Colonialen Litteraturhuset is one of three elegant upscale Colonialen menus near Old Bergen. The room is beautiful with great decorating and a fantastic triptych painting on one wall. The food is arranged artfully. How is the food? * * * * * * * Well, the buttered toast that came with my steak tartare was excellent ... * * * * * * * My wife liked her gnocchi because they had no cheese. * * * * * * * I think I have run out of good things to say. * * * * * * * We had other stuff besides buttered toast garnishes and gnocchi. Nothing was terrible. I have had better pea soups in Swedish sports bars. I have had better steak tartare in American Korean restaurants. Everything looked nice but was undistinguished ... except for the price. * * * One of their sister restaurants offers a tasting menu at a price far higher than what we paid at the Litteraturhuset branch. Given the ho hum nature of what we had ... That tasting menu looks like a bad gamble. read more

Location: In the heart of Bergen and easily walkable if you're staying in the center. The place: It reminds me of a super modern, partially hipster-y cafeteria. Great decor - semi minimal but warm and cozy. I dig it. The goods: After eating random Icelandic cuisine for a few days, I was really looking for something light. I order the chicken salad and it was delicious! The greens were fresh, the check was tender, and the whole damn thing was full of flavour. The dressing was similar to a Caesar dressing, which appealed to me less but it was good nonetheless. I got some raspberry juice and that was a lovely treat. Great little spot to check out if you're in Bergen. Service: OK. Price point: All I know is that shit is expensive in Norway. Especially if, like me, you're coming from Canada. Our dollar generally sucks! That said, this didn't break the bank (I don't think... ). read more

Relaxed spot for a lunch/brunch meal with friends or family. Or you can stop in for just a coffee or beer. Nordic inspired food, quite tasty. read more

It was good. Not great. We had 4 dinner dishes: veal, halibut, cod and vegetarian. So the only entree we didn't order was the entrecôte. I thought the cod was very good. The vegetarian was creative (grilled lettuce with quinoa and veggies) and good but was lukewarm. The mushrooms served with the veal were excellent. They gave us a side of baby potatoes to share across the table and they were good. The oysters to start the meal were not great. They were room temperature and not very flavorful. Some tables got bread that looked great but we were not offered any and it wasn't on the menu. The house red wine was meh. The wine selection was limited. All on all it was good but nothing I would return for when there are so many options in the vicinity. read more

Great breakfast spot! Delicious food and friendly service! Homemade breads/rolls...yummy! Try this little gem you won't be disappointed!! read more

Located in the "House of Litterature" in Bergen, you should assume the restaurant was packed with writers and the cultural elite of Bergen, but Colonialen has established its name as both a restaurant and a gourmet food store over the years and attract all kinds of food lovers also to their mid-range restaurant in Litteraturhuset. The restaurant is divided in two, where the one side, located by the entrance to the house, provides a more informal drop-in cafeteria, where the guests are making their orders at the counter, whilst the other half is a restaurant that takes reservations and also offers a dinner menu in the evening. Taking my visiting friends for lunch, we could have had the same food in both rooms, but I am a fan of reservations and waiter service, so I had made a reservation and I am glad I did. Whilst the guests were lining for tables on the other side, we got our table immediately and in a much more quiet environment. The waiter was nice, helpful and provided excellent service. One of us had the herring on rye bread, whilst we were two sharing the large platter of cheeses and cured meat. The sizes were perfect for lunch and the food was tasteful and of high quality. My friends were happy, I was happy and the location is perfect for dropping by many of Bergen's smaller independent shops in Skostredet. Perfect on a Saturday! read more

Colonialen Litteraturhuset - Herring on rye bread - Scandinavian Near Me - Bergen, 12

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Only saw locals here when I went so I took that as a good sign. Simple, clean, modern interior that's casual. Service was excellent - attentive, helpful and patient with explaining the menu to a foreigner :) The food was excellent. I had the mussel appetizer and monk fish dinner. Portions were large. I could have sworn they mistakenly gave me entree sized mussels! It was super good. One of the best mussels I have had -- and I've had lots of mussels. Monk fish was good and had a nice texture and was prepared really well. It's not cheap but I thought very reasonable for Norway and for the quality of food and service. This is a good place to go if you are sick of eating while on the move on your trip and need a nice relaxing environment for a tasty sit down meal. I would go here frequently if I lived here too. read more

Colonialen Litteraturhuset - Scandinavian Near Me - Bergen, 12

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We came here because our hotel recommended this place. Food was mediocre, I would not eat here again :( We ordered sild fish and pork sandwich. My husband and I tried a bit of both and neither of us liked either of them. It tells me something because he eats about anything! read more

Ambiance was super-chill & food was delicious. After strolling the historic artsy part of town this place was a great blend of traditional dishes & hip new vibe read more

Colonialen Litteraturhuset - This was a herring from heaven. The rye bread was too tasty to stop @ one piece - Scandinavian Near Me - Bergen, 12

Before orders come out, Colonialen offers sourdough and olive oil as a little on-the-house starter - and it's pretty much a foreshadowing of the whole experience: No frills, just bread and oil, but both are delicious and a real palate teaser. High quality food made with care (the kitchen is visible through glass fronts on two sides). The brasserie manages to combine an upscale feel with a fairly relaxed atmosphere. Definitely no snooty staff here. Standout dishes were the oxtail ravioli starter and the duck with lentils and honey pepper sauce. The wine list is long, but for an affordable shortcut, the house wine by the glass (95 nok) is wonderful, both the red and the white. Overall, a pretty much perfect experience! read more

What a delightful place to eat! The food was fresh and delicious. The salads had great flavor. The sausage and kraut was amazing. The service was very friendly. We will definitely be back next time we are in Bergen. read more

I'm surprised that this place doesn't have more reviews, so I feel compelled to vouch for what a fantastic restaurant it is. I prefer to eat contemporary cuisine in a casual setting, and this is definitely the shining star of Bergen for those preferences. They also have vegetarian options! Which is super rare for Norway. I exhaustively searched through SO many restaurants on the hunt for the perfect vegetarian dish in town, believe me when I say it's here and very much appreciated. The beet dish is understated and amazing - the best meal during my stay. Don't skip out on dessert, the rhubarb is quite special. Located in the most hip area of Bergen in the same building as the theater, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this gem. Really made my trip! read more

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Absolutely fabulous! Everything was perfect and flavorful! The lattes were to die for!

The mix between a gourmet restaurant and a student cafe doesn't really work out. The price says gourmet, but waitress outfit and attitude says cheap student cafe. Food is ok for the price. They need to add a price for accompanying wine for the four course meal. Not worth it read more

Great food, ambience & service. Prices are average for Bergen. We had a plank with meats and cheese and great bread! Had the halibut and veal dishes both were very good. Three beers, 1 wine & 1 vodka. Total without tax was 1247k read more

There were only half dishes available on the menu, the food was prepared for way too long, there was also a poor choice of dishes and the quality is rather upsetting. It is also pricy for that kind of place. read more

Very good menu with excellent service. Started with the mussels in a wine sauce and they were delicious! Had the smoked haddock Main an was not disappointed! My friends had almost everything on the menu and not one complaint. Beef, veal, fish all great read more

Yum! Wonderful meal in a sleek, modern (yet not at all cold) environment. Service was incredibly pleasant. I had emmer wheat with beets; fiancé had one of the fish dishes -- both delightful. Bread (brought without request at beginning of meal) was delish. Good place for vegetarians and those who prefer wine to beer. Both factors seem worth noting in this city. read more

This restaurant has creative in-season dishes that are Scandinavian-inspired but not slavishly adherent to tradition. The menu is not large but has a good variety and the servings are ample so do not order more than you can handle -- you can always add another dish. Excellent baked goods and attentive service. read more

Seriously? I read so many great reviews of this restaurant that I trekked there with major jet lag and in record rainfall. The guy at the counter would not acknowledge me and when I finally got his attention he told me to seat myself - okay, no problem. He then ignored me, brought a table of two men their menus, and never looked my way again. Needless to say, I walked out. read more

Fantastic restaurant in Bergen. Really was a good meal and lovely relaxed atmosphere. Friendly service and no rushing was great. Overall actually better priced than I had expected it to be. Highly recommend this restaurant if you're in town! read more