Located on Norway’s icy North Atlantic coast, Europe’s first underwater restaurant, Under, invites gourmands to eat freshly caught seafood beneath the waves. Emily Eastman reports
Under restaurant accommodates 35 to 40 guests but at the time of opening to the public in March, 7,000 people had booked. Gaute Ubostad, who owns the restaurant with his brother, Stig, said that Under expects to attract around 12,000 diners each year, which means reserving a table is vital.
The restaurant is situated in Lindesnes, in Vest-Agder county, southern Norway, where the black, rocky coastline provides a dramatic backdrop. Half-sunken in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, Under invites guests to dine five metres beneath the surface, where a giant acrylic window provides views of the seabed and the marine life that resides there.
Designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta, Under has been developed with an equal focus on architecture, gastronomy and aquatic research.
He noted that the building is able to withstand extreme weather, including “the wave of the century”. In fact, the structure has been designed to integrate with its marine environment over time and has been designed to withstand pressure and shock from the harsh sea conditions.
Fresh ingredients and “pure, naked flavours” are of the utmost importance at Under. “We want to provide a unique dining experience that ushers our guests beyond their comfort zone,” Ellitsgaard said.
Guests dine on a seasonal set menu that sources ingredients from the sea surrounding coast, meaning the journey food takes to the plate is minimal.
These include things like arrow grass, sea rocket, salty sea kale, stone crab, raw mahogany clams, silver berries and rugose squat lobster. He adds that the local area is also known for its “bountiful varieties of wild mushrooms and succulent berries”.
Beyond the menus, Under is dedicated to using the building for marine research. Under is intended to welcome interdisciplinary research teams studying marine biology and fish behaviour with cameras and other equipment installed on the structure.
The goal is to monitor the population dynamics of key species and create new streams to improve official marine resource management.