Allmuen — Restaurant in Bergen

I don’t write reviews often and I’m far from the most experienced when it comes to dining at restaurants. But visiting Allmuen was such a wonderful experience that I must needs share it!

We had reserved a table beforehand after inquiring about allergies via telephone, as the party consisted of one person, me, with gluten intolerance (celiac disease), one person with gluten and lactose intolerance, a friend, and one person, my better half, that somehow likes the taste of both coriander and goat cheese.

We didn’t quite arrive at the agreed time due to nightmarish traffic conditions caused by cruise boat tourists, out-of-order traffic lights, and an abominable parking garage, but our vanguard secured the table for us, and you can call if you’re delayed and aren’t fortunate enough to have someone to spearhead the effort.

We were met by a very knowledgeable waiter, who not only knew about allergens, but also knew when to ask the chefs for clarification. We were recommended to stick to the three course meal for the best experience considering the replacements necessary to account for our respective allergies, and I found this to be very assuring.

So armed with knowledge, we ordered a three course meal for the nonallergic among us and the house specialty for the remainder of the party, which was made gluten free. (They even asked follow-up questions about the degree of lactose intolerance, which goes to show that they know what they’re doing.)

Soon after, in relative terms at least, the starter from the three course meal arrived, was introduced, and subsequently consumed with much delight.

Then, the main course and the house specialty was served. And this is where my limited experience kicks in, as I don’t have any fancy words with which to describe the meal, but for me, it was absolutely sublime.

I have never had a better meal. I enjoyed it to such an extent that my wife couldn’t stop smiling at the happy faces I made as I chewed the food. I relished every bite, and when it was all gone (and it was), I felt a profound sense of contentment that I have seldom felt in relation to food.

But this was not to be the end of our quest! Dessert was still to come, and we all enjoyed our respective plates with much delight, and coffee!

Food this great doesn’t come cheap, of course, but I think the quality more than justifies the price that is asked. Were the establishment closer to my residence in Denmark, we would surely frequent this place with some regularity.

All in all, dining at Allmuen was an incredible experience. We will...

Last week, I dined at Allmuen for its Sunday dinner event called AFC (Allmuen Fried Chicken). I was disappointed. I left still hungry. And I should’ve not been surprised (I’ll get to that in a moment). Also, I will give some advice at the end. I was both disappointed and hungry because the portions were tiny. For 190 kroner I was served 5 pieces of winglets, about 150ml of broccokål, and a dollop of diggs/sauce (which was just Sriracha mixed with brown sugar). I overheard a man at the next table asking the waitress, “What is so special about you serving us (a group of 10) a bucket of chicken?” The waitress tried her best to make the menu sound appetizing, but you could tell by the man’s face that he was going to be disappointed and the price doesn’t justify a “bucket of chicken”. So, why should’ve not been surprised? If I wanted good, fried chicken, then I should’ve made it at home. I am African-American. Fried chicken was served as a home cooked meal growing up. But I went to Allmuen because I want to give them a chance. If the chefs of Allmuen are reading this, here is my advice: If you do this event again, either increase the portion or add something in addition to the menu. For example, you can add mashed potatoes (without gravy) and a side of corn. It doesn’t take much to boil a bunch of potatoes and mash them. Instead of tiny chicken winglets, perhaps fried chicken breasts (filet). Not about the food: One of the kitchen guys (thin framed with tattoos), has a girlfriend that keeps on coming in and out of the kitchen. They are making out, and she does not work at Allmuen. It is an open kitchen which means the customers can see what is going on. And for hygienic reasons, that should not be happening in the kitchen! I question whether he washes his hands after making out with and touching the girlfriend....

We booked a table for five people from 7pm. Upon arrival the restaurant was quite full, and also somewhat noisy.

We decided to have the 7 course menu, with wine pairing. Unfortunately we experienced somewhat delay in the service since I spotted only three waiters, running among the tables, doing their best to serve all the guests.

After one hour, we have had only the first dish, and we started getting worried that this would be a long night before we were finished with all the seven dishes.

Eventually the pace of the serving improved, and approximately four hours after we arrived, our experience was complete.

The food is great, also the wine and cider suggestions from the waiter (the sommelier had a day off...haha).

Improvements can be done when it comes to speed during the courses. We waited too long between the first dishes, but that improved later when a big group of people left the restaurant. I know it might be difficult to hire staff to work in the restaurant, but they should have reduced capacity in order to make the best experience for the paying customers.

I would love to come back, but maybe at a time when there are...