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Lysverket was long rumored as the hottest Michelin-star candidate in Bergen. Perhaps because of head chef Christopher Haatuft’s background from high-end restaurants like the three-starred Per Se in New York. That rumor may well be the main reason why Lysverket is the only Bergen restaurant mentioned in the French guide at all (with a Michelin plate) – because I can’t see any other reason for the lack of company. It’s time to kill this idea, both for the sake of the restaurant and its guests. Lysverket’s service is too informal (sometimes whimsical), and the food is just not Michelin star style, in my experience. Instead, see Lysverket as a good Nordic restaurant with an optional tasting menu, and, possibly, the best Bergen-style fish soup in the city. Haatuft is passionately obsessed with his local suppliers. He invented the term Neo-Fjordic cuisine, originally intended as a joke, but the word stuck. Although, these days, Haatuft wants fewer restrictions in his kitchen.

Looking for more great spots for food and drinks in Norway’s second capital? Check out my foodie map of Bergen.