In the kitchen of the Michelin restaurant Kontrast in Oslo, preparations are being made before a new week. It is chopped and steamed, filleted and crunched. The atmosphere in the kitchen is relaxed and the laughter is loose. But the restaurant has seen better times than now. Mikael Svensson has run Kontrast for 10 years. He says that he notices that more people can’t afford it, because the intake is less than before. – We notice that we have slightly fewer guests, and we don’t have the waiting lists we are used to from better years, quite simply. People have a little less money and we have a high price level, he says. Kontrast is one of Oslo’s most expensive restaurants. An all-night meal here costs around NOK 5,000 per head. Photo: William Jobling For a meal with a drink package at Svensson’s restaurant costs. You have to spend around NOK 5,000 per head for a full evening. Not everyone can afford that. While at times there have been months of waiting lists to get a table at the country’s most luxurious restaurants, these days there are several places that are open for booking at short notice. – What is positive for guests is that there is more free time, so you can be more spontaneous. You don’t have to plan your visit as long in advance, says Svensson. Mikael Svensson owns the Kontrast restaurant. He says that in the last year they have had fewer guests than before. Photo: William Jobling Wants to lower prices Running fine dining can be vulnerable, in that you are dependent on full premises for it to go around. An example of that is the restaurant Under at Lindesnes. – We have clearly noticed a decrease in the number of bookings, says Stig Ubostad. He recently closed the restaurant, as he could not make ends meet as the operation had been planned. – We have had the same number of people at work regardless of whether there have been 10 or 40 guests. After all, it requires that you are fully booked most of the time. In the spring, Ubostad will open the restaurant again, and then with a reduced price. – We plan to open at the beginning of April with a slightly revised concept where we take in the times we live in. We will lower the prices somewhat, from NOK 3,000 to just under NOK 2,000. Krone effect among tourists Board member of the Norwegian Restaurant Association Tony Pedersen says that people are going out more after the pandemic. He believes that the reason why it is easier to get a table at the expensive restaurants is not primarily down times. In recent years, it has become common for you to enter your card details to confirm the reservation, and you will be charged a given amount if you do not show up. – This means that more people are more secure when they book. The trend before was that many people booked several places, says Pedersen. Running a star restaurant is time-consuming precision work that requires many employees. Photo: William Jobling He is not worried about the luxury restaurants, which he believes will always have their guests. And not everyone thinks it is expensive to eat well in Norway. The star restaurants see more of one type of guest in particular. – Eating in Oslo compared to Paris, London, Copenhagen is 20-30 per cent cheaper. We are cheaper now. We have many foreign people from all over the world. That’s what master chef Bent Stiansen, who owns Statholdergaarden, says. He believes the weak krone is something the restaurants will benefit from in the future. The owner of Under, Stig Ubostad, is betting on a tourist boom when he reopens next year. – We have probably not had the full impact of the good currency, seen through foreign eyes. I hope and believe we will see more of that in 2024. Tony Pedersen predicts a bright future for the luxury restaurants. – We think more tourists will come to us than has been usual in the past. Norway has not been known for such tourism. Pedersen also believes that in the future we will see that more Norwegians also choose “staycations” when they want to enjoy themselves, instead of spending significantly more to get the same experience in another European city.
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Shorter waiting lists at the star restaurants – now the price is cut – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
