SKAAL is a casual neighborhood restaurant, that just keeps throwing flavours at you while you sip your favourite natural wine. Here is a review of our visit to SKAAL Matbar.
Olaf Ryes plass 12 OSLO No booking, walk-ins only. Menu: Ever changing snack and small dish menu
Skaal translates to "bowl"in Norwegian, and the food here is served in ceramic bowls. The concept is that you can order dishes by a number that serves your need then and there. If you just need a snack or a full dinner, Skaal has the right alternative for you. "Skaal" is also the Norwegian word for "cheers", a word rapidly used by all of us throughout our evening here.
We started off with a serving of this toast dish that I have seen all over Instagram. What in the world can be so great about a toast, I said. Well, this is just a perfect crunchy, cheesy, spicy snack, and a perfect start of our meal. I get it now - And yes, I will try to make this at home and probably fail.
A nice refreshing glass of the SP68 was a good match.
Second dish, the humble bolinho. A warm delicious ball of salty fish, with truffles. This is serious snacks!
One of my favourites of the evening, the beet root tartare. Topped with something creamy that I don't recall what was because I was too excited about eating, some crunchy potatoes and a cured sticky yolk. Heaven.
Next up, a tender monkfish in a lobster bisque. An amazing combo. I am personally a huge lobster bisque fan (aren't we all) so this was right up my alley.
Lamb ragu and more truffles. A cozy comforting fall- dish.
For dessert, we chose to try the pain perdu (french toast) with a creamy mascarpone ice cream. Maybe not the biggest dish in terms of flavours, but certainly good and a nice finish to our meal.
Conclusion
Food and wine: Tasty, comforting snacks. Great selection of the best natural wines.
Vibe: A super cozy vibe. The place is casual, and very welcoming. I could be here for hours on.
Service and staff: The staff is just so energetic, positive, knowledgeable and service minded. I also see on Instagram that they sometime serve up waffles out front on mondays when it's actually closed. Now that's a nice gesture.
To summarize very shortly: we will be back for more!
