The Culinary flagg ship of Bergen

Colonialen have for years been leading the culinary scene i Bergen, on Norways west coast. With two restaurants, a couple of cafés and a bakery, they are rock solid present. Their fine dining experience is legendary, but what about their more casual option; the Brasseri at Litteraturhuset..? 

Getting a table
It's a normal Saturday in March. One would think that getting a table, on the same day, could be tricky. It isn't. Not at all. In fact you could get a table for your whole family, your neighbour, his mother in law and still some. 
We're on a mission to understand the strange culinary scene in Norways second biggest city. And this just adds to the picture​. Because the image holds only a handful of decent restaurants and we've been speculating why. Extreme rental prices has been mentioned, but what about traditions? How are people from the west coast, when it comes to dining out? Because you need people to use the restaurants in order to sustain a stable eat-out-culture.
So far it's not looking promising.

Colonialen Brasseri is located in Skostredet in Bergen. A small and hip area of the city. A spacious dining area, set in two rooms, with an open kitchen in the middle.

Nice lighting and cozy ambiance sets the tone for the evening.
The menu is an A'la carte experience. Pic and choose. There is also a three course alternative, with elements from the menu. 

The Waiter

Have you ever wondered why there are so few Norwegian waiters? And so many from Sweden, for instance. And why being a waiter, by some, is seen upon as submissive?
Well, let's give it a run...
It's because Sweden have nobility and Norway don't. On top you find the king and just below there are dukes, counts, marquis and so on. Next you find the citizenship with the new money, like Ikea founder Ivar Kamprad, for instance. And these people where often 
knighted, when wealthy enough. So the nobility have been big, strong and present for centuries in Sweden and still is. In Norway, on the other hand, since the mid 14th century the real king ruled from Denmark, so he had all his nobility there. When we got our own king, we got a figurehead, but without nobility. All this has lead to a class distinction, still present today. In Sweden, Denmark, France, England and most of Europe, serving others like being a waiter has been respected as an important trade. While in Norway, and only in Norway, this has been looked down upon. Because of traditions, going centuries back. 

Now...why is this important? Well, as I'm sure you would agree upon, the success of a good dinning experience comes down to more than just the food. A good waiter can be the deal breaker for how your evening turns out.

In Colonialen Brasseri we where blessed with several good waiters. Good knowledge, presence and skilfully trained.
Our waiter presented the menu and we set out for a tree course meal, with a fantastic start from Normandy, France. They had fresh oysters...!

We kicked off with the remaining five oysters in stock. Freshly served, with pickled cucumber and parsley oil.  It's one of the best appetizers you can have. And if you pair it with a Muscadet Sur Lie from the northern part of the Loire valley, you're in for a treat. By far one of the best wine combinations there is. Skip Champagne and feast on this magic combo.

First dish in the course set menu was a patê of pork. Served on butter toasted sourdough bread, with onion marmelade, crisp bacon, raw mushrooms and pickled red onions. It's excellent! Really good flavours, with nicely combined components. To me, better than a Foie Gras. Tricky to pair with wine. We went with a red from South Africa and the excellent produser Adi Badenhorst. But our wine waiter, Jonatan, suggested a white alternative from Austria.

The bio option from producer Meinklang in Austria proved to be a far much better option. A slight sweet approach, handled the fat in the dish on a much better level.

The main course was fresh plaice, with butter, peas and nuts. Provided was also a burnt lemon to squeeze over. Absolutely outstanding. 

​We got recommended a 2010 Anjou, from northern France. After some decanting, this rare flower opened up to smells of apricots and honey. Stunning with the butter feast of the plaice. 

Finishing the meal was a combination of chocolates, ganache and raspberry sorbet. Exciting textures and flavourful combinations made this a fun finale.

​A tricky plate to pair with wine. The waiter chose this Moscato from Italy. Smart choice with bubbles to help clean the palette. Easy to drink with low alcohol and great acidity. 

All in all a very pleasant dinning experience. The total package came to about 2500 NOK, with more than half going into liquid gold (wine that is;)
​Highly recommended!