N. B. Sørenson's Dampskipsexpedition & Annenétage
Skagen 26
About
When the wood-sided warehouse that contains these restaurants was built in 1876, the waters of Stavanger's harbor literally lapped at its foundations, and merchandise could be unloaded directly from ships that could moor beside it. Today a road separates its front entrance from the harbor. The heavy timbers and all-wood interior evoke a rich sense of nostalgia for the 19th-century mercantile days. The street-level brasserie (Dampskipsexpedition, or "Steamship Expedition") is the more convivial and animated (and cheaper) of the two venues -- a warren of varnished pine planks, polished brass, nautical-nostalgic memorabilia, and beer suds. Menu items served in the street-level brasserie include sirloin of beef with gnocchi and a Madeira sauce or else grilled salmon with beurre blanc and salmon roe. Upstairs, an interconnected series of late-19th-century Victorian parlors is the setting for Annenétage, a much more rigid and pretentious gourmet restaurant. Food items here are innovative: The best examples include monkfish with cauliflower and scallops flavored with pumpkin and served with avocado. You can also order smoked trout with slices of apple and celeriac; and a dessert specialty of chocolate marquise with espresso sauce.
