It makes me so happy that Espresso House opened on Piletredet inb Oslo, also that they seem to come from Sweden.
The girls, yes I say girls are amazingly sweet and full of smiles. They all even look alike...
The prices are very steep - 71 kr for a bacon and mozarella sandwich, served warm after 4 minutes on the grill. Apparently all food except for muffins is made in house by the girls. And if you save your morning coffee receipt you can after the clock turns 14:00 get a new coffee for half price but make sure it is PAST 14:00 not 13:59! The rebate doesn't work in the register before 14:00!
I have been meaning to review them earlier, however haven't been triggered since everything is good. However yesterday I saw some new small sweet muffins, they look smaller than half of the normal muffisn for 32 NOK. And guess what! They were 23 NOK for a 2 bite muffin! Wow that was really steep.
The Espresso House on Pilestredet also seems to be a training facility nowadays. This is logical since the girl in charge is amazingly good and her colleagues know their stuff being baristas and having marketing degrees! However small things like always putting a napkin in the take out bags, making sure that the sandwich in the grill actually is inserted all the way in.
The long tables invite people to not think only about their personal space, the patriots are mostly during the day from the college with a few older patriots here and there. The bathroom is clean and fresh. A must when the door opens straight into a lean chair.
One day I think I saw one of the owners or leaders stop in, she was quite loud and did not go in the back around the counter but just spoke straight over the counter in between customers. Customer even had to move out of her way and she took the girls attention away from the customers they were helping.
It is all about the coffee and I must say that the coffee is very good. All portions are actually doubles but quite pricy. If I order a cortado with a little more milk they call it a flat white and the price is very much higher for a cm more of milk.
I am there every day, I have seen these girl grow from the day they opened. I can taste differences in the bacon and mozarella sandwiches depending on who makes them, they differ in amount of quacamole, the chili pieces in the quacamole and how they are warmed. Sometimes they are very greasy and sometimes less greasy.
I leave there with a smile on my face, either from the smiling and smart girl in charge, or the service from the barista with the marketing degree, however I think more business could be generated if they didn't have twice as expensive food (almost) than their competition. Their sallads are small and have minut amounts of chicken, bacon or shrimp. They look nice buy open the top and you realize that you could have gotten at least twice as much sallad or sandwich at the competition.
They have a 10% rebate card, if you prepay your get 10% however if you have 1 NOK less on your card you cannot pay this in cash, you have to refill the card before getting the 10%. This is not the case at Waynes! Makes things a little more complicated.
Overall I really like Espresso House, that is why I want them to be able to compete better and that is is only the personnel at the establishment that make you come back.
espressohouse
Showing posts with label Restaurants Oslo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurants Oslo. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Lorry - location and history isn't enough anymore
Nothing, absolutely nothing except for the Swedish waiter and the very rare meat was good at Lorry! The meat was done correctly but the french fries were burnt, the sauce was cold and the vegetables under the meat were too hard and ice cold. Too bad!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Recommendations
To be recommended - the establishment must have the same quality level for a min. of 5 visits.
Beauty
Beths Beauty - 2 locatons in Oslo.
Check out the monthly tips.
NIELS JUELS GATE 38 0257 OSLO
Tel:22 55 53 80 Epost: njg@beths.no
GABELS GATE 11 0272 OSLO
Tel:22 44 92 20 Epost: gg@beths.no
Norwegian lawyers - private practices
Advokat Kjersti Patricia Amundsen, Oslo
Mobil (+ 47) 918 01 333
Email kjersti@advokatamundsen.no
To be recommended - the establishment must have the same quality level for a min. of 5 visits.
Beauty
Beths Beauty - 2 locatons in Oslo.
Check out the monthly tips.
NIELS JUELS GATE 38 0257 OSLO
Tel:22 55 53 80 Epost: njg@beths.no
GABELS GATE 11 0272 OSLO
Tel:22 44 92 20 Epost: gg@beths.no
Norwegian lawyers - private practices
Advokat Kjersti Patricia Amundsen, Oslo
Mobil (+ 47) 918 01 333
Email kjersti@advokatamundsen.no
Restaurants:
Cru vinbar og kjøkken, Ingelbrecht Knudssøns gate 1, Oslo, Norway -
Cru vinbar og kjøkken, Ingelbrecht Knudssøns gate 1, Oslo, Norway -
http://experiencetellsall.blogspot.com/2009/09/alternative-christmans-dinner-at-cru.html
Fish shops:
Fish shops:
Georg A. Nilsen - Schultz gate/Bogstadveien, Oslo
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Lorry- – supposedly “the” place to eat your lutefisk… more like the mecca of nonchalant attitude and service.
This is a well established place bragging their 100 beer labels. It is situated where Hegdehaugsveien meets Parkveien, in the center of Oslo – next to the Royal Castle.
Simple lunch menu, daily dishes (not on Saturdays), large outside seating area (right in the middle if a very busy intersection…). Our visit this evening was a casual, after work meal.
It must really being going well for Lorry – the service was lousy and very nonchalant. The first impression of the bartender/waiter/host upstairs was “if you don’t like the table I point at – f__k off”… “Well excuse me for wanting to spend my money here” I thought.
I asked for a dry white wine – not chardonnay! Of course the waiter said (a notch better attitude compared to the bartender/waiter/host). Well the house wine is cool at least, no other comment needed. Ordered Caesars, fish soup and a hamburger – we were hungry! The food was served a little too quickly – it had to have been waiting under the heating lamp. I was amazed to be so obviously overseen by the waiter several times. It really felt like we were in his way.
After looking around I started to understand! We were sober and we were a private party – not a company…meaning we would not spend a humongous amount of money on booze and tips – therefore the service level. Lousy and very nonchalant.
Fish soup was not hot – more like having been out waiting for someone to order it. But the taste was OK and it actually had some canned shrimp and crawfish tails! The hamburger meat was moist but the French fries cold and raw inside and the salad was probably cut up a few days earlier – all the ends were brown and having seen this after half was eaten – YUCK! The Caesars salad was OK.
Another friend joined us after approx 1 hour – this time the waiter shone up and was smiling! Hmmm maybe he thought this was the man with the money. And this was a man! After our friend's meal, the waiter actually moved my friend's arm with a flick, to get at his napkin and utensils - the only thing missing was for the waiter to dry my friend's mouth and say “good boy – you ate your veggies”. Amazing – Lorry must really be doing well to be able to handle their customers in this fashion.
Of course we gave no tip – and the reaction from the waiter was very apparent ;-)
Let us hope that this was the second floor staff – not a fair insight in the true Lorry attitude.
Service: 0/5 –Making the customer feel stupid, apologetic for stepping inside – this they have mastered!
Food: 2/5 – 1 for the salad and 1 for the soup.
Drink: 0/5 – They have over 100 beer labels, but the house wine stinks and the glasses are chipped. When serving water the "Lorry" way – the majority lands in our lap.
Price: 1/5 – If the soup actually was served at soup temperature – then the soups was OK priced even though the fish was very shy.
Environment/Atmosphere: 2/5 – Typical “brown” interior. Plastic fantastic on the benches/booths and some of them actually try and push you downwards due to lack of stuffing. The stuffing in the booths was probably from the date of establishment. Good way to make the customer feel very small compared to the waiters.
Location: 3/5 – Very centrally located however, the outside eating area is actually right in the middle of a very busy intersection.
Age of guests in party: 40 - 45.
8/30 – at least they have room for improvement, but as long as the customers are drunk and the companies pay – why try.
Simple lunch menu, daily dishes (not on Saturdays), large outside seating area (right in the middle if a very busy intersection…). Our visit this evening was a casual, after work meal.
It must really being going well for Lorry – the service was lousy and very nonchalant. The first impression of the bartender/waiter/host upstairs was “if you don’t like the table I point at – f__k off”… “Well excuse me for wanting to spend my money here” I thought.
I asked for a dry white wine – not chardonnay! Of course the waiter said (a notch better attitude compared to the bartender/waiter/host). Well the house wine is cool at least, no other comment needed. Ordered Caesars, fish soup and a hamburger – we were hungry! The food was served a little too quickly – it had to have been waiting under the heating lamp. I was amazed to be so obviously overseen by the waiter several times. It really felt like we were in his way.
After looking around I started to understand! We were sober and we were a private party – not a company…meaning we would not spend a humongous amount of money on booze and tips – therefore the service level. Lousy and very nonchalant.
Fish soup was not hot – more like having been out waiting for someone to order it. But the taste was OK and it actually had some canned shrimp and crawfish tails! The hamburger meat was moist but the French fries cold and raw inside and the salad was probably cut up a few days earlier – all the ends were brown and having seen this after half was eaten – YUCK! The Caesars salad was OK.
Another friend joined us after approx 1 hour – this time the waiter shone up and was smiling! Hmmm maybe he thought this was the man with the money. And this was a man! After our friend's meal, the waiter actually moved my friend's arm with a flick, to get at his napkin and utensils - the only thing missing was for the waiter to dry my friend's mouth and say “good boy – you ate your veggies”. Amazing – Lorry must really be doing well to be able to handle their customers in this fashion.
Of course we gave no tip – and the reaction from the waiter was very apparent ;-)
Let us hope that this was the second floor staff – not a fair insight in the true Lorry attitude.
Service: 0/5 –Making the customer feel stupid, apologetic for stepping inside – this they have mastered!
Food: 2/5 – 1 for the salad and 1 for the soup.
Drink: 0/5 – They have over 100 beer labels, but the house wine stinks and the glasses are chipped. When serving water the "Lorry" way – the majority lands in our lap.
Price: 1/5 – If the soup actually was served at soup temperature – then the soups was OK priced even though the fish was very shy.
Environment/Atmosphere: 2/5 – Typical “brown” interior. Plastic fantastic on the benches/booths and some of them actually try and push you downwards due to lack of stuffing. The stuffing in the booths was probably from the date of establishment. Good way to make the customer feel very small compared to the waiters.
Location: 3/5 – Very centrally located however, the outside eating area is actually right in the middle of a very busy intersection.
Age of guests in party: 40 - 45.
8/30 – at least they have room for improvement, but as long as the customers are drunk and the companies pay – why try.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Broker - Bogstadveien, Oslo - sloppy, burnt and not expecting feedback on take out
I've been to The Broker many times, always leaving wondering why there are so many customers and why I ate there. Probably because it is close and I am lazy. If you get the burger - OK - it is good, and the small potato boats are almost tasty - however they taste precooked. If you get the wok and ask for no mushrooms, you receive information that it comes with everything before they cook it but they can pick out the mushrooms by hand. Ouch – maybe not the right thing to say to a customer who is allergic to mushrooms.
I never tried the take out until yesterday. I have tried earlier calling them, but they choose not to answer. Business is probably going “too” well or they have no organization. But yesterday one burger and one enchilada was ordered after having to go there and order. Laziness at its best.
The burger - as expected - OK. The enchilada was burnt on one end and filled with a disgusting chicken/paprika mixture on the other. Underneath there was mostly bitter salad, a minute amount of guacamole, sour cream and salsa. Since the enchilada was divided into two pieces, the one over the salad was burnt, stone hard and black. The other piece was lying in the salsa and sour cream with too much filling – so this half was just soggy, falling apart, and tasting terrible. Seriously terrible!
So, there is no quality check on takeout food, and the in-house food seems to be put together more like fast food rather than enhancing the customer’s experience and taste buds.
During a previous visit we sat by a table that vibrated so hard that our beers made jumping jacks – we asked why the table vibrated and the waitress said that they did not know why it vibrated... Instead of NOT putting customers at the table, the waitress was irritated when we asked to move. How can they not know why a table salsas across the floor?
So how do they fill up the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon? So many “lazies” out there like me?
Never again!
Service: 1/5 – Training new waitresses seems to be a specialty. Their phone bill must not be paid.
Food: 1/5 – 1 for the burger.
Drink: 2/5 – Beer is beer. The serving glass is usually chipped.
Price: 1/5 – For the food you get – the prices are terrible, but as prices go and you accept the quality for what it is – the prices are still stiff.
Environment/Atmosphere: 2/5 – Typical interior, but it needs a refreshment. Plastic fantastic on the benches around the room and some of them actually try and push off the guest by bending forward. Makes sitting quite interesting. Good way to rotate the tables.
Location: 5/5 – this I will give them – location is good and the lack of competition just around the corner probably makes up for some of the turn up.
Age of guests in party: 40 - 45.
12/30 – fair enough.
I never tried the take out until yesterday. I have tried earlier calling them, but they choose not to answer. Business is probably going “too” well or they have no organization. But yesterday one burger and one enchilada was ordered after having to go there and order. Laziness at its best.
The burger - as expected - OK. The enchilada was burnt on one end and filled with a disgusting chicken/paprika mixture on the other. Underneath there was mostly bitter salad, a minute amount of guacamole, sour cream and salsa. Since the enchilada was divided into two pieces, the one over the salad was burnt, stone hard and black. The other piece was lying in the salsa and sour cream with too much filling – so this half was just soggy, falling apart, and tasting terrible. Seriously terrible!
So, there is no quality check on takeout food, and the in-house food seems to be put together more like fast food rather than enhancing the customer’s experience and taste buds.
During a previous visit we sat by a table that vibrated so hard that our beers made jumping jacks – we asked why the table vibrated and the waitress said that they did not know why it vibrated... Instead of NOT putting customers at the table, the waitress was irritated when we asked to move. How can they not know why a table salsas across the floor?
So how do they fill up the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon? So many “lazies” out there like me?
Never again!
Service: 1/5 – Training new waitresses seems to be a specialty. Their phone bill must not be paid.
Food: 1/5 – 1 for the burger.
Drink: 2/5 – Beer is beer. The serving glass is usually chipped.
Price: 1/5 – For the food you get – the prices are terrible, but as prices go and you accept the quality for what it is – the prices are still stiff.
Environment/Atmosphere: 2/5 – Typical interior, but it needs a refreshment. Plastic fantastic on the benches around the room and some of them actually try and push off the guest by bending forward. Makes sitting quite interesting. Good way to rotate the tables.
Location: 5/5 – this I will give them – location is good and the lack of competition just around the corner probably makes up for some of the turn up.
Age of guests in party: 40 - 45.
12/30 – fair enough.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Cru vinbar og kjøkken - a second time around with the serious testers!
Well...second time around and the big boys are with us. This time we escalate the pressure!
Having changed my reservation 3 times in a week – I got a telephone call asking if we would prefer to sit downstairs at a larger table close to the fireplace. This would give all 7 of us more space. Wonderful I thought – I haven´t tested the downstairs.
Upon arrival with a wonderful blend of people – experienced people – we were seated downstairs at a table that could have taken at least 12 people. Hmmm OK let´s try this.
Our waiter – as always - smiling and happy. He asked about drinks before dinner – all is well. No menu board downstairs so I asked what was on the evening´s menu. In reply I received information that the chef has made a special menu for us according to our request. The thing was, I had made no request and it wasn´t possible to move the menu board from upstairs down to us. And telling everyone around the table about the different dishes was impossible due to the noise level. I love restaurants where this is the case since then people are relaxing and laughing enjoying their meal.
OK – quick decision – we´ll take the special menu – just a few adjustments and everyone was happy. In Oslo I have made aware that for parties over 6 people, the restaurant many times ”demand” that you preorder your food. This really irritats me since it feels like going on a field trip. It also makes me wonder if I am there for the restaurant or the right way around – the restaurant is there for me. At times, I have just cancelled the reservation. In Cru´s case, I decided to take this as a positive thing instead of a “keep it simple for the chef” thing. Let us hope this is the case.
All plates were amazing, the wine the waiter recommended fair in price and fitting to the food, the dessert consisting of apple in at least 4 different ways was a perfect ending to a wonderful meal. An amazing thing was the waiters silence running up and down the stairs. Every time a guest walked down (the WC was behind a wall downstairs), the room as filled with “bang bang bang bonk” as the shoes hit the stairs – but not with the waiters – once again they knew what they were doing.
So the old 28/30 still stands just with a difference of the missing 2 points! The reason this isn´t a 30/30 is the placement of this grand table downstairs – just under the stairway the “bank bang bang and bonk” was over our heads. Next to the grand table were shelves filled with V&B glasses and yes, a party member trying the be a gentleman, was able to bring down a few glasses when helping his lady on with a vest-and he was the sober one in the party this evening. Just the shelves being behind us were a theme during the dinner and made all a bit nervous when standing up.
Service: 5/5 - smiles, properly attentive, knew their business, and made the best out of a miss in information. Polite smiles when at least 5 glasses “fell “ off the shelf.
Food: 5/5 – filled with flavors (as expected) and with a perfect ending with the different apple mini dishes.
Drink: 5/5 - champagne is champagne and the house champagne is very good. The wines brought out and recommended by the waiter were fitting and priced right.
Price: 5/5 – 7 guests in the party, champagne, wine and 4 dishes 785 NOK/persons is a lot of money but for what you get - I am a happy camper :-)
Environment/Atmosphere: 3/5 – here the 2 points are lost - not the best seating due to the staircase being over our heads and the traffic to the WC next to us. But the restaurants atmosphere and design/fireplace does not have many other alternatives for larger parties if the upstairs is full. And there the lighting is a bit too bright for hiding wrinkles.
Location: 5/5 - perfect - down town but quiet - perfect combination. And of cource, around the corner from me.
Age of guests in party: 40 - 70.
28/30 is great!
Next visit - the champagne anniversary week starting from the 24th of November! Maybe we´ll see each other there!
Having changed my reservation 3 times in a week – I got a telephone call asking if we would prefer to sit downstairs at a larger table close to the fireplace. This would give all 7 of us more space. Wonderful I thought – I haven´t tested the downstairs.
Upon arrival with a wonderful blend of people – experienced people – we were seated downstairs at a table that could have taken at least 12 people. Hmmm OK let´s try this.
Our waiter – as always - smiling and happy. He asked about drinks before dinner – all is well. No menu board downstairs so I asked what was on the evening´s menu. In reply I received information that the chef has made a special menu for us according to our request. The thing was, I had made no request and it wasn´t possible to move the menu board from upstairs down to us. And telling everyone around the table about the different dishes was impossible due to the noise level. I love restaurants where this is the case since then people are relaxing and laughing enjoying their meal.
OK – quick decision – we´ll take the special menu – just a few adjustments and everyone was happy. In Oslo I have made aware that for parties over 6 people, the restaurant many times ”demand” that you preorder your food. This really irritats me since it feels like going on a field trip. It also makes me wonder if I am there for the restaurant or the right way around – the restaurant is there for me. At times, I have just cancelled the reservation. In Cru´s case, I decided to take this as a positive thing instead of a “keep it simple for the chef” thing. Let us hope this is the case.
All plates were amazing, the wine the waiter recommended fair in price and fitting to the food, the dessert consisting of apple in at least 4 different ways was a perfect ending to a wonderful meal. An amazing thing was the waiters silence running up and down the stairs. Every time a guest walked down (the WC was behind a wall downstairs), the room as filled with “bang bang bang bonk” as the shoes hit the stairs – but not with the waiters – once again they knew what they were doing.
So the old 28/30 still stands just with a difference of the missing 2 points! The reason this isn´t a 30/30 is the placement of this grand table downstairs – just under the stairway the “bank bang bang and bonk” was over our heads. Next to the grand table were shelves filled with V&B glasses and yes, a party member trying the be a gentleman, was able to bring down a few glasses when helping his lady on with a vest-and he was the sober one in the party this evening. Just the shelves being behind us were a theme during the dinner and made all a bit nervous when standing up.
Service: 5/5 - smiles, properly attentive, knew their business, and made the best out of a miss in information. Polite smiles when at least 5 glasses “fell “ off the shelf.
Food: 5/5 – filled with flavors (as expected) and with a perfect ending with the different apple mini dishes.
Drink: 5/5 - champagne is champagne and the house champagne is very good. The wines brought out and recommended by the waiter were fitting and priced right.
Price: 5/5 – 7 guests in the party, champagne, wine and 4 dishes 785 NOK/persons is a lot of money but for what you get - I am a happy camper :-)
Environment/Atmosphere: 3/5 – here the 2 points are lost - not the best seating due to the staircase being over our heads and the traffic to the WC next to us. But the restaurants atmosphere and design/fireplace does not have many other alternatives for larger parties if the upstairs is full. And there the lighting is a bit too bright for hiding wrinkles.
Location: 5/5 - perfect - down town but quiet - perfect combination. And of cource, around the corner from me.
Age of guests in party: 40 - 70.
28/30 is great!
Next visit - the champagne anniversary week starting from the 24th of November! Maybe we´ll see each other there!
Champagne anniversary at Cru vin & kjøkken!
24th of November - for one week, they are celebration the 1 year anniversary. Table booked before company is invited - that means I love the place!
However - let´s see if they can live up to the last 2 visits I´ve had. It has now become so popular that they need to plan 2 seatings - no more come when you like. This could be a good thing, but it takes away the "I have a gourmet kitchen as my around the corner place". Let us hope that this is a seasonal thing. If we need to make a reservation 2 weeks in advance in order to get a table, I may need to find another favorite place to rave about.
For Cru, I hope they can handle the success, still keeping to the wonderful service, taste and smiles!
Skål! Happy Anniversary!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Cafe Sorgenfri on a Thursday in Oslo
Cafe Sorgenfri is where you get your Danish (as Danish as you can get abroad) "smørbrød" and a mean wienerschnitzel (when it isn\t too cooked and dry). Many a "wet" lunch have I experienced there.
Thursday afternoon - plans were to go to the French Embassy´s Languedoc wine testing. Fees paid but we were not "there" mentally. In the taxi - Cafe Sorgenfri was a great place to start - see if the menu tickled any taste buds. Most spur-of-the moment evenings usually end up over all expectations.
With no reservations in hand and only 2 requests - keep warm and by a window - we got the best seat in the house. I saw that they actually listened to my requests! Since most parties on a Thursday in Oslo are company dinners, one 4 seated booth by the the window was available. Lucky us. Next to us, 2 tables with very "happy" working men. Perfect place for two women to enjoy a wonderful bottle of champagnge, according to the outside menu - a delicious wild boar and speak freely.
As always the service was well adjusted to the atmosphere. We felt welcome. Starting out with my favorite champagne helped the feeling of welcome.
We ordered 3 out of the day´s 5 dishes. Starting with a lobster starter, wild boar for the main course and tarte tartin with ice cream for dessert/cheese plate for my girlfriend.
The lobster, citrus, salty sallad starter was exquisite! The sweet, sour, salty mixture melted together with the juicy, but extremely minut pieces of lobster. At the time I thought the lobster dish as very small, but maybe that was because the taste was so extreme that eating more may over do it...come on! This is LOBSTER - you can never have too much lobster. The starter could have been a size or two bigger. But with the champagne and the short moments the lobster mixture was on our lips, we were in heaven.
Wild boar - I have not had that since my hunting days in southern Sweden. The dish looked lovely. The potatoe puré was served inbetween a sliced warm turnip. A hint of a wonderful taste but the salt was missing - even when dipping it into the sauce served on the piece of boar. My meat was well done - really well done. My girlfiend´s was less well done, so we switched. My recollection of wild boar did not match this piece of light meat. I remember a more juicy, whole cooked boar, which had been roasting over a large fire on the hunting grounds. This was instead a peice of cooked oversized pork. But - the sauce saved the dish. It helped me chew the meat. Oh well - we still hade champagne and conversation!
Dessert and cheese - I had the tarte tatin - an upside-down apple tart in which the apples are caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked with ice cream. Usually not what I order but it was one of the 5 dishes on the menu. I had probably taken my time chewing the meat since my ice cream was more of a creamy sauce. No problems - the taste is still there and eveyone knows that cooked or frozen calories do not count as calories ;-). Since I did not have the cheese I will only tell you about the cheese. The thinly sliced sweet/sour apple was delicious, a hint of caramel entered my mouth. The vanilla "sauce" was a bit hard to get on the spoon, but was amazing tot he apple.
Still champagne left! No coffee.
Service: 5/5 - appropiately attentive, patient (previous experience with a wilder croud has proven that many times before), if we had complained on the main course, we would probably have receieved an alternative, but we did not - our overall setting was too good, 2 girls, champagne and food - made for a successful dinner.
Food: 2/5 - Few things out of this world, some things not so good, all portions small, no bread prior to meal was served.
Drinks: 5/5 - The champagne had the correct temperature, tasted the way it was expected to and was served when needed.
Price: 2/5 - A 3 course meal downtown Oslo is approx 395 - 695 so Cafe Sorgenfri is on the lower end of the scale, however since the servings were very small and you had no chance to "fill up" on extra bread, I think it was a little pricy for what you got - however, not for downtown Oslo.
Environment/Atmosphere: 5/5 - Aker Brygge, the interior with all it´s trimmings is part of the experience. This time the artifacts actually looked more dusted in the ceiling - may it was the champagne that helped. You do feel that you could be in Denmark, with Norwegian/Sweedish personnel and Norweigian prices and climate.
Location: 5/5 - perfect side of Aker Brygger for dinner - walking distance to almost everything. Pricely parking if you bring your car.
Ages of guests in party: 40 - 45 but the rest of the guests this evening looked older of course.
24/30 points.
Add a little to the servings and everything gets better.
Thursday afternoon - plans were to go to the French Embassy´s Languedoc wine testing. Fees paid but we were not "there" mentally. In the taxi - Cafe Sorgenfri was a great place to start - see if the menu tickled any taste buds. Most spur-of-the moment evenings usually end up over all expectations.
With no reservations in hand and only 2 requests - keep warm and by a window - we got the best seat in the house. I saw that they actually listened to my requests! Since most parties on a Thursday in Oslo are company dinners, one 4 seated booth by the the window was available. Lucky us. Next to us, 2 tables with very "happy" working men. Perfect place for two women to enjoy a wonderful bottle of champagnge, according to the outside menu - a delicious wild boar and speak freely.
As always the service was well adjusted to the atmosphere. We felt welcome. Starting out with my favorite champagne helped the feeling of welcome.
We ordered 3 out of the day´s 5 dishes. Starting with a lobster starter, wild boar for the main course and tarte tartin with ice cream for dessert/cheese plate for my girlfriend.
The lobster, citrus, salty sallad starter was exquisite! The sweet, sour, salty mixture melted together with the juicy, but extremely minut pieces of lobster. At the time I thought the lobster dish as very small, but maybe that was because the taste was so extreme that eating more may over do it...come on! This is LOBSTER - you can never have too much lobster. The starter could have been a size or two bigger. But with the champagne and the short moments the lobster mixture was on our lips, we were in heaven.
Wild boar - I have not had that since my hunting days in southern Sweden. The dish looked lovely. The potatoe puré was served inbetween a sliced warm turnip. A hint of a wonderful taste but the salt was missing - even when dipping it into the sauce served on the piece of boar. My meat was well done - really well done. My girlfiend´s was less well done, so we switched. My recollection of wild boar did not match this piece of light meat. I remember a more juicy, whole cooked boar, which had been roasting over a large fire on the hunting grounds. This was instead a peice of cooked oversized pork. But - the sauce saved the dish. It helped me chew the meat. Oh well - we still hade champagne and conversation!
Dessert and cheese - I had the tarte tatin - an upside-down apple tart in which the apples are caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked with ice cream. Usually not what I order but it was one of the 5 dishes on the menu. I had probably taken my time chewing the meat since my ice cream was more of a creamy sauce. No problems - the taste is still there and eveyone knows that cooked or frozen calories do not count as calories ;-). Since I did not have the cheese I will only tell you about the cheese. The thinly sliced sweet/sour apple was delicious, a hint of caramel entered my mouth. The vanilla "sauce" was a bit hard to get on the spoon, but was amazing tot he apple.
Still champagne left! No coffee.
Service: 5/5 - appropiately attentive, patient (previous experience with a wilder croud has proven that many times before), if we had complained on the main course, we would probably have receieved an alternative, but we did not - our overall setting was too good, 2 girls, champagne and food - made for a successful dinner.
Food: 2/5 - Few things out of this world, some things not so good, all portions small, no bread prior to meal was served.
Drinks: 5/5 - The champagne had the correct temperature, tasted the way it was expected to and was served when needed.
Price: 2/5 - A 3 course meal downtown Oslo is approx 395 - 695 so Cafe Sorgenfri is on the lower end of the scale, however since the servings were very small and you had no chance to "fill up" on extra bread, I think it was a little pricy for what you got - however, not for downtown Oslo.
Environment/Atmosphere: 5/5 - Aker Brygge, the interior with all it´s trimmings is part of the experience. This time the artifacts actually looked more dusted in the ceiling - may it was the champagne that helped. You do feel that you could be in Denmark, with Norwegian/Sweedish personnel and Norweigian prices and climate.
Location: 5/5 - perfect side of Aker Brygger for dinner - walking distance to almost everything. Pricely parking if you bring your car.
Ages of guests in party: 40 - 45 but the rest of the guests this evening looked older of course.
24/30 points.
Add a little to the servings and everything gets better.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Hard Rock, Oslo
Prior to leaving - thought:
Every time we´ve been there, we have left disappointed in the food - for some reason they leave the food under the "kepp warm" lamp too long before serving. Last time the sauce on the food was hardened. This means that they either have finished dishes just waiting to be ordered or they are slow (very) in serving.
The same thing applies to TGIF.
I get that these restaurants servce a fixed menu and many eat there, but why not deliver up to their potential?
Probably because we, their guests, do not complain.
"The experience"
Greeted with the usual happy smiles, got the table we has almost asked for - but this was good enough. Waiter was fun, happy and attentive.
Drinks ordered and a started ordered since the rest of the gang were arrived a little later than us.
Margarita and Island Ice Tea. Maragrita was weak in taste, too sweet, god knows if there was any booze in it. But still the margarita mix (!) was present. Island Ice Tea was "better than the ones you get in Norgwegian bars"- direct quote. Chicken tenders with an extra added sauce were good thanks to the sauce, however, too deep fried to be classified as tender.
Rest of the gang in place, orders taken and a new margarita and beers servced. Now the margarita was closer to water than margarita mix.
Ceasar sallad, hamburgers and fajitas were served. Everyone seemed to lika their food. The hamburgers "fine". However, the chicken breast on the ceasars sallad was probable fried earlier that day and was dry and cold. The size - well if it hadn´t had the shape of a breast, then I would guess 1/3 of a normal sized chicken breast.The dressing was based in one area of the plate, don´t think the sallad was tossed before serving.
After dinner, a cappuccino and a last shot at the margarita. I think the house took home the money on both of them.
Usually after 3 margaritas, walking down stairs can be a challenge, trying to walk in the perfect manner. After 3 margaritas at Hard Rock, yu could easily run down the stairs.
Service: 4/5 - even the Norwegian waitresses spoke English to us, attentive waiter and good service.
Food: 4/5 - since 4 out 5 gustes ate everything on their plates. But no one dared order the ribs since they usually are wamred up and the sauce hardened.
Drinks: 2/5 - Correct (Long) Island Ice tea, margarita too watery, no booze. But the beed was beer.
Price: 2/5 - have the prices gone up? The entrees were almost the the same prices as the cheaper main courses, but the portions small.
Environment/Atmosphere: 3/5 - Everyone knows what they get at Hard Rock! But the bathroom needs another cleaning - even this early in the evening.
Location: 5/5 - perfect - down town - in the middle of most things.
Ages of guests in party: 26 - 35 and 36 - 45.
20/30 points.
The evenings activities called, so off we went.
Every time we´ve been there, we have left disappointed in the food - for some reason they leave the food under the "kepp warm" lamp too long before serving. Last time the sauce on the food was hardened. This means that they either have finished dishes just waiting to be ordered or they are slow (very) in serving.
The same thing applies to TGIF.
I get that these restaurants servce a fixed menu and many eat there, but why not deliver up to their potential?
Probably because we, their guests, do not complain.
"The experience"
Greeted with the usual happy smiles, got the table we has almost asked for - but this was good enough. Waiter was fun, happy and attentive.
Drinks ordered and a started ordered since the rest of the gang were arrived a little later than us.
Margarita and Island Ice Tea. Maragrita was weak in taste, too sweet, god knows if there was any booze in it. But still the margarita mix (!) was present. Island Ice Tea was "better than the ones you get in Norgwegian bars"- direct quote. Chicken tenders with an extra added sauce were good thanks to the sauce, however, too deep fried to be classified as tender.
Rest of the gang in place, orders taken and a new margarita and beers servced. Now the margarita was closer to water than margarita mix.
Ceasar sallad, hamburgers and fajitas were served. Everyone seemed to lika their food. The hamburgers "fine". However, the chicken breast on the ceasars sallad was probable fried earlier that day and was dry and cold. The size - well if it hadn´t had the shape of a breast, then I would guess 1/3 of a normal sized chicken breast.The dressing was based in one area of the plate, don´t think the sallad was tossed before serving.
After dinner, a cappuccino and a last shot at the margarita. I think the house took home the money on both of them.
Usually after 3 margaritas, walking down stairs can be a challenge, trying to walk in the perfect manner. After 3 margaritas at Hard Rock, yu could easily run down the stairs.
Service: 4/5 - even the Norwegian waitresses spoke English to us, attentive waiter and good service.
Food: 4/5 - since 4 out 5 gustes ate everything on their plates. But no one dared order the ribs since they usually are wamred up and the sauce hardened.
Drinks: 2/5 - Correct (Long) Island Ice tea, margarita too watery, no booze. But the beed was beer.
Price: 2/5 - have the prices gone up? The entrees were almost the the same prices as the cheaper main courses, but the portions small.
Environment/Atmosphere: 3/5 - Everyone knows what they get at Hard Rock! But the bathroom needs another cleaning - even this early in the evening.
Location: 5/5 - perfect - down town - in the middle of most things.
Ages of guests in party: 26 - 35 and 36 - 45.
20/30 points.
The evenings activities called, so off we went.
Cru vinbar og kjøkken
Wow what a wonderful place!
We walked the dogs Friday afternoon, tripped over the entrance and looked up. It looked very inviting. Went home, called for reservations. Saturday 19:00.
Good table for 2, a little small but very cosy. When arriving you do not really know if you should go down or up the stairs...fortunately a waitress is there to look after you very shortly upon arriving. Welcoming smiles, fun mixed menu and of course the mandatory glas och champagne.
Service: 5/5 - smiles, properly attentive, knew their business, and listened to their guests/saw their needs.
Food: 4/5 - mashed potatoes to the trout had no taste compared to the vibrant trout, color and taste.
Drink: 5/5 - they knew their stuff! They even have a wine cellar on the second floor ;-)
Price: 5/5 - the prices were fitting to being able to combine your menu with the 8 different dishes.
Environment/Atmosphere: 4/5 - the seating area on the second floor was a little too lighted
Location: 5/5 - perfect - down town but quiet - perfect combination.
Age of guests in party: 35 - 45.
28/30 points.
They do not serve lunch but do have an afternoon menu between 16:00 - 18:00.
Warmly recommended, as long as there is room for a table for us!
Cru vinbar og kjøkken
Ingelbrecht Knudssøns gate 1,
Oslo, Norway
We walked the dogs Friday afternoon, tripped over the entrance and looked up. It looked very inviting. Went home, called for reservations. Saturday 19:00.
Good table for 2, a little small but very cosy. When arriving you do not really know if you should go down or up the stairs...fortunately a waitress is there to look after you very shortly upon arriving. Welcoming smiles, fun mixed menu and of course the mandatory glas och champagne.
Service: 5/5 - smiles, properly attentive, knew their business, and listened to their guests/saw their needs.
Food: 4/5 - mashed potatoes to the trout had no taste compared to the vibrant trout, color and taste.
Drink: 5/5 - they knew their stuff! They even have a wine cellar on the second floor ;-)
Price: 5/5 - the prices were fitting to being able to combine your menu with the 8 different dishes.
Environment/Atmosphere: 4/5 - the seating area on the second floor was a little too lighted
Location: 5/5 - perfect - down town but quiet - perfect combination.
Age of guests in party: 35 - 45.
28/30 points.
They do not serve lunch but do have an afternoon menu between 16:00 - 18:00.
Warmly recommended, as long as there is room for a table for us!
Cru vinbar og kjøkken
Ingelbrecht Knudssøns gate 1,
Oslo, Norway
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