The 1st underwater restaurant

It was on March 20, 2019 that this unusual restaurant opened in southern Norway in the middle of the icy waters surrounding the town of Lindesnes.
This architectural feat is the work of the Norwegian firm Snøhetta, which is responsible for the creation of the Oslo Opera House, the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York, or more recently, the winner of the competition for the renovation of the Centre de la Monnaie in Brussels.

The building, half-submerged at a depth of 5 meters in the sea and 33 meters long, is composed of three levels. On the surface, customers enter the entrance before reaching the champagne bar which marks the transition between the surface and the water with a vertical glass window that allows the observation of the sea bed. Finally, on the 3rd level is the restaurant, which seats between 80 and 100 guests. A set of subdued lights in the restaurant as well as on the seabed facilitates the development of the marine fauna with an optimal visibility from inside.

The futuristic building is deliberately set in rough seas, and has been designed to withstand the most extreme conditions. Rune Grasdal, one of the architects explains "We convinced (the builder) to build it where the sea was rougher, as it would better represent the nature of the area .... In my opinion, the best time to visit the restaurant will be during bad weather .... It's going to be fantastic to see the surface of the sea broken by big waves and rain, offering an incredible spectacle.

The Poseidon of kitchens, Chef Nicolai Elllisgaard offers a menu rich in fish and seafood and you will have to pay about 370 € (3900 Norwegian kroner) per person for the underwater menu (wine included).

After hours, "Under" becomes a research centre for scientists studying marine biology and fish behaviour.