Tjuvholmen Sjømagasin is a very large place next to the waterfront. They have 2 levels of interior dining as well as a few patio tables and a huge wine selection.  They play a sort of moody music and were not as busy as many of the other places we passed by walking to it.  It has an elegant yet relaxed feel with pretty views. However the poor waiter could have used a helper to be more attentive to the guests.  At lunch they offer a 2 or 3 course menu and a shellfish bar.  Being right on the water we were anxious to sample some of the fresh catches of Oslo so we ordered a shellfish platter.

 

After ordering, our bread arrived and it was a soft chewy center with a crusty exterior – delicious!  The platter is only available for 2 or more persons. It came as a double deck with the lobster and shrimp on the bottom part of the rack and the pan of mussels on the top.  The mussels were plump and tasty but there was no serving utensil or bowl for shells. However they were nicely cooked and all open but it was a challenge to get the bread dunked in the briny/herbed broth.  The lobster was also nicely cooked and fairly good sized.  However the little local shrimp were the standout. The shells had a gritty feel but not a bit was in the incredibly sweet meat. They were smaller than usual but absolutely wonderful and worth every effort to shell them. The platter was served with 2 dips, aioli and mayo as well as lemon.  No finger bowl or wet cloth afterwards was another knock on the place but it gave me an excuse to prowl the rest of the place looking for the bathroom.