Ekeberg is a large restaurant in an old building designed by Lars Backer, that has been refurbished offering gorgeous views of the Oslo fjord and the city. It is on a hill in a park that features statues. It was once the city’s place to hold celebrations but fell into disrepair. It was bought and the owner wanted to turn it into a private residence but this was denied and instead the present owner restored it to its previous condition and it is once again the site for Oslo residents to hold their family celebrations. (The waitress said she had served two 100 years birthday parties this week).
There is an outdoor very casual dining area, the first floor that offers space for large parties and seasonal fare and the 2nd floor veranda offering fine dining and even better views. Each area has a separate kitchen. We actually saw drawings of the original structure at an art exhibit in the city and I include some of those images at the end. We were there for lunch where they offer a la carte and a 3 course option. We chose the latter.
The meal starts with sour dough and hazelnut breads. Both were nice with a good crust and doughy interior.
The first course was a fish soup with shrimp and monkfish. It was simple and fresh with perfectly cooked seafoods. The bread was an excellent vehicle to get up the last bits of the tasty broth.
The main course was pig neck with cabbage, green beans, onion soubise and potatoes. The pork was tender and the gravy tasty. A really nice plate of traditional food done well. This is not cutting edge but solidly good food.
The dessert was a layered piece of strawberry, white chocolate and chocolate served with pineapple sorbet. The chocolate layer was nice and gooey. The pineapple seemed to be pre-scooped as it was a tad hard but still tasted very good. Overall a tasty dessert.
Emilie, our wonderful waitress, sensed our interest in the building and arranged for her colleague Pedro to take us up to the roof top to appreciate the spectacular views. It was worth the climb!
