Bellies — Restaurant in Stavanger

Bellies is a vegan (plant based) restaurant and if I’m not mistaken, it is the only vegan restaurant in Stavanger. We went there on a Thursday night and finding our way in proved to be a bit of a challenge – the area is under development and there is lots of construction going on. This part of town used to have a lot of industry and this building was a canning factory. They have managed to keep some of the old elements of the factory, combined with a modern interior, featuring some pickling jars and local art and an open kitchen – that is dominated by a huge pizza oven.

The menu is not extensive but includes mezze (classics and seasonal), Jamaican stew and pizza. We decided to have the tasting menu called Full Bellies which included a bit of everything. There is also some wine on the menu and some beer on tap. The wine prices are not that bad (compared to some other restaurants).

It did not take long before we got the starter – the classic mezze. We got fresh pita bread straight from the pizza oven and the mezze consisted of hummus, baba ganoush (roasted eggplant mash) and tabbouleh (fresh herb and bulgur salad). The hummus and baba ganoush were both excellent and was a perfect accompaniment to the warm pita. Admittedly we may be victims of own travel experiences so the tabbouleh was not a favorite for us. – it seemed to have more bulgur and less herbs than we are used to.

We continued with the seasonal mezze - Romanesco broccoli, stuffed vine leaf rolls, squash with kimchi and carrots. The rolls were delicious and exotic with flavors of apricot and mint and a stark tartness that was difficult to identify; the baked carrots (fermented, if I’m not mistaken) were great; and the squash with kimchi was also an explosion of flavors. Of the four, the Romanesco broccoli was a bit plain in comparison.

Next up was a bowl of Jamaican stew - it was a good dish indeed as it was a sweet potato and eggplant stew with spices that reminded me of Indian dishes served on rice. But there was more to come – Bellies also have pizza on the menu, and we got a white pizza with shredded vegetables in a bundle in the middle. As this was a sharing menu, one was assigned to untie the Gordian Knot and to spread the vegetables evenly. The pizza was excellent, and it was also a bit spicy as it contained Midsummer hot sauce (made in the neighborhood). To round off the meal, we got a piece of pecan pie each served with a whipped “cream” made from coconut cream.

Conclusion: first of all, none of us in the group that night are vegan and we all enjoy both meat and fish. But I do have an open mind and enjoy food (vegan or not), as long as it tastes good and leaves a lasting culinary impression. This was a solid and very satisfying restaurant experience. We shall definitely return to try some of the other dishes on the menu and will keep an eye out for seasonal dishes - especially if the other pickled goodies in jars get served too (the kimchi was splendid).

I especially enjoyed the starter mezze, Jamaican stew and the pizza (I’m a bread lover so fresh, warm bread is always something that I enjoy). On this day, I had done a pretty hard workout and for me it would have been good with larger portions but on a regular day, I think this would have been sufficient. I hope that Bellies will make it in the restaurant market in Stavanger. There is more focus on vegan and vegetarian options these days and Bellies is a fantastic addition to the Stavanger restaurant scene – great vibe, passionate owners / chefs, and good food. So a little encouragement to the average Joe, you’ll be missing out on a great new experience if you let labels aka vegan / plant based (or the current construction site) get...

We decided on Bellies b/c of its vegan menu and an opportunity for something different/unique during the vacation. The restaurant can be a bit confusing to find as the entrance is through a park and GPS gets confused between top and bottom floors. The restaurant (once you find it) has a very casual but elegant feel and look to it. However, you will not feel under-dressed if you are dressed up. The host and staff are very welcoming and are happy to have you dine w/ them for next 2 hours. When doing the tasting menu, you first get 3 appetizers and then are given the option of adding a wine or juice pairing with the tasting menu. Keep this mind as you are also given an opportunity to order individual drinks up front. If you do order a drink, you will likely not have an opportunity to finish it before the wine/juice paring starts. Additionally, the juice pairing is different kombuchas. Most are good but I would rather just pick one kombucha drink to order instead of getting 5 different ones (though the last one, rose flavor, was our favorite). The food is very delicious and the appetizers set the expectations for rest of the evening. One thing that was disappointing to see was one of the guests in the table next to us had taken their shoes off and gotten comfortable. That may be the culture but it felt a bit disrespectful to do so at such a nice place. If you have the opportunity def sign up; while 5:30 seems early, it is the perfect time as you are done by 8 PM at the latest and have an opportunity to go to a bar...

I have passion for all food; meat, fish, grain, vegetarian, and vegan. Bellies showcases what is possible with a vegan menu. Every dish is supremely crafted to leave you satisfied. I didn't at all miss a portion of meat and would recommend Bellies to persons of any diet.

The lion's mane mushroom and broccoli taco was a unique combination of flavors perfectly executed to satisfy my desire for savory foods. The chef does an excellent job at managing the palate. After a savory dish often came something citrusy or sweet made an appearance to soothe my taste buds, such as the green apple and Thai basil sorbet or the celery tartarlette after the fried oyster mushroom.

The main meal of grilled red cabbage with miso paste was a new way to experience cabbage. Gone are the days of tasteless boiled cabbage, this one was grilled and the charred flavors were in a class of its own

I was also impressed with the desserts which were entirely refreshing and opulent. Despite the lack of dairy, the blackberry ice cream was incredibly rich.

All the dishes left me scraping for every last bit and wanting more, but when the experience was complete, I was entirely satisfied and not feeling too heavy.

My final rating, "Bellies offers a unique experience by preparing vegan food in a way unimaginable to us who are...