With not one, not two, but four alums from Per Se, the kitchen at the newly opened restaurant Lysverket is the most pedigreed in Bergen — and it’s putting Norway’s second-largest city on the culinary map.
Of course, there’s the sophisticated “neo-fjordic” cuisine from executive chef Christopher Haatuft (Per Se, Blue Hill at Stone Barns), but just as impressive are the cocktail stylings of Joar Nicolaysen (a veteran of the Oslo and Bergen bar scenes) and the overall vision brought by co-founder Fredrik Saroea, also a member of the hit Norwegian electronica duo Datarock.
All their ideas coalesce to create one very cool spot. It’s helped along by its unique location in the Bergen Art Museum complex, in a historic 1938 building just far enough removed from the tourist-heavy city center.
The three- or five-course tasting menus, which focus on regional seafood and seasonal produce, change daily — on our visit, freshly foraged trumpet mushrooms added earthiness to a pasta dish of spinach ravioli and poached egg; bright red beet slices and miniature leeks from the nearby town of Voss enlivened a buttery roasted scallop; a scattering of just-picked berries amped up the flavor of a strawberry sorbet. (Menus range from around 349 to 695 Norwegian krone, or about $58 to $116.)
As for cocktails, if aquavit isn’t your poison of choice, Nicolaysen (or one of his experienced bartenders) will whip up something tasty using local ingredients: Apples — including liqueurs and a sparkling cider called Aldin, made using the champagne method — are a favorite here. As are classic concoctions like the Sazerac, Pisco Sour and St. Charles Punch (a blend of brandy and port, served in a silver urn for two to four people).
After dinner, stick around: DJs, booked by Saroea, spin after 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, adding a late-night party ambiance to the sleek surroundings. (lysverket.no)