Cafe Aura

June 26, 2012

Like Iceland earlier it, Kingdom of Norway came amongst a fairly mediocre reputation for vegetarian food. Still, there's to a greater extent than to go than food, right? Our outset proper halt was inward Bergen, via a stunning trip across the province on the 'Norway inward a Nutshell' tour. Sure it sounds similar a flake of a touristy cliche, but it's difficult to imagine a unmarried solar daytime trip anywhere else inward the globe packing inward every bit much stunning scenery (see photos below this postal service for merely a tiny sample).

Bergen is solely costless of vegetarian-only restaurants, together with then nosotros knew nosotros weren't going to come upward dorsum amongst loads of weblog material. We scarfed a quick Indian repast on the nighttime of our arrival together with laid upward out on Tuesday having done a flake to a greater extent than planning. Stop 1 was Cafe Aura, the outset identify listed on Happy Cow's Bergen page together with a squeamish key starting indicate for or together with then exploring.

Cafe Aura is a fairly manifestly looking cafe - it's pleasant enough, but in all probability isn't going to win also many points for style. Similarly, the card is pretty straightforward: vegans tin receive got soup together with peradventure chilli, piece vegetarians also instruct to select from a veggie lasagne together with a 'pie' (which turns out to last to a greater extent than similar a quiche). Cindy took attention of the ordering - the staff were completely comfortable inward English linguistic communication (as was everyone nosotros spoke to inward Norway) together with were super friendly together with helpful.

I went for the lasagne (129kr, which if you lot foolishly convert dorsum to Australian dollars is a breathtaking $20.30!). It comes amongst delicious staff of life together with a elementary salad, together with is a reasonably skillful rendition - cheesy together with stuffed amongst a skillful hit of roasted veggies. It's hearty together with tasty plenty but nil to write dwelling identify close - indeed, at dwelling identify we've come upward up amongst or together with then far to a greater extent than impressive versions.

Cindy had the veggie pie (89kr AU$14), which was basically a piece of quiche. It had a decent amount of spinach mixed into the eggy filling together with a nicely cooked pastry crust. Again though, this is vegetarian dining from the 1970s - basic together with unadventurous.

We headed off into the urban substance sated but non especially excited - vegetarians inward Bergen volition in all probability notice themselves at Cafe Aura at or together with then stage, merely because in that location are together with then few places that offering fifty-fifty this much variety.

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There aren't whatever existent reviews of Cafe Aura out there, merely a distich of positive mentions on or together with then Norwegian foodblogs.

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Cafe Aura
Marken 9, Bergen
+47 55365970
veggie lunches 65-129 NOK AU$10.30 - 20.30
http://www.cafeaura.no/

Accessibility: You receive got to become upward 4 steps to instruct inward the cafe (see photo). The interior is relatively good spaced out. Ordering together with payment takes identify at a medium-low counter.

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Out the window of the Oslo-Myrdal train

The platform at Myrdal, close to hop onto the Flåm train

Trying to instruct a pic of Kjosfossen

Out the window of the Flåm train, on the agency downward the mountain

The Flåm train

On the ferry downward Aurlandsfjord

Seagulls shadowing the ferry

Spectacular fjord views

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Norwegian toy town!

Reindyrka

June 26, 2012

Bergen's onetime town, where nosotros rented an apartment, is really pretty in addition to really steep. It's a quick downhill walk to the fifty-fifty older Bryggen in addition to and hence mercifully bird equally yous approach the to a greater extent than modern quarter of the city.

Here nosotros flora Reindyrka, an organic supermarket. It's non totally vego (you'll honour organic meats inwards the fridge) even hence I suspect it's the best beginning of veg*n groceries inwards Bergen. We picked upwards around hot dogs, knekkebrød, Tartex, fair merchandise chocolate in addition to scented soap, in addition to regretfully passed over the organic H2O ice cream. Food prices don't convert favourably to Australian dollars, but a niggling self-catering alongside Reindyrka saved us hundreds of kroner on eating out.

 

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Reindyrka
Christian Michelsensgt. 1, Bergen
+47 53 69 50 01
http://www.reindyrka.no/

Accessibility: Reindyrka is located downward a flying of stairs in addition to nosotros didn't notice whatsoever option agency of entry. As grocery shops go, it's reasonably spaced within in addition to payment happens at a depression counter.

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Strolling circular Bergen...

Bryggen, Bergen's centuries-old wharf

Its historic buildings are hilariously wonky

Bambus Marken

June 27, 2012

 

After spending our kickoff twenty-four hours inwards Bergen hanging out inwards the historical one-time town, nosotros decided to cash inwards on the glorious conditions together with caput upward to Fløyen on twenty-four hours 2. You tin laissez passer the axe walk (or run!) upward the hill, but nosotros went for the lazy pick together with took the funicular to the top. Once you're up, you're rewarded alongside glorious views over the metropolis together with kilometres of beautiful walking tracks heading off into the woods (see the pictures below this post).

Our master dinner plans at the veg-friendly tapas house Cafe Aura together with nosotros wandered over to banking concern fit it out. They had a spare tabular array for us together with a bill of fare alongside virtually one-half a dozen vegetarian mains to direct from, together with therefore nosotros settled inwards for a quick meal. The atmosphere is pleasant together with casual, together with the staff (who had express English) were friendly together with keen to brand sure nosotros had everything nosotros needed.

Cindy ordered a tofu together with noodle dish (145kr AU$23).

This was only what nosotros were later - loads of fresh veggies, delicious fried cubes of tofu together with a mild but interesting sauce. Kind of similar a unproblematic pad thai. 

I went for something a combat to a greater extent than unusual, a bitter melon together with tofu soup, drowning inwards coriander, chilli together with lemongrass (145kr AU$23).

This had a existent boot together with I needed to cutting it alongside rice (hidden inwards the pot at the dorsum of the motion-picture demo above). Once I had the residuum betwixt rice together with spice down, this was a precious rock - packed alongside flavour, fresh together with loaded upward alongside tofu.

Bambus Marken greatly exceeded our expectations - nosotros were hoping that they could set together something tolerable together with vegetarian for us together with they turned out to accept a hit of fantabulous veggie dishes. In a town similar Bergen, this puts them high on the listing of places to see for veg*n travellers - you lot could sure as shooting produce far worse. Prices are ludicrous, but no to a greater extent than together with therefore than the ease of Norway. 

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Bambus Marken
Marken 33, Bergen
+47 55560060
veggie mains 145 NOK AU$23

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bambus-Marken/124108804340059

Accessibility: There's a modest pace every bit you lot enter, together with things are fairly crowded inside. They accept total tabular array service.

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The persuasion from Fløyen

Beautiful mount pond inwards the woods behind Floyen

A groovy tit virtually to teach inwards its nesting box

Mucho Mas

June 29, 2012

On our kickoff eve inwards Oslo, nosotros sought out Spisestedet. It's a decades-old vegetarian eating theatre inside a squat too nosotros were alone a petty surprised when it didn't aspect opened upwardly - why hold off a bunch of anarchists to choke along capitalist habits similar predictable opening hours? Thankfully during our wander we'd noticed Mucho Mas - Michael had their Grünerløkka branch on his listing but forthwith this ane inwards Majorstuen looked worth a shot instead.

The eating theatre was busy but the staff were happy for us to perch at the bar until a tabular array freed up, chatting equally they mixed drinks too recognising our accent. Later to a greater extent than or less other waiter offered to interpret the card for us verbally, but we'd pieced together around everything nosotros needed from Mexican menus by too the Norwegian we'd been navigating all week.

The ane mystery give-and-take nosotros needed translated was 'aromasopp' - mushrooms! Sautéed, they're an optional extra (35NOK AU$5.50) on the mains. I ordered them atop my nachos (115NOK AU$18.20 without) too though they were tasty, at that topographic point was to a greater extent than than plenty chips, cheese, beans, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole too sour cream to materials me airheaded equally it was. Michael's burrito (115NOK AU$18.20) was filled alongside the same basics too rice besides. Both had a welcome hint of chilli heat.

The Mucho Mas card harks dorsum to the Mexican nutrient nosotros Aussies expected pre-Mamasita - your alternative of chicken, beef or beans served equally nachos, quesadillas or a burrito (though their specials card mightiness accept something to a greater extent than new for omnivores). Servings are big, flavours are dependable, staff are cheerful - it's all satisfying if non stimulating.

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The ii Mucho Mas branches are also recommended on blogs Mine glutenfrie oppdagelsar (in Norwegian too gluten-free), En svensk tiger i Oslo (in Swedish), Bakgård.

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Mucho Mas
Bogstadveien 8, Oslo
+47 23 twenty 10 20
veg mains from 115NOK AU$18.20
http://www.muchomas.no/

Accessibility: Mucho Mas has a duet of outdoor tables (see film upwardly top), a unmarried measurement upwardly to to a greater extent than medium-spaced interior tables too a half-flight of stairs upwardly to to a greater extent than or less other expanse alongside medium-spaced tables addition a few stools at the bar. We received total tabular array service inwards fantabulous English. We didn't catch the toilets.

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I walked by Mucho Mas ane time again a duet of days afterwards on my means to Vigeland Sculpture Park - it's real pop alongside tourists too definitely worth a catch inwards adept weather.

Den Gode Cafe

June 30, 2012

We started our outset amount solar daytime inwards Oslo at the Nobel Peace Centre, which is good worth a see - it has rotating exhibits (which included about wonderful photographs together with videos from Afghanistan) together with a bright position of permanent exhibits dedicated to the peace prize winners. There are a few pictures at the halt of this post.

The museum was together with hence engaging that nosotros spent longer at that topographic point than expected, together with left real hungry together with position for lunch. I'd tracked downward 2 nearby vegetarian places, last squat-based house nosotros tried to visit, it turns out that these anarchists were on about kind of holiday. Last fourth dimension nosotros rely on anarchists to feed us. No problems I thought, Vega is entirely a few blocks away. Vega Fair Food is, inexplicably, unopen on Saturdays (they at to the lowest degree field this on the website, together with hence this i was my error really).

By this betoken I was hungry, sick of walking together with getting pretty grumpy. And I had no fall-back plan. Cindy pulled out a duad of muesli bars together with nosotros walked vaguely inwards the direction of Grünerløkka, a supposedly hip together with cafe-filled suburb. We got nearly 200m downward the route together with stumbled onto this place: Den Gode Cafe (literally, The Good Cafe). Given the situation, I would accept been happy plenty if this house offered a single, barely edible vego dish, together with hence I was doubly thrilled when nosotros discovered a bill of fare amongst plenty for us to lead from together with an English-speaking staff fellow member who was happy to propose alterations to other dishes for us. Amazing.

I ordered the veggie burger (149NOK AU$23.60), which came amongst delicious chunky chips together with a piddling pot of creamy aoli. The burger patty was a crispy-fried mush of veggies (possibly amongst egg, flour or about other binders), amongst a melted slice of cheese on laissez passer on together with greens, love apple tree together with sauce underneath. I dunno if it was but my hunger, but it was pretty damn terrific.

Cindy ordered the 'pancake', amongst spinach, mushrooms together with feta (125NOK AU$19.80).

The 'pancake' was basically a crepe, together with was about other success - sparse together with nicely browned together with stuffed amongst a practiced mix of cheese together with veggies.

We were both together with hence grateful to accept stumbled across Den Gode Cafe that nosotros were almost sure enough to relish it. But it went good to a higher house our expectations - the staff were superbly helpful, the bill of fare relatively good stocked amongst veg options together with the atmosphere laid-back together with comfortable. Vegans volition in all likelihood fighting to detect much to swallow but the staff are real helpful together with would in all likelihood whip something upwards for you. For these vegetarians though, this house was an oasis on an otherwise frustrating hunt for a Sabbatum lunch.

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There's non many reviews of the nutrient at Den Gode Cafe, but this positive refer on Ingvildtelle.

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Den Gode Cafe
Fredensborgveien 13, Oslo
+47 22203455
veggie mains 125-149 NOK AU$20-$25
http://dengodecafe.no/

Accessibility: There's but a small-scale stride on entry, together with the outside is spacious together with flat. There's amount tabular array service.

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The Nobel Peace Centre

The peace woods - 
each piddling monitor has the details of i of the Peace Prize winners