Sydney harbours a plethora of amazing experiences.
Some are well-known, others are truly hidden away and known only by the initiated, and there are those in plain sight yet missed by most.
Norsk Dor (North Door) definitively falls into the hidden category, in just about every sense of the word. Norsk Dor is an underground (literally) Swedish/Nordic restaurant in the heart of the city.
Finding Norsk Dor is an adventure in its own right. A nondescript door on a city street, next to a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, leads to a ‘scary’ set of stairs and a long corridor leading into the bowels of a city building, with the howls of wolves pumped through speakers as you wonder along the corridor, hoping you are going in the right direction. Then you arrive at the ‘Norsk Dor’, where you have to wait to be buzzed in …
The creative geniuses behind the Norsk Dor have done it before with Uncle Ming’s, a popular opium den inspired cocktail, whisky and Asian dumpling bar.
Once you are buzzed in through the ‘Norsk Dor’, suddenly you are in a spot that feels like Manhattan meets the Arctic Circle – urban chic meets animal hide.
We started our evening at the bar, and the cocktails are absolutely brilliant! Make sure to try ‘The Bancroft’ – it’s performance art meets smokey taste sensation.
After cocktails we were shown to a table.
Their current system involves six share entrees, followed by your choice of a main meal. On the night we visited there were four options for the main: pork, duck, venison, and a vegetarian dish with mushroom and feta.
Desert is optional, but the dinner was so lovely, we couldn’t resist the offering of the Swedish chocolate cake. It was so dark light would not have been able to escape its surface. And it was delicious …
The food is solid and has just the right touch of Nordic influence.
Do not miss the wagyu bone marrow with rye, served with Aquavit, which is offered as an extra side-dish on the menu!
We had two servings. My partner prevented me from ordering a third one, pleading potential embarrassment if I ordered one more serving. But it was so good I regret not doing it.
I think I will be back for a meal of nothing else but a series of wagyu bone marrow …
My other stand out dishes were the kingfish two ways, the salmon and pipis in butter broth, the Nordic beef brisket and the venison which was tender, delicious, and cooked to perfection.
The service was excellent and personable, the matching cocktails and wines plentiful and delicious.
Norsk Dor
70 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
Open:
Lunch: Monday to Friday 11:30am till 3pm
Dinner: Monday to Saturday 5pm till 10pm
Bar & Bar menu: Monday to Friday 11:30am till 12am and Saturday 5pm till 12am
Phone: nope, you will just have to book online (Dimmi) or via email …
Email: bookings@norskdor.com.au
The Vue Post 