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Under restaurant, Norway will hook aquamarine selfie seekers
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Under also means ‘wonder ‘ or ‘miracle’ in Norwegian
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Submerged customers will be fed at seal level
Under is Norway’s newest hyped up restaurant on the Scandinavian gourmet scene – and the stunning photos of diners meeting frothing ocean are meant to go viral. How can they not? Check them out.
The surf-and-turf restaurant, built using a massive block of concrete that tilts into the ocean, is designed by celebrity architets Snøhetta, who seem to specialize in tilting buildings. Just to remind you: they’re the ones who also designed the Oslo Opera to look like a white glacier sliding into the fjord.
The sub-marine eatery Under is located close to Norway’s southern tip, more specifically Båly at Spangereid in the municipality of Lindesnes.
I’d like a beer, under the sea, in an octopus’s garden
Why settle for a restaurant aquarium for diners’ amusement when the entire restaurant can be lowered into the sea?
Patrons of Under restaurant enter through the ‘top’ of the concrete structure and descend an eight-meter staircase to a large dining room. The big distracting screen at one end is in fact a gigantic clear window to the ocean. Submerged diners will have a clear view of frolicking cod, sea urchins, lobster, seals and other forms of marine life through the reinforced acrylic glass. When the seas are rough, underwater lighting will help keep the fish visible for discerning diners.
World’s biggest underwater restaurant? Norway takes prize
Underwater restaurants already exist in the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives, and other places. About forty people will be able to fit into the Norwegian underwater bistro at one time. The building is 592 square meters, giving Under restauarant status on opening day as the world’s biggest underwater restaurant.
“Why settle for a restaurant aquarium for diners’ amusement when the entire restaurant can be lowered into the sea?”
Half-sunk restaurant makes Instagram go gaga
The restaurant is perfect for the age of social media, when loaded people on the other side of the planet can see an amazing image on Instagram and spontaneously decide to fly in their family for an exotic weekend. Already in February of 2018, 14 months before opening day, Under restaurant had 1200 reservations in the books, according to the financial newspaper Dagens Næringsliv.
Any claims of local food sourcing resulting in a minimal Under carbon footprint should perhaps garner mild ridicule. The fish is local, but the fish-eaters are flown in on a daily basis. The opening was attended by 30 international journalists, and global press coverage of Under has been extensive. The restaurant happens to be located right next to the 154-room Lindesnes Havhotell (owned by the same pair of Norwegian brothers who started the Under restaurant).
Under restaurant Norway menu
Norway’s Under restaurant menu will feature 18-20 dishes in a set tasting menu, designed by Danish chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard Pedersen. The dishes are seasonal, so as you must book an underwater table months in advance, you have no way of knowing what will be on the Under menu on the day of your deepwater descent.
The fish is local, but the fish-eaters are flown in on a daily basis.
The local Norwegian ingredients swimming by may, in fact, end up on a diner’s plate, as the Under restaurant menu will feature a large selection of local seafood. In addition, seabirds and ‘wild’ Norwegian sheep are offered. The Under philosophy is all about local ingredients, including sea rocket, kale, wild mushrooms, berries and more.
When it comes to getting a reservation, don’t hold your breath. Under restaurant is Norway’s most popular food joint, even before it opened. It’s fully booked through September 2019.
Diners sans dineros be warned: patrons must expect to see a final bill of about USD 435 per person for the tasting menu with wine. Just securing a reservation online at Under restaurant costs the Norwegian equivalent of about 120 bucks. You’ve gotta really like Nordic cuisine. And if you’re a bit ‘meh’ about it, your financial future might benefit from choosing a substitution: just upgrade your aquarium at home and order takeout.
