Restaurant 1877

Sealed envelope contain that evening’s menu. Open at your own risk. How do you get a French Laundry or Per Se equivalent meal at a fractional cost (²⁄₁ to ¾ of its cost)? Go to Norway of course.
Norway, as it turned out, as one of the last countries for me to visit in Scandinavia, turned out to be my most favourite. Despite my long standing connection with Sweden and its people, I find, Norwegian people are friendlier, cuisine more intriguing, and price point, not nearly as expensive as it is reputed to be.
Restaurant 1877 is perfection. It’s on your way to the Funicular, Bergen’s most visited spot, so you have no excuse to miss it.
Make reservation ahead of time. Get the wine pairing. Every course is explained to you in the same demeanor and style as Per Se and French Laundry, Wine paired with the food is interesting and unusual, all from Europe. My favorites are the German desert wine, and French red, but the Portuguese white is interesting as well. The décor of the restaurant shows dark wood matched with eclectic vintage collectables that felt more Burgundy, France and Rothenburg, Germany than Scandinavia.
I did compare it to French Laundry, so you know this will be one of the more expensive meals you’d have in Norway, but it’s completely worth your every shining penny. Umami at it’s best. And may I recommend the fish du jour option? It’s freshly fished out the fjords near Bergen by one of the fourteen chartered fishing boats, never frozen, always same day delivery, and I won’t lie, you can’t get closer to heaven after a meal like this.

One of the best meals/​meal experiences I’ve ever had! The attention to detail and personalization the chefs have is incredible. Wonderful with a wine pairing!

It’s not cheap dining on 1877, but compared to similar experiences in Norway, it is more or less half the price for a multiple course dinner, that is also followed by heartfelt, genuine service.
Together with two friends I visitied the restaurant for the frist time in January. We had a wonderful time! We chose the full tasting menu and the wine pairing. Every dish was delicious and presented with information on where it is from and how it is prepared. Also the owner took her time chatting with us every now and then.
The restaurant is located in the beautiful building «Kjøttbasaren» and the premises are casually elegant. The atmosphere is nice and the sound level is moderate.
I am going back in April!

A lovely but expensive Valentine’s day meal. The menu is set and included five courses + an appetiser.
Friendly staff explain all the dishes and where the food has come from as they bring the courses to you. Atmosphere is upscale Norwegian cozy with a dash of the romantic. Our starter was herring flavoured with lemon served on a slowly dissolving block of salt that seasoned the herring. Very good and memorable! Scallops for the first course followed by trout (I think) for the second, served with beets, potatoe purée and chicken glaze (an excellent and light hint towards palette of a roast dinner). Then beef for the third, followed by a mystery juice course where we had to guess the ingredients, cheese and dessert of cream, blood orange, cholocate covered corn flakes and I think peach sorbet. Very good — particularly the corn flakes! If my memory is not great it is because we ordered the wine package which meant we got a new drink with every course. While the wine pairings were excellent it was the only part of the endeavour I regretted mostly due to the cost. It wasn’t poor value but we could have done without the additional dent to our wallet (not to mention it was quite a lot to drink). 1877 delivers on novelty without sacrificing the basics, and the entire arrangement cleverly focuses your attention on the flavours. I give it ⁴⁄₅ as it sets a high standard for itself and I expected perfection, but the beef a bit dry and the cheese course tasty but lacking in flare. Most of the other patrons seemed to be on the type of romantic date where even in egalitarian Norway I presume the gentleman still pays. This, ladies, if you are so lucky, is the way to do things at 1877. To the rest of you, perhaps get the wine package so that at the end of the evening you’ll be jolly enough to focus on the food and not the cost.

Best food in town. The only meal I had all week that was exceptional. Order the five course dinner with the wine pairings. Wonderful experience. Great service also.