If there were ever a chef that neatly fit the “local kid makes good” mold, it would be Christopher Haatuft. After putting himself on the global gourmet map at New York City’s Per Se, he took that success home to Bergen, Norway, to show Denmark isn’t the only Scandinavian country pushing the boundaries of its native ingredients. It’s also appropriate that his artistry — and a fantastic bar program — can be enjoyed at the foot of the Bergen’s KODE art museums (in Building 4), adjacent to concert venue Grieghallen, all overlooking the scenic Lille Lungegårdsvannet lake. After all, why not work in the presence of Norwegian artists who made their mark on the world in a meaningful way?

By day, the interior provides a clean, neat canvas for some remarkably colorful lunch options. At night, however, the space becomes dramatic, especially with DJ music and an uptick in cocktail orders. The menu of shareable items changes by the day, making the mix-and-match process interesting — especially as some of the descriptions on the menu can’t truly pinpoint what will arrive at the table. Our group’s late summer night meal consisted of grilled mussels in an ultra-light shellfish sauce and local summer vegetables in tempura batter alongside crispy shellfish and chicken dumplings with shore crab sauce; smoked mackerel butter on paper-thin crackers; broccoli dotted with an oyster cream; and roasted scallops on a bed of corn and chanterelles … all dishes which cannot be truly appreciated until experienced with all five senses, as the plating on several is deceptively spare.

Like the share plates, the cocktails, such as the Bergen Daiquiri, are regionally inspired and made up of ingredients that should not work together, like aquavit, green chartreuse, lemon, honey and dill. However, it makes a wonderful, palate-cleansing lasting impression.

Lysverket

Rasmus Meyers Allé 9
Bergen, Norway
tel 47 55603100