Food & Drink
Where Nordic Young Chef winner Aron Espeland eats when he has time off
“I can never have a lie-in the mornings,” says Aron Espeland to Scandinavian Traveler.
Espeland was pretty much raised in a kitchen, as his mother is a chef, as was his father, who died when Espelund was five years old. His sister Martine is following in the same footsteps as an apprentice at Statholdergaarden, that has one star in the Guide Michelin. Outside of competitions, he works at restaurant Vaaghals in Barcode in Oslo, owned by national team manager Jørn Lie. A fellow member of the national team, Christer Rødseth, also works there.
“You have to prioritize what you want to do,” he says.
But he does go out to eat.
“There are now so many wonderful restaurants in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Tromsø and Trondheim.”
Here are Espeland’s restaurant recommendations:

Statholdergaarden
At Statholderens mat- og vinkjeller you get a brilliant ten-courses for a very reasonable price. The food is well-prepared and there is no starched white linen. If you want to push the boat out, choose the restaurant itself, where you get starched white linen and the finest raw materials. They really spoil you here.”
Statholdergaarden
Rådhusgata 11, 0151 Oslo
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Le Benjamin
“You get good and honest food here. If you want fish, you get a full plate with a delicious sauce. They don't cut corners anywhere.”
Le Benjamin Bar & Bistro
Søndre gate 6, Oslo
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Photo: Tom Haga

Re-naa
“Renaa in Stavanger has several concepts. Everything from delicious coffee and buns from their own bakery. They also make their own ice cream. Then there’s Renaa Matbaren that makes the best sandwiches you can possibly imagine, such as a steak sandwich and prawn open sandwich. They prepare to order. Then there are dishes such as cod with chorizo. Quite simply, they serve fantastic food. And then you have Re-naa. That’s very high on my list.”Re-naa has one star in the Guide Michelin.
Re-naa
Nordbøgata 8, 4006 Stavanger
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Happolati
“They prepare food you’ve never seen before here. Nordic food with an Asian twist. It’s exciting and balanced and spiced to suit Norwegian palates."
Happolati
Sankt Olavs Plass 2, 0165 Oslo
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Brasserie France
“This is a classic restaurant that makes you feel as though you're sitting right in the center of Paris. The tables are packed close together. They serve moules-frites, tartare, entrecôte with Béarnaise, dessert and cheese trolleys and ample portions. They really spoil you here. There’s so much going on and so much to see, that five hours can suddenly have gone by.”
Brasserie France
Øvre Slottsgate 16, 0157 Oslo
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Published: August 16, 2019
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