We enjoyed dinner with friends at Bellies in February 2024 during Gladmat Food & Fun. The guest chef was Javi Lopez from Colombia and menu had some of his dishes and some signature dishes from Bellies. The restaurant was lively as usual and the atmosphere is quite laidback.
We started with rich, creamy pumpkin soup, puffed tapioca and a large pumpkin ravioli. We also got a small avocado toast even if this is an ingredient that Bellies normally don’t use (they tend to focus more on local products). The celeriac piece that we got next came on a plate brushed with salted lemon. I am not sure what they had done to the celeriac, but it flaked like a perfectly cook cod. I do enjoy my celeriac, so this was a delicious dish for me.
Next dish was also by Javi Lopez and it was layered potato with cumin and porcini. It was packed in a banana leaf and was steaming when we opened it. Great presentation and with some lovely fragrances of the porcini but still very dominated by the potato. We did get some fresh bread as well with cashew “butter” before we moved on to tender Jerusalem Artichoke with a vin Jaune sauce – great combination! It is incredible what you can make of vegetables and the fried lion's mane mushroom reminded us of tender meat – served with a rice ball and chimichurri (sort of).
We ended the evening with a sort of mochi based on plantain, coconut, and hazelnut. And to top it all: an oat ice cream with bergamot – it is hard to understand how they can make such a good ice cream and Italian merengue with plant-based ingredients. This last dish came with a tangy Yuzu sake that was perfect together with the dessert.
We are flexitarians and enjoy fish and meat on a regular basis. It is hard to not get impressed by all the flavors and dishes that Bellies are able to create with their plant-based ingredients and it was great to be back here for an evening with good food and good company! Thanks to guest chef Javi Lopez and of course main chef Edoardo and his team – it is great to see that this vegan Michelin restaurant is still thriving in this part of Stavanger!
Pros: - It a vegan restaurant – with a Michelin star! - Informal atmosphere
Cons: - some might find the focus on natural wine challenging - some might find the vegan concept challenging