Theatercaféen

Oslo doesn’t boast many venues as grand and opulent as Theatercaféen. The atmosphere here is timeless and also perhaps placeless; arched ceilings, brass and marble carry us away from the capital, to whenever and wherever we want to imagine ourselves, be it Vienna or Teheran.

Such monumental surroundings create expectations. You’d be forgiven for thinking the cuisine was stuck in a time warp. Interestingly, Theatercaféen’s menu is not a exposé of cream-puff classics, it’s been updated, albeit not entirely to our present day, to feature both Mediterranean and Asian flourishes. But really, don’t we all want to savor a bite of the good old days in a place of this caliber?

The steak tartare comes with fries of course, the latter presented in a miniature tin bucket that would look more at home in a second rate diner, the accompanying mayonnaise, however, is served in a tiny, shiny copper pot, proper wholegrain mustard also saves the day by giving the dish a pleasant pop.

Naturally, the wine list is full of Old World pomp, and the service is professional, though not very personable, this is a large and bustling restaurant with little room for the staff to explain the menu’s intricacies. Theatercaféen is nearly always busy, it's the kind of place that attracts families on city outings, businessmen who eat their burgers with a knife and fork, as well as the artists, writers and actors who once made Theatercaféen famous.

Published January 2020