The Michelin Guide 2014 includes a total of six stars divided among five Norwegian restaurants, all situated in the capital city of Oslo. Unfortunately is one of them closed down.
Maaemo
is the first ever restaurant in Scandinavia to receive two stars in the Michelin Guide on its first rating, only 14 months after opening in its sparkling glass locale near Oslo central station.
The seasonal menu is based on 100% organic local ingredients, including rare Norwegian herbs and berries. The food is complemented by an exciting wine list.
Cheap it ain’t (the nine-course menu alone will set you back NOK 1,900, and that’s before you have added drinks) but you get what you pay for – a truly exceptional dining experience.
Here are the Michelin-starred restaurants in Norway.
Bagatelle
Bagatelle reopened in January 2011 after the much published departure of former head chef Eyvind Hellstrøm, who had left, taking with him most of the kitchen staff, at the end of 2009. The restaurant, which has existed since 1932, regained one of its previous Michelin stars in 2012, but is now closed due to financial disputes.
Statholdergaarden
Each day chefs Bent Stiansen and Torbjørn Forster create a six-course gourmet menu full of surprises. The menu varies according to the time of the year and they pride themselves on using Norwegian produce when it is at its best.
The set menu includes three starters, usually fish and/or shellfish, before moving on to the main meat course, cheese, and dessert. You can choose fewer courses if desired. In addition, Statholdergaarden also has a long à la carte menu. The cuisine is based on the best European food traditions, with touches of inspiration from other areas of the world.
Ylajali
Led by chef Even Ramsvik, Ylajali received its much-anticipated Michelin star in 2014. The restaurant takes its name from a character in Knut Hamsun’s novel “Sult” (“Hunger”), who in the novel lives on the floor above where the restaurant is situated today.
This is no à la carte restaurant, and as such Ylajali has no menu for the guests to choose from. Instead, the restaurant tries to focus on the meal as a complete and comprehensive experience, dividing it up as if a book into a prolog, four chapters, and an epilog.
The six-course meal based on seasonal produce and other top-notch ingredients is priced at NOK 1295, with an additional NOK 1095 for the optional wine menu especially designed to fit the meal.
Ylajali is closed Sundays and Mondays, and accepts online booking for up to 8 people. For larger groups and special dietary requirements, please email the restaurant.
FaunaRestaurant Fauna received its first Michelin star less than a year after opening in the summer of 2013 and is a less formal place than other restaurants in its class. Dress in jeans and a t-shirt, and you won’t be turned away here. A relaxing atmosphere, no matter the occasion, is a stated goal for the restaurant.
The prices are relaxed too. A five-course set menu will set you back NOK 750, but if you want more, an add-on is available for an additional NOK 150. The matching wine/drinks menu is NOK 695, and that too has an optional add-on priced at NOK 150.
For the chefs at Fauna, the most important thing is the quality of the food and the ingredients it is based on. To ensure their complete freedom in developing the food and the menu, no particular style or direction has been chosen for Fauna’s cuisine, though they do try to use local ingredients where possible.
Fauna is closed Sundays and Mondays, and most of July.
Other Michelin awards
Far from all the restaurants in the Michelin Guide are given stars, but are still well worth a visit, even so. The Michelin Guide offers several different awards, for different aspects of quality.
Bib Gourmand
An award for restaurants that offer good food at moderate prices, Bib Gourmand has been awarded by the Michelin Guide since 1955. These restaurants in Oslo have been awarded a Bib Gourmand:
Grapes
Grapes indicate that the restaurant in question has an especially interesting wine list on offer. These restaurants in Oslo have this award:
Forks and spoons
Regardless of other awards, restaurants may also be awarded from one to five forks and spoons, with one indicating a comfortable restaurant, and five indicating a luxurious restaurant. These Oslo restaurants have been awarded forks and spoons:
- Three: Feinscmecker, Oro, De Fem Stuer
- Two: Onda Sea, Ekebergrestauranten, Gamle Raadhus, Fjord, Dinner, Nodee, Tjuvholmen Sjømagasin, Mares, Hos Thea, Plah, Brasserie Hansken, Havsmak, Grefsenkollen, Theatercafeen.
- One: Lofoten Fiskerestaurant (not recommended by Daily Scandinavian*), Alex Sushi Solli Plass, Alex Sushi Tjuvholmen, Smalhans, Statholderens Mat- og Vinkjeller, Cru, Brasserie France.
*) Expensive and not genuine Norwegian cuisine
Feature image (on top): Maaemo Restaurant
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Finest Food Traditions in Scandinavia
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