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Bjerck, Bergen


We have arrived in Norway at the start of a trip to, we hope, see the Aurora Borealis. It is cold a more grey than we would prefer, but spirits are high. We are here with two good friends and are looking forward to nearly two weeks adventure.

Our first night is being spent at the Opus XVI hotel, near to the port and the historic centre of the old city, known as Bryggen. The hotel's restaurant has been block booked for a gourmet wine dinner, so we set off to find an alternative.

Having walked around the chilly streets and visited the fish market we had wandered into the main square and dangerously close to McDonald's which, I am happy to was treated with humour and a wide berth.

We found ourselves in a multi-storey shopping centre, mostly because it was warm, where the ladies of the group asked to young mobile phone accessories sales assistants if they could recommend a bar or restaurant. I suspected they might have suggested McDonald's,  but they sent us to Bjerck.

The entrance, pictured above, is at street level but the restaurant is on what the English would call the first floor. It was an attractive environment, made more so by our being shown to a table by a window overlooking the town centre and giving us the opportunity for a spot of people watching.

Service was unhurried but attentive. We started with drinks, then chips (crisps) and olives, then bread and deliciously whipped butter, before choosing from the menu. Main courses only and that proved to be perfect.

Two chicken breasts with celeriac sauce, chorizo, parsnip and spinach, one barley risotto and one cod with shrimp sauce.

We were all very happy with our choices and were grateful to the mobile phone chaos who sent us there.

If the Aurora fails to appear on this trip we will be back in Bergen next year and I would be happy to revisit Bjerck.

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