Nestled inside the meticulously renovated, recently reopened Neo-Baroque building that houses hotel Savoy 1918 is Café Watt. Reimagined with a nod to the property’s historic features, designed by architect R.E. Jacobsen, while introducing contemporary touches, Watt has quickly become a vibrant gathering place for hotel guests, travellers and Oslo residents alike.
Historically, the venue was a meeting place for artists, writers and figures from the city’s cultural life. The new café has been conceived very much in that spirit, as an integral part of the hotel’s wider identity.
At the helm of the kitchen is Nils Flatmark, one of Norway’s most accomplished chefs. His menu centres on seasonality, exceptional produce and culinary tradition, changing throughout the year according to what is available and placing Norwegian ingredients firmly in the spotlight.
As the café is open from breakfast through to dinner, during my stay I had the opportunity to experience its broader offering. Dinner, however, was the highlight, when Watt shifts from café to something closer to a classic restaurant. The atmosphere evokes a 1920s brasserie, with oak and aged brass furniture, beautiful tiled flooring, heavy velvet curtains and large-scale custom wallpaper murals based on sketches of the city dating from the late 1800s.
Executive Head Chef Nils Flatmark – Nordic Chef of the Year 2024 – and Assistant Head Chef Anette Myrhagen, part of Norway’s gold-winning team at the 2024 Culinary Olympics. Together, they bring formidable competition pedigree to Café Watt’s modern Norwegian kitchen.
On Friday evening, we begin with a quick aperitif in the adjoining parlour-style front section of the café, enjoying a glass of Rathfinny Classic Cuvée 2019 while chatting to the waiting staff about the menu, the wine list and their day. There is a genuine warmth among the Watt team that extends naturally to their guests: cheerful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable without being overbearing. We are lucky that Nils is on duty, giving us the chance to speak to him, something – we are told – he particularly enjoys. Around us are families with grown-up children celebrating together and smartly dressed couples, the crowd predominantly Nordic.
The advice is not to over-order, but to share. We begin with fresh crab croquettes served with tarragon mayonnaise, followed by pan-fried scallops with apple and elderflower. The seafood is outstandingly fresh, while the meticulous presentation allows each element of the dish to make itself known.
Left: Café Watt’s crab croquettes with tarragon mayonnaise, a deceptively simple but beautifully executed small plate.
Middle: Pan-fried scallops with apple and elderflower, showcasing the light, precise touch of Nils Flatmark’s kitchen.
Right: Valrhona chocolate mousse with sea buckthorn sorbet and caramel, balancing rich chocolate with the sharp freshness of the Nordic berry.
My guest also samples the fried veal brisket with celeriac purée and semi-dried tomatoes, a successful combination of richly flavoured meat with the sharper notes of the accompanying vegetables. We are enjoying the Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 2023 so much that we decide to keep it as our wine throughout the meal.
On recommendation, we then share grilled Sterling halibut with mussel sauce, herb salad and pearl potatoes. Even between two of us, we can barely finish it. Seafood is where Watt really excels, and the combination of beautifully cooked fish, deeply flavoured sauce and fresh herbs is superb.
To finish, we share two sumptuous desserts: a frozen mousse of organic Tjukkmjølk from Røros, a traditional fermented milk, served with honey biscuits and granité; and a Valrhona chocolate mousse with sea buckthorn sorbet and caramel. Both arrive beautifully presented and disappear rather quickly.
With Flatmark at the helm and Myrhaggen as his deputy, Café Watt represents a genuine commitment to Norwegian produce and culinary traditions within one of Oslo’s most exciting new hospitality addresses. It is a destination in its own right, and one I would happily return to, not least to discover more of Nils’s cooking and visit the much-anticipated Savoy Bar next door.
For bookings, email: hei@cafewatt.no
Author: Linda Hunting
Read our full review of Hotel Savoy 1918, HERE.
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