A new restaurant with what's being billed as Europe's first underwater dining room will soon open on the southern tip of Norway.
The semi-submerged, aptly named Under is housed in a 112-foot (34m)-long rectangular building, one end of which sits on the seabed, 18 feet (5.5m) below the surface of the North Atlantic.
The other, aboveground end looks kind of like an intermediate species dragging itself from the sea on an evolution chart or, as The Guardian more picturesquely puts it, a "whale resting its head on the rocky shore."
(Image by Inger Marie Grini / Bo Bedre Norge)
Diners descend through a steadily darkening interior—decorated with earth-toned wood and metal, pink and coral textiles, and finally rich greens and blues—before reaching the submerged dining room, where 40 guests are seated in front of a 36-foot (11m)-wide, 11-foot (3m)-high window looking out on the aquatic goings-on.
The menu will showcase locally grown produce and locally caught seafood, such as stone crab, rugose squat lobster, limpets, clams, and sea cucumbers. Try to ignore the horrified looks of the fish swimming by the window as you eat their neighbors.
Unusual and underappreciated ingredients will be welcome in the kitchen. A dessert made with two types of algae is promised.
Located in southern Norway's forested, beachy, and often stormy Lindesnes region, Under opens to the public on April 2, but we couldn't find an available reservation until September, so book well in advance.
