Late spring/summer in Oslo is one of those magical times. As the needle starts to rise above 20 degrees for the first time the place visibly changes. The magnificent light of these northern climes seems razor sharp and just so, well, light! People smile, relaxed as they go about their daily business, the austere winter months a distant memory. Plants and flowers grow and blossom in record quick time, impatient to take advantage of the fleeting good weather.
So I find myself on a beautiful Sunday at the Sjøflyhavna Kro in Fornebu, a small, but beautiful peninsula in Oslo. The restaurant is located in the building that used to be a seaplane port. Built in 1948, the building still retains much of its original charm and harks back to a more romantic era of flying. There is an outdoor terrace and an indoor restaurant (deserted on a day like today) reminiscent of an old beach shack with a small bar and huge central banquette as the main features. There is also an upstairs dining area, which provides wonderful views out across Oslo Fjord.
Amazing view from the restaurant
Exterior of Sjøflyhavna kro
View from inside the main restaurant
Surprisingly for a restaurant next to the sea, the menu here seemed quite meat-heavy. Indeed, most patrons seemed to have opted for burger and chips, which sparked mild irritation in me that harks back to one of my pet peeves about food in Norway. Why, with such stunning seafood available in Norway, would the majority of people opt for the lazy choice of burger and chips? Now I love a good cheeseburger now and then, but honestly, Norway, sometimes you don´t know how good you have it! I opted for the "pint-o-prawns" which here has metamorphosed into a litre of prawns. A large bowl of succulent Norwegian prawns arrived with lots of lemon, bread, and mayonnaise for dipping - a perfect summer´s day lunch by the sea in my opinion. Mrs. Nibbler had shellfish soup which unlike most seafood soups in Norway was not cream-based. The soup had a wonderful rich shellfish stock as its base, which was accented with an unusual but delicious combination of saffron and dill.
Norwegian prawns with bread and mayo
Other things to feature on the menu were dishes of mussels, grilled fish, pastrami sandwich, caesar salad and, rather strangely, BBQ ribs. All-in-all a wonderful place to while away a Sunday lunch (I can't see this place doing much evening trade due to its location and it's probably deserted in the winters) with some good food, pleasant service and a beautiful location to boot.
Food: 6 / 10
Service: 7 / 10
Ambiance: 8 / 10
Sjøflyhavna Kro
Martin Linges Vei 57
1364 Fornebu
Norway
Tel: +47 95 49 49 16
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