Bagatelle, which ranked for years as the most exclusive restaurant in Norway, is about to spice up its staff with the return of two chefs who’d followed the high-profile master of Bagatelle’s kitchen, Eyvind Hellstrøm, out the door three years ago. Now they aim to restore Bagatelle’s former glory.
Bagatelle, located on Oslo’s fashionable Bygdøy allé, hasn’t been doing too badly in the absence of Hellstrøm, who left in a huff after a bitter conflict with restaurant owner Christen Sveaas. It won back a Michelin star after being closed when Hellstrøm left and its new, less-formal branch next door, Lille B, has won good reviews as well.
Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) reported recently that both Robert Lie and Niklas Johansson have decided to return to Bagatelle, with Lie as boss. Both went on to other successful ventures after leaving Bagatelle, Lie as head of the highly acclaimed Grefsenkollen Restaurant and Johansson as head of the wildly popular Maaemo restaurant, which won two Michelin stars last year.
Both intend to highlight fresh Norwegian ingredients in a “creative” way of making and presenting food, Lie told DN, and they’ve also brought in star chef Allan Poulsen from Denmark. The new menu is due after Easter.
newsinenglish.no staff
