few steps from the Ole Bull's Plass.
Vaskerelvsmauet 1-3. & 55-21-07-10. Reservations recommended, especially on weekends. Main courses
195NOK-275NOK ($28-$39). AE, DC, MC, V. Sun-Fri 4-10pm; Sat 5pm-midnight. Closed 10 days between
Christmas and New Year's. Bus: 2, 3, or 4.
Wessel-Stuen NORWEGIAN This restaurant (named for the 18th-c.
humorist Johan Herman Wessel) has all the trappings of an 18th-century wine
cellar. It's decorated in old-tavern style with beamed ceilings, and its adjoining
pub is a famous meeting place for locals. The chefs can be experimental at times,
but they're also soundly grounded in the classics. Meals are likely to include such
dishes as grilled filet of catfish with coriander and lime, grilled tournedos with
forest mushroom sauce, and breast of duck with honey-blackberry sauce. They
also serve daily specials, which are hand-picked from the market.
Engen 14. & 55-55-49-49. Reservations recommended. Main courses 139NOK-290NOK ($20-$41); fixed-
price menu 85NOK-120NOK ($12-$17). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 3-11pm; Sun 11:30am-10pm. Bus: 2, 3, or 4.
INEXPENSIVE
Bryggeloftet and Stuene NORWEGIAN The Bryggeloftet and Stuene
is the best-established restaurant along the harborfront. At street level, the
Stuene has low-beamed ceilings, carved banquettes, and 19th-century murals
of old Bergen, along with dozens of clipper-ship models. For a more formal
meal, head upstairs to the Bryggeloftet, with its high ceilings and wood panel-
ing. Dinner in either section might include fried porbeagle (a form of whitefish)
served with shrimp, mussels, and white-wine sauce; roast reindeer with cream
sauce; or pepper steak with a salad. Several different preparations of salmon and
herring are featured, along with roast pork with Norwegian sour cabbage. This
is a quintessential Norwegian place—come here if you're seeking authentic
flavors.
Bryggen 11-13. & 55-31-06-30. Reservations recommended. Main courses 159NOK-275NOK ($23-$39);
lunch smørbrød 85NOK-149NOK ($12-$21). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-11:30pm; Sun 1-11:30pm. Bus:
1, 5, or 9.