5 Person Holiday Home in Hidrasund

The kitchen quite literally takes centre stage at this impeccable restaurant, sitting in the middle of the stylish room and providing a stage for the chefs to prepare intricate, superbly crafted dishes. Top-notch local fish and shellfish underpins the cooking, with supreme skill evident in the refined balance between the delicate seafood flavours and some stronger components – the grilled scallop with sea buckthorn and pumpkin sauce is a perfect example. The menu has around 20 servings and every aspect unfolds masterfully thanks to the exceptional kitchen and service teams, who are all oversee

The two ‘K’s are Ola Klepp and Elisabeth Kress – he leads the kitchen, while she guides the attentive service team – and their heartfelt passion for working with nature underpins everything they do. Ola’s contemporary 10-course tasting menu takes you on a journey through both their garden and the surrounding region via a series of very personalised, imaginative recipes; you might find smoked cherry tomatoes served with a vinaigrette of their own juice or lightly caramelised onion with leeks and water extracted from potato skins. The room might have an elegant look, but the atmosphere is pleasi

If you like a spot of theatre with your meal, then head for Sabi Omakaese, where the speed and dexterity of the chefs is a sight to behold. A 10-seat counter is the stage for this sushi experience of around 20 courses, where each element is introduced and explained by the engaging chefs and spotlights keep your attention on their every move. Supremely fresh Norwegian ingredients come together with Japanese techniques and flavours, and dishes range from the classics to more playful creations such as Wagyu beef gunkan or reindeer nigiri.

One of the few restaurants around that is owned by its sommeliers, Hermetikken is unsurprisingly characterised by its superb wine selection, with an impressive array of producers on the list. It’s not all about the wine though, as the cooking proves to be a fitting counterpart. The chefs’ skills lie in finding well-judged contrasts and mining depth of flavour from just a few ingredients; duck served in three ways (succulent breast, rich ragout and full-flavoured sausage) is the perfect encapsulation of these considerable talents.

Just a few kilometres from the rocky mountains of Sørlandet, on the banks of the Tovdal River, you’ll find this magical estate where peace and quiet reign and time almost seems to stand still. The elegant restaurant is housed in a lovingly restored 19th-century property at its centre, and the surrounding gardens, meadows and river provide the vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs and fish – while meat comes from small organic producers located nearby. Two tasting menus offer classic French recipes that have been given a modern overhaul, and an impressive wine cellar tops off the experience.

A former factory plays host to this unique restaurant, which brings together exposed brick walls, modern asymmetric tables and designer furnishings. Another unusual feature is the completely plant-based cuisine, which celebrates some often overlooked ingredients. The Italian chef draws on his heritage to inspire the tasting menu, while also adding Asian flavours (such as Sichuan pepper or ssamjang) as well as some Nordic influences (via a range of fermented and preserved components) in order to create original, sometimes playful dishes, like pumpkin, sea buckthorn, gochujang and bergamot ravio

Bravo was opened at the end of 2022 by a young couple on their first venture – and their enthusiasm and friendliness infuse this sweet little restaurant in a converted house. The menu is refreshingly concise and chef-owner Daniel, from his open kitchen, concentrates on clean, seasonal flavours using local ingredients.