Page 65 - WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE DISCOVERING ENGLAND

SAVOR NORWAY

Left: The picturesque island village of Alesund
boasts one of the world’s greatest concentra-
tions of Art Nouveau architecture.
Above: A pile of shrimp, boiled with garlic and
served with white toast, lemon and mayon-
naise, is a locals’ favorite at Lyst restaurant in
Alesund.

warmer waters. Norwegian salmon is simply perfectly, without heavy adorn- designed by Renzo Piano, and upscale
prized all over the world, but there are ment. We called it minimalist but by no condos, restaurants and galleries that
plenty of other fish in that cold north- means spartan fresh fare. have turned Tjuvholmen into nightlife
ern sea, too. central.
We landed in Oslo, the country’s capi-
When two of my best friends and I tal where we walked almost every- The Thief is a bespoke beauty of cutting-
visited that gorgeous destination in where from our fabulous hotel, The edge Norwegian design that in its short
August, we feasted on fjords, postcard- Thief, in the city’s hottest new neigh- life has already attracted Rihanna, Di-
perfect island villages frozen in time, borhood, Tjuvholmen (Thieves’ Island). ana Krall and Elvis Costello. We enjoyed
and delectable seafood dishes worth Opened just in January 2013, The Thief the first of our fine seafood meals at
their high prices. Norway will cost you, is currently the only hotel in Tjuvhol- The Thief’s own Fru K restaurant, which
but your memories will be worth it. men, an area adjacent to the city center literally means Mrs. K, named for Mrs.
that was once a dicey working water- Krogh who owned Tjuvholmen at the
Like almost everywhere today, Nor- front. Today it’s an international mod- end of the 1700s when she grazed cows
way chefs concentrate on ingredients el of revitalization with the new As- on this land. This cosmopolitan restau-
close to home. They prepare them trup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art rant has a glowing, warm atmosphere.

Winter 2014 winedineandtravel.com 65