Solsiden

Description:

• The degree to which this wildly popular restaurant is known throughout Oslo seems way out of proportion to its size and season -- it's open for 4 months. Part of its fame involves its location within an ugly, cement-sided warehouse opening onto a pier that's directly across the harbor from the bigger, glossier restaurants of the Aker Brygge complex, directly below the imposing bulk of Akershus castle. It's especially appealing on sunny midsummer evenings when sunlight streams onto the pier, while many of the restaurants of Aker Brygge lie in the shadows. The venue features an open kitchen, wide views of Oslo's harbor, the setting sun, and a hard-working staff. Menu items include only fish and shellfish, with no meat of any kind on the menu. The highly theatrical house specialty is a platter of shellfish, prepared for a minimum of two diners at a time, artfully draped with seaweed. Perennial favorites are pan-fried redfish or Norwegian king crab au gratin. Instead of settling for one of the fancier dishes -- such as grilled tuna with lemongrass and sesame onions -- it's best to simply ask for Dagens Fisk (the catch of the day).

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010