Enjoying pigeon and cassoulet at Brasserie Pigalle

On a dark January Friday, we decided to drop by Brasserie Pigalle, located inside the beautiful Hotel Victoria in Stavanger. We’ve visited before (see previous review here), and it remains a classic French-inspired brasserie set in a truly elegant space. It’s immediately clear that a lot of thought has gone into the details—this is, without a doubt, a very beautiful restaurant.

Pigalle

Paris vibes

Interior

The menu features five starters, a solid selection of fish and meat mains, and even the option to share a generous côte de boeuf. The wine list has also improved, although we settled for just a couple of glasses this time. The dining room is dominated by larger tables, and we were seated at a table for six. This was not that comfortable for me and it would be nice to see more intimate two-top options, as dining directly across from each other makes for a better experience.

We started with bread and whipped butter, which was good, though I seem to remember being more impressed on previous visits. Nikki began with a couple of oysters, while I opted for the confit pigeon. This was a lovely small dish, beautifully plated, with a fantastic corn purée, some crisp red cabbage, and the pigeon itself. The bird was good, but I had hoped for a bit more from the confit process—especially since confit duck and chicken can be truly outstanding.

Negroni

Bread and butter

The team

For mains, I went with the cassoulet, a rich and hearty bean stew that was perfect for a winter evening, especially paired with a glass of Bordeaux from Château Cissac. The dish was indulgent in every sense, featuring sausage, smoked reindeer meat, and topped with pork belly. Nikki chose the reindeer, which arrived perfectly cooked, accompanied by a delicious chestnut sauce and a flavourful herb oil. The dish was served with potato beignets—deep-fried potato balls—but unfortunately, these didn’t seem entirely fresh and didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Confit pigeon

Oysters

Reindeer

Cassoulet

Red wine

Wine by the glass

To finish, I had a fresh apple dessert, beautifully presented and paired with a glass of ice cider from Edelsider, which worked wonderfully as a light and refreshing finale. If you haven't tried ice cider yet, you should!

Ice cider

Dessert

Atmosphere

All in all, Brasserie Pigalle is a stunning restaurant with a menu that clearly lives up to its brasserie name. I was slightly surprised that the restaurant wasn’t busier, as the food is well executed and thoughtfully presented, minor notes aside. Hopefully, more people will discover Brasserie Pigalle—it truly deserves the lively, Parisian brasserie atmosphere it’s aiming for.

Pros:

• Classic French-inspired brasserie menu

• Elegant and refined setting

Cons:

• Large tables are not ideal for dining as a pair