Lindesnes, Norway

Under

The Nordics • Eat & drink • Under in Lindesnes, Norway

What’s the restaurant in a nutshell?

Under, which not only translates to ‘below’ but also to the Norwegian word for ‘wonder’, is a rare marvel of a restaurant. Europe’s first underwater restaurant, awarded one Michelin star, is located at the southernmost point of the Norwegian coastline, where the sea storms from the north and south meet. The Snøhetta-designed restaurant, a 34-meter long monolithic form that is partially sunken into the sea, doubles as a research centre for marine life, providing a tribute to the wild fauna of the sea and to the rocky coastline.

What are the signature dishes?

With a special focus on sustainable wildlife capture, the restaurant creates fine dining experiences based on high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. Nicolai Ellitsgaard and his team use fresh ingredients as well as pure, naked flavours while providing a unique dining experience that takes guests beyond their culinary comfort zones. The set menu features dishes such as peas of the ocean, birch flatbread with langoustine and ‘fenalår’ cured lamb, and celeriac with brown crab liver, mushrooms and spruce.

Drinks, anyone?

To accompany this, Under offers two different wine pairings designed to perfectly complement Ellitsgaard’s cuisine. The first consists of classics, while the second offers a more playful and novel range of wines. To complement and enhance the flavour of the food, Under also offers non-alcoholic pairings developed by front-of-house staff and the kitchen team.

What’s the area like?

Lindesnes is the southernmost municipality in Norway. It is a part of Agder county in southern Norway, with a population of around 23,000, many of whom live in Mandal. Since the 17th century, a lighthouse has stood at Lindesnes to mark the entrance to the Skagerak straight and Baltic Sea from the North Sea. As Norway’s southernmost point, it’s long been a crucial marker for ships. The best weather in Norway is found in southern Norway, especially during the summer. No time during the year does the daily mean temperature drop below freezing (0°C).