Shrimp
Cornelius

Cornelius

Holmen På Bjorøy, Bergen, Norway

Wine • Delis • Coffee • Seafood


"First I’ll say that I feel bad leaving a negative review as everyone we interacted was kind and trying their best. With that being said, I’m a bit baffled by our experience. The reviews are fantastic, but we did not enjoy it and it didn’t seem like an off night but rather a lack of attention to detail and quality. First, our waiter seemed inexperienced and not ready to be on his own. He had a hard time describing dishes and was just awkward in his interactions with us. The food was generally not memorable. Our first dish was a whale carpaccio which was exciting to try and I thought it was good but my fiancé did not enjoy it, and I imagine it’s not a big hit with international travelers. The main fish dish was totally over salted and the lowlight. I had been thinking of a three star review beforehand, but this was the point where I felt the experience had garnered a one star review. Before our main dish came out there was a shellfish tower that was an add on to the five course menu. We opted not to get it. Half the dining room did and as they ate it the rest of us sat around for 45 minutes waiting for the next course. Overall there was a lack of pacing to the meal and we spent a lot of time waiting. There seemed to be a lack of organization, waiters came out with food then went back to the kitchen several times or didn’t seem to know where they were going. We weren’t given a beverage list which was odd. One dish was dropped off, the waiter mentioned he’d be back to describe it and then went to another table to serve them and then came back to us. We’ve never had that happen before. People were brought to the wine cellar by one waiter and another one had brought a separate group so they awkwardly waited for the others in the hallway. There were other little oddities I can’t recall as well. Overall it’s a cute concept and the space was beautiful, but there are much better ways to spend $100+ on a dinner experience. Food: 1 Service: 2 Atmosphere: 4"

Pascal

Pascal

Ullevålsveien 47, 0171 Oslo, Norway

Food • Cafés • Store • Bakery


"Named after Pastry Chef Pascal Dupuy, born French but trained in Norway and part of Oslo's dining scene since 1995, Pascal now consists of several Patisseries and Restaurants including the largest near The Royal Palace. Officially addressed Henrik Ibsens Gate 36, one of the few locations open on Sunday while much of Oslo rests, guests are invited to dine from 12h00 to 17h00 on a collection of Pastries, Salads, Soups, Sandwiches and Desserts. Staffed by friendly servers from take-out to the table, all English fluent with a menu to match, Coffee ranges 49-65 NOK including everything from an honest Espresso to a towering Mocha on Ice. Regarded by Relais Dessert International and Guide des Croqueurs de Chocolat, a range of Truffles lining shelves, Viennoserie is a mixed experience including a good Pan au Chocolate but soggy Almond Croissant while Flan a la Vanille consists of a good Crust surrounding soft Custard with evidence of pure Vanilla Beans throughout. More pricey for Entremet, available to go but plated with Crème Anglaise or Fruit Purees on-site, Pascal's Rhubarb Tart is artful in terms of taste as well as texture while the Feuilletine trends a bit sticky in the Caramel layer which makes cutting without a knife something of a mess. Perhaps best known for homemade Softeis, undeniably produced with top quality Cream and smooth as silk, diners may choose to add a number of toppings with Sea Salt Caramel and crumbled Macarons in a variety of flavors the most popular for good reason."

Mirabel

Mirabel

Storgata 6, 2050 Jessheim, Norway

Cafés • European • Fast Food • Ice cream


"We kind of knew the moment we walked in that we were in for a treat. The place was bustling, almost every table was full of happy folk eating, chatting and generally enjoying the place. I was worried that it was a reservations-only kind of place as Jessheim is a small town, but we were greeted and ushered-in in no time. The server seated us with a smile and came with water and provided us with English menus. I usually prefer the local menu (translation is easy with Google! but we had just arrived at the airport and the English menu looked adequately comprehensive. A bit of a debate, but we ended up with 2 dishes to share between 2 very jet-lagged diners. The Monk Fish was fabulous but small. A small fillet of monk fish was on a bed of an unctuous, umami sauce of something I couldn 't adequately identify. May be crab and lobster? Garnished with chunks of zucchini and mushrooms and a small sprinkling of little shrimp. A wedge of juicy lemon and a scoop of rice. I first tried a bite of the fish naked, and it tasted just-caught fresh and perfectly cooked. The source and a little lemon elevated it to perfection. Encountering a new restaurant, I will go for the fish as one of my 'acid tests ' and the chef at Mirabel sailed through with flying colors! Even the rice was perfection. Not the way Chinese rice would have been cooked, but the perfect texture to soak in the source and combine as an accompaniment to all the elements of the dish. The second dish we shared was the Bianchi Quattro Formaggii pizza. It looked perfect when it arrived, and I would say was the best pizza I 've eaten in the past year (and I 've eaten a lot of pizza! The cheeses were perfectly² blended and a drizzle of honey over the top before serving turned it into perfection. The salty, pungent cheese complemented by the sweet tang of honey. With pizza, the crust matters, and there was barely enough crust left to mop up all the remnants of the monk fish sauce. What a perfect first meal in Norway!!"