After exploring the University of Bergen, we walked a short distance to Marg & Bein for an early dinner around 3:00P. Because we dined during an off-time, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves, though I imagine it gets busier during peak hours. Our waitress sat us by the window and recommended sharing a few plates family-style. (Note: The menu may rotate.) For anyone who wants their own meal, they do have a main dish that is meant for a single serving. That day, it was the Persetorsk fish with pea purée, cider butter sauce and trout roe. My dad ordered it and thought the fish was good, but found the sauce quite salty (and not just from the roe). + BRAISED OX CHEEK: Super tender, lean, succulent. It fell apart with just a touch of a fork! Served on top of smooth mashed potatoes and a flavorful demi-glace. + STEAK w/ PEPPER SAUCE: My favorite dish! The steak was cooked to a perfect medium and the pepper sauce was subtle, allowing the quality of the beef to shine. I enjoyed alternating bites of it alone and with the baked onion. The broccolini had a great crunch and the celery purée added a fresh, earthy balance. + BAKED CAULIFLOWER: The most flavorful cauliflower that I've ever had! Roasted sections came topped with finely chopped kale chimichurri (mixed with onion, spices & pepitas), all sitting on a cauliflower purée. So good and a perfect vegetarian dish! + CIDER STEAMED MUSSELS: Plump, sweet mussels served in a velvety, slightly briny cider sauce. I couldn't help but drink a couple spoonfuls of the sauce by itself after we finished the mussels. Our waitress was very friendly and we appreciated her help with navigating the menu. The dishes were served at a comfortable pace with the mussels first as a starter, followed by the rest of the dishes. I would consider the pricing to be on the elevated side since it's considered an upscale modern bistro, however it's definitely worth splurging for their creative and well-executed plates. We found Marg & Bein on a whim, and it ended up being one of our top meals in Bergen! 4.75 stars. read more

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Excellent Norwegian food! I had the white fish, which was the wish (and delish), and Norwegian cheeses and cured meats. The chicken pate was delicious, but the bread it was served with was the real highlight of the dish. I can't wait to go back when I'm in Bergen! Hopefully, next time it will be raining! read more

Marg & Bein - Menu - Traditional Norwegian Near Me - Bergen, 12

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Fun and creative menu with traditional Norwegian food. A great place for an evening date with a fancy meal. Amazing staff with great service. read more

A very nice meal. Started with the poached pear with goat cheese. It was very good, though I would have enjoyed the pear a little more if it was poached another 30 seconds. Overall, though, lovely presentation and the goat cheese was fabulous. Had the pork neck for a main and it was also good. It was more of a pork steak, with a nice grilled flavor though a tiny bit too salty. I thought the carrot purée was great as was the pickled radish. Service was attentive though I was surprised that they asked us to use the same cutlery from the starter for the main. Overall a nice meal, not perfect but beautiful and quite good. read more

Marg & Bein - Traditional Norwegian Near Me - Bergen, 12

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If you live in Bergen you are very fortunate to have such a wonderful restaurant as this one in your town. If you are a visitor make plans to go here it is world class dining. Beautifully accompanied by service that gives you what you need, knowledge of the food and wine, knowledge of the providence of the supply chain. It is local fare at an extraordinary level. read more

Marg & Bein - Card - Traditional Norwegian Near Me - Bergen, 12

Absolutely great restaurant and a wonderful atmosphere. Way too expensive for the amount you receive. Definitely overpriced. read more

Marg & Bein - Hello 8 course meal - Traditional Norwegian Near Me - Bergen, 12

Wonderful Norwegian tasting menu. Excellent service in a casual atmosphere. Great wine list. Reservations highly recommended. read more

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The homemade bread has a slightly crunchy crust with a soft, spongy, and flavorful dough inside. The side is delicious and refreshing since it's made with parsley, lemon, and light whipped butter. The cauliflower soup is airy, balanced, simple, and yummy. The fried and lightly salted kale, and the sunflower seeds enhance its flavor, and gives it great texture. As you dig in, it gets better and better. Presentation is beautiful, but I would suggest spreading the sunflower seeds instead of only keeping them under the kale (and maybe a bit more salt for more flavor profile) The fish is garnished with picked red onions, fresh dill and a light butter sauce. The fish itself is been delicately handled and cooked (though it could have been even fresher). It is placed on top of an amazing celeriac purée, surrounded by a flavorful mackerel broth and green peas that are a great touch of earthiness (to complement the celeriac) and texture. Overall I'm very pleased with this dish! Everything goes perfectly together and it gets a bit more complex once you start combining flavors. Only recommendation is that the fish could have seated on one side to give more flavor and texture, but since it's a very lean fish, it would be hard to do. For dessert, the apple and pear crumble was delicious. I would suggest to lower the acidity level of the filling, and use some spices to flavor the crumble (that has great texture, but lack a bit of flavor). I really enjoyed that the mascarpone on top had a hint of citrus (lime?) And went great with the crumble. read more

What a gem of a place in the heart of Bergen, Norway! We decided to come here on our first night in the city, eager for some comfort rustic food and a great ambiance to catch up with some friends. I would describe the experience as an excellent meal at home (which is a totally good thing). The restaurant itself reminded me of being at my grandmother's house: wooden accents, warm, soaked in natural light pouring from the windows, and filled with positive and welcoming energy. First off, the bread basket with creamy thyme butter was so fresh! I must note that all of baked goods and breads in Norway were incredible but this had to be one of my favorites. For the main course, we went with the side of baked Norwegian potatoes with thyme and butter, goat cheese and pear salad, white fish with lentils, mushroom, barley, and spinach salad, and braised ox cheek. I am not entirely sure where to begin since the food was ahhmazing. If I had to be completely honest, my stomach was performing a happy dance when I first tasted the ox cheek. The meat was so deliciously prepared and tender, and I would have been perfectly happy eating the whole portion on my own, but sadly, we had to share with others at our table. Still, my gold star and a "must-try" vote goes to the ox cheek. I have got to say that thyme potatoes will also get an honorable mention from me because it is hard to make a simple dish taste good, but Marg & Bein perfectly captured the classic no frills taste. I am Russian, so eating a lot of potatoes with bread and butter is pretty much in our blood, and these were beautifully baked and seasoned. I did not get to try the fish or the pear and goat cheese salad, but my friend swore that it was the freshest cheese she has ever tasted, and of course, to no surprise, the fish was too, simply outstanding. I cannot write this review without mentioning our wonderful server. Sadly, we did not catch his name, but I wish we had so I could give him a proper shout out for making our first dining experience in Norway a smooth success. He was a caring and attentive lad and he made us feel really comfortable and welcome. He also wrote down a list of all of the fun wine and beer bars in Bergen, giving us a fun itinerary for the night. Did we get dessert? Certainly! It was a delicate dark bitter chocolate mousse with fresh raspberries that had us floating in the clouds. I believe the menu does change, however, so a play on dishes, textures, and new plates is to be expected. Overall, extremely pleased and impressed, thanks for making our first night in Norway an unforgettable one! read more

I suspect that the only thing preventing Marg & Bein from being a global gastronomical phenomenon is it's hidden location in the small city of Bergen. Of course that's part of its charm! So many 'foodie' restaurants sacrifice taste for presentation, supposed food values, and experimentation. The recent destruction of 11 Madison Park's menu comes to mind. The brilliant and shockingly young (25) head chef at Marg & Bien is truly a sensation who uses local ingredients and an inventiveness I haven't seen since Wylie DuFresne's 71 Clinton Fresh Food of the early 2000's to create a truly delicious menu that also satisfies any foodie's intellectual hunger as well. 'Nose to tail' use of ingredients and an amazing selection of unique small wine producers just add to the party. The simple surroundings make sure the focus is on the food and the service both of which are nearly perfect. I'm not sure I've ever had as knowledgeable a server anywhere. Impeccable service with a warm Nordic glow and an encyclopedic knowledge of food. Simply one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. Highly recommended. read more

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Awesome restaurant to kick off our foodie adventure with Scandinavian cuisine! We walked in without a reservation on a Friday night and luckily they had tables available. The menu isn't huge but it's quality over quantity, people. I went with their Three Course of the Day for 495 NOK or about $60 USD which is a fair deal considering it's a nice restaurant and everything in Norway will be on the pricier side. FOOD -Starter of Caviar with shallots, creme fraiche, and leek mayonnaise: all the ingredients go perfectly together and create one luxurious and mighty tasty bite. I could eat this on the reg, for sure. -Creamed fish stew with fennel, radish, pollock, and cod: this was basically a Nordic chowder. Very comforting with the meaty fish and the veggies give the dish a nice freshness -Chocolate ganache with rhubarb, passionfruit, hazelnuts and meringue: great dessert to split between two people because the chocolate is rich but the tart fruit components pair well and the nuts and meringue add good crunch My husband loved the house salad (with pickled veggies and dill) and braised ox cheeks (rich, luxurious, and the meat cut like butter). The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated with earthy elements and lots of natural light; the overall effect is very calming. It's a slightly upscale restaurant but most customers were casually dressed. Also, service was fabulous. Tak for the wonderful experience and introduction to Scandinavian food! read more

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This was our favorite meal in Bergen, in fact in all of Norway! Everything we ordered was delicious. My husband still talks about the braised ox cheeks. I loved the ceviche, pate and bone marrow. The waffle dessert was very good, different from the waffles I'm used to in the US and I would say better. The restaurant itself is very nice and the service was great. read more

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we walked into this place and thought we were about to eat at an ikea. Scandinavian design at its best. the waiters were so attentive and knowledgeable. major points there! i ordered the monk fish and my husband the ox cheeks. both did not disappoint. the bread was killer. mmmmm. i miss Norway already! awesome spot. check it out. read more

This is a hip new modern spot in Bergen. Excellent food, great wine, bread and the best service. We had: Cauliflower soup with bleu cheese - excellent! Bread with various spreads - amazing Puttfisk - white fish cooked with potatoes and sprinkled with bacon -delicious White fish with vegetables - yummy And the Chablis was a great combination. Yes it's pricey but soooo worth it. Just go! read more

I tell most people who haven't been to Norway or know much about the country how good their food is. This restaurant in particular is at the top of my list. I had the baked red fish which is loaded in flavor and melts in your mouth. Great restaurant. Great service. Great Vibe. Extremely satisfied. I would book a ticket from the states just to eat here. Enjoy. read more

Marg & Bein - Excellent Bone Marrow dish! - Traditional Norwegian Near Me - Bergen, 12

The food was spectacular. White fish, fish pie, pork cheek, carrot soup, ceviche, bone marrow, smoked salmon were ALL good. My favorites were the fish pie that came with this tasty pea purée and carrot slaw and the carrot soup. The decor was simple and clean. Up the hill slightly from city center Bergen. read more

Clean sleek straightforward dining room serving hearty adventurous dishes. Enjoyed creamy mushroom soup and pork neck white beans cassoulet. Pork served as one full piece not like stew. Chocolate ganache dessert was yummy but it didn't need the added apple jelly. read more

Comfortable, well-appointed restaurant, tucked away in a residential area, with wooden tables and sheepskins draped over chairs. Good service, good food, good atmosphere. Not necessarily a culinary destination, but warm and inviting. Overall a great find. read more

With only minimal experience in good Scandinavian dining, we had no frame of reference to judge whether this was a very good or great meal by those standards. By our standards, it was very very good. We walked in on a Saturday night without a reservation and were promptly seated. We were not super famished so we stuck to the main courses. My wife had the braised ox cheeks, which were meltingly tender and complemented by a red wine sauce, a charred lettuce hearts salad and potatoes cooked in duck fat. I had a piece of salmon that was cooked perfectly, the inside as tender as the outside, with a caper-sprinkled tartar sauce and charred individual lettuce leaves. It was hard to give up even a little to offer my wife a taste but she shared her ox cheeks. The service was very good, friendly and efficient. If we lived in Bergen, we would go back, as I understand the menu changes with the seasons. read more