Introduction

Of course, I couldn’t visit Oslo without checking out opportunities to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes – afternoon tea. After some extensive research, eventually I settle for the Bristol Hotel in central Oslo. To be honest, from the research I conducted, I’m not sure I would want to stay at the hotel, but the afternoon tea looks promising.

The weather today has been surprisingly good and warmer than I expected. Having said that, as soon as you’re not in direct sunlight, it’s still a bit fresh. I take advantage of the good weather and go for a walk along the water at Aker Brygge. My reservation is for 15h30.

Restaurant Vinterhaven

The afternoon tea is served in the Vinterhavn restaurant in the lobby of the Bristol Hotel. It’s quite dark in the restaurant, especially coming in from the bright sunshine outside. There are no windows in the restaurant, as it’s located right in the middle of the building. The clientele is mostly middle aged women having tea with their besties, one hen party, and one freshly married couple, straight from the registry with both their respective parents in tow, if I had to guess.

The Service

The service at the Bristol Vinterhaven is excellent, truly outstanding. Our hostess brings us to our table, while one of the waitresses sets the table. I notice that she places the napkin on the plate, then removes it quickly to check the hotel’s logo on the chinaware is the right way up, adjusts the plate slightly, and then replaces the napkin. Throughout the meal, the staff pass by several times to inquire if there’s anything else we’d like.

The Afternoon Tea

The afternoon tea is served the traditional way on a three-tier étagère, with savouries at the bottom, the scones in the middle and the sweets on top. To drink, I order an Earl Grey which has a distinct hint of Tari Lapsang Suchong.

There are four savouries: a small tartlet of crabmeat and crudités, a brioche of smoked salmon with egg and black truffle, a bun with mortadella and cheese, and a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich – the latter I devoured before remembering to take a photo. The sandwiches are very nice.

On the second level of the étagère we have one scone per person and a small piece of carrot bread/cake. With the scones they serve mascarpone, lemond curd, and a mixed berry jam.

The scone is very tasty and has just the right amount of moisture in it to make sure it’s still crumbly but without drying it out. The carrot bread is good too, I guess, but I really think I would not have added the sultanas (not a fan…).

To finish the meal, there are five types of sweets; a cheese cake with tropical fruit, a puff pastry with a coffee and Tiramisù cream, a berry and mint macaron, and a salted caramel square. The sweets are okay, but I think they are the weakest point of the whole afternoon tea at the Bristol Vinterhaven.

Conclusion

By the time we finish, it’s just gone 17h00, which gives us an hour before the ballet starts for which we have tickets. As previously mentioned, I greatly enjoy having afternoon tea, especially when I’m in a foreign city. In as much, the afternoon tea at the Bristol did not disappoint. The food was well prepared and tasty. What certainly sets the Bristol Vinterhaven appart, though, is the service, which was realy outstanding. The staff were friendly and attentive – always quick to remove empty dishes or replenish our drinks.