Sanguine Brasserie @ The Oslo Opera House, Norway

After having completed our guided tour of the Oslo Opera House (See also review.) We went to Sanguine Brasserie at the Opera House, where we had reserved a table.

The design of the restaurant was understated with stunning views over floating artwork "She lies" and the Oslo Fjord.

Materials used were steel and glass.

The color scheme was white, while the orange flowers on each table added a nice contrast in red vases.

The Maître d' greeted us warmly and brought us to our table directly at the largest glass curtain in Scandinavia.

The cuisine served is modern, experimental and Norwegian. It changes with the seasons.

Checking with our waitress we found out the house Champagne is Taittinger. We took two glasses. Beside Champagne we ordered two small bottles of Acqua Panna, two Cappuccinos and two three course meals.

There are also a la carte and up to five course meal options available.

Our starters were Arctic Char with yellow cherry tomatoes and avocado mousse.

The char was very tender and the plate colorful.

Our next courses were different. He had the beef brisket with beetroot and Jerusalem Artichoke, while I had the baked hake with dill butter, potato mash and cabbage.

The beef brisket was melt in the mouth and was a perfect match with the beetroot and artichoke.

The fish was moist. I liked the combination of the soft mash and crunchy cabbage.

Our dessert was strawberry soup with cardamom ice cream, goats milk pudding and jelly.

It hit the right spot between tangy, spicy and sweet.

Everything was delicious, high quality and the correct portion size.

Special mention goes to the coffee cups. They have a groove on top of the handle and the coffee floods in. We thought it might not work, but the grip was extremely comfortable and we didn't burn ourselves.

All the staff was attentive and friendly.

The bill came in at 1438 NOK (ca. 170.32 Euro or ca. 190 USD).

When we are back in Oslo we would love to make a stop at the Sanguine Brasserie again.


©2015

Oslo Opera House, Norway

Having heard/read so many good things about the Opera House in Oslo and being interested in architecture and classical music, a visit was a must. We investigated further and found out there were also behind the scene tours in English available. Before we had only heard about being able to walk up/on the roof of the building. We decided not only to explore the Opera from the outside, but also from the inside. We bought tickets online and also booked a table for two at the Opera's Sanguine Brasserie. Review to follow for this.

Tickets cost 100 NOK per person (ca. 11.85 Euro or 13.20 USD).

On our way to the Opera House we passed the Havnelageret, the head quarters of Dagligsbladet. It's a massive pink concrete building.
We could see the Opera House from the Havnelageret. It seemed to emerge from the sea and people walking on it looked like ants from afar.

The structure is made from Italian marble and white granite. The architect was Snøhetta. The Opera House opened in 2008.

The views over the Oslofjord and the city were marvellous.
 Walking up the roof might not be suitable if you have vertigo and I wouldn't try to climb it, when it's wet or icy. The marble could be slippery.

We had luck with the sunny weather and beside people watching, found a model, who enjoyed being photographed. It was a not very shy seagull.

As the architect intended we were curious what the structure looked like from the inside.

The entrance is small compared to the size and height of the building.

There is a stunning atrium and as we learned later during the tour over 3000 oak pieces were used to clad the walls and also that the huge glass panelling facing the fjord is the largest in Scandinavia.

The oak panelling is very important for the sound as is the oval chandellier in the auditorium. It cotains over 5000 hand made crystals.

The meeting point for all tours was at the ticket office.

Tours in Norwegian are daily available.

Tours in English are on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays at 13.00 hours.

We were picked up at the requested time by our guide and were a small group of around 10.

Our tour guide Berit, a former opera singer, told us about the background of the building and the artwork in and around it.

There is a wall designed by Olafur Eliasson. It depicts an ice berg and flowing water underneath and changes color.

"She lies" is a sculpture by Monica Bonvicini. It is designed like a sailing ship, floats on the fjord and looks different, depending on wind, tide and how the sun light falls on it. "She lies" is clearly visible from Sanguine Brasserie too.

We were then advised we would go behind the scenes and from now on photography wasn't allowed.

There are 1100 rooms.

The main auditorium seats 1364. There are two other performance spaces, which are much smaller, seating 200 and 400 respectively.

The employees come from 23 different countries.

We walked through the costume making department, where we could catch a glimpse of what the ballerinas are going to wear for the production of Manon, which is going to premier on 19th of September 2015.

Next were the production team, who are responsible for building the sets.

We ended up behind the main auditorium, where preparations were made for the premier of La Traviata and the stage sets for the previous performance were dismantled and put into storage.

Afterwards we caught glimpses of ballet dancers training and the employees garden. Originally it should have been a Japanese garden, but the climate didn't allow for the plants to grow, so it has been slightly altered.
It isn't accessible for the public.

Our last stop was the auditorium, where we arrived just in time for rehearsals of La Traviata, which premiered in April 2015.

We were on the highest balcony. A warning here: It's really steep
 and open, so if you have vertigo it could be problematic.

You might prefer to stand at the side.

The rehearsal was interesting to follow. The director gave constructive instructions how to make it look more pleasing for the audience. We could listen in and watch for about twenty minutes. It was the highlight, because it's very unusual to "let into" the rehearsal process.

Afterwards we were accomponied back to the foyer.

The tour was an eye opener. It shows how much work goes into a production and how labyrinthine the building is. It's very interesting and highly recommended for opera and architecture lovers.

We will at some stage take another tour for more insights of magnificent structure overlooking Oslofjord.

©2015