Le Benjamin bar & bistro — Restaurant in Oslo

Highly regarded by local Chefs and traveled gourmands Le Benjamin Bar & Bistro fills an important niche in Oslo thanks to not only its hearty French fare but opening hours inclusive of Sunday from 16h00 to 21h30.

Family owned since its inception, a location amidst homes and businesses in Grünerløkka finding the space mostly full of locals, it is outdoors at the bar or seated at tables that guests are treated to top notch service plus a menu that changes at least monthly.

Dimly lit with candles on wood tables, leather banquets offering a comfortable seat regardless of weather, diners may choose a la carte or a daily prix-fixe consisting of three courses.

Known for a terroir-driven Wine list, mostly French with several offered by the glass, Sunday found Riesling with moderate sweetness well matched to good Bread and a torn Tarte Flambée topped in melted Comté plus roasted Cepes.

Hard to pass up Beef Tartare or Norwegian Langoustines, the latter a daily special, suffice it to say there are no regrets when it comes to Turbot roasted until the collagen melts slightly and paired to Chanterelle Mushrooms plus Dill Butter and Leeks the plate more than justified its 465 NOK.

Casual and English friendly, though service is gracious and professional, it was only after finishing several creamy Pommes Dauphine that Dessert arrived as dueling Homemade Nougatine Ice Cream and flawless French Toast caramelized over a Custard center with Raspberries and...

We had dinner at Le Benjamin, and overall, the food was quite good. We ordered the steak and the cheese fondue. The flavors were great, but the cheese fondue was overly salty and, unfortunately, it was split. The duck fat potatoes were also too salty and quite oily, though still tasty.

What really disappointed me was the service. Before we even commented on the fondue, the server asked if it was our first time ordering it. When we said yes, they told us that it was intentionally split. From my understanding, a proper cheese fondue should be smooth and emulsified, so this felt like a dishonest way to cover up a mistake rather than an honest explanation.

To be fair, the server was very professional, kind, and provided top-notch service otherwise. It’s just unfortunate that she chose to lie instead of acknowledging the issue.

Because of this, I have to give a 1-star rating. I have also added a photo of the split fondue for reference. If I happen to be wrong about this, I will gladly remove this review and replace it with a 4-star, as the food was still enjoyable—just a bit too salty. Otherwise, honesty from the staff would have made this a much...

Highly recommend. My parents and I had an exquisite meal with wonderful service. The champagne was very good and my parents had the fish and meat special along with the scallop appetizer. I opted for the leek tarte which was very rich but the flavors were amazing. Salads weren’t on the menu but they put together a beautiful lettuce, tomato, cucumber and endive salad for me. The nougatine ice cream with caramel was absolutely to die for. The ambience in the restaurant is lovely, and you’ll want to make reservations as it seemed very busy. My only complaint of the evening was that it was smoky inside- we were trying to figure out if the windows to the outside were slightly open or if someone was...