Restaurant 1877

Behind green wooden doors, in a neo-romantic brick building, Restaurant 1877 gives you a warm dining experience with a focus on heritage, food craft and history. The service is personal and informal, the storytelling  central. You’ll be welcomed with a firm handshake and handed a wax-sealed menu, like an old-timey letter. Its five courses read the same every time, but their content shifts with the seasons and with availability. What's hiding behind the words––shellfish, fish, meat, cheese, and dessert––are a string of surprises, opening with langoustine, broth, and grilled lettuce.

Farmers and fishermen are the stars at this restaurant. As a guest, though, you can rest assured that you’ll experience something innovative, even though the cuisine is rooted in tradition. One of the most common Norwegian meals is whitefish, butter, onions, and potatoes. The chef presents it as a plate of crispy, juicy fish on a bed of onion purée, with both pickled and crispy onions, the whole affair slicked in beurre blanc with chives and herring roe; an utterly elegant interpretation.

The cheese course could be a cooked, caramelized milk variety called Gombe, served with local brown goat cheese, barley and Norwegian lefse, a soft flatbread with cinnamon and sugar. It’s a dizzying kaleidoscope of flavors that hijacks your tongue before a blackcurrant jelly gently dissolves the fat and readies your mouth for round two. The sommelier takes his guests on exciting trips through several countries, via various styles and offers a wide array of locally produced juices, from apple to berry.

If you made the mistake of planning merely a brief visit to Norway, and if you only have time for one meal, this would be the place to get acquainted with our local cuisine. Just promise you’ll stay longer next time.

Published January 2020