Forget swimming with sharks: Europe's first underwater restaurant lets you eat with them. Set to open in spring 2019, "Under," as it's appropriately called, is halfway submerged under the Norwegian sea. It sits about five hours from Oslo in the little town of Lindesnes, and will serve 100 guests in its dining room, taking ocean view dining to an entirely new level.
SNØHETTA
Architecture firm Snøhetta is bringing the restaurant to life next March, with Danish chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard leading the charge on the food front. When a restaurant costs 6 million dollars to build, the spread has to measure up. Ellitsgaard plans to serve a 15- to 18-course set menu filled with local ingredients like sea arrow grass, salty sea kale, Norwegian berries and mushrooms. On the restaurant's website, the chef says the "local treasures" will be fermented, pickled, dried or otherwise preserved as the seasons change. Seafood is of course a given, but Ellitsgaard also plans to use seabirds, sheep, and other meat in his dishes.
For those a little skittish of dining underwater, there's a champagne bar above sea level to calm your nerves. In the same area, small bites — like crispy seaweed bites in the shape of a sea shell! — will be served as guests sip on bubbly. Downstairs, during the full meal, each course will be paired with a wine or non-alcoholic drink "to create perfect harmony." It's safe to say you'll be dining well under the sea.
Reservations for this once-in-a-lifetime experience aren't available yet, but once they're live, the restaurant expects to be booking six months out. Start planning your Scandinavian road trip now!