The revival of Matbaren Bistro
- Gard Karlsen
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
If you've followed us for a while, you'll know Matbaren Bistro holds a special place in our hearts. For some reason, we were there for the opening party in 2009 and we were back again for the reopening in June 2026. It was quite a shock when we got the news in 2024 that Matbaren was closing. Some restaurants feel like old friends. Matbaren is one of those places. After a hiatus, it's back — freshened up with a soft blue on the walls, a gorgeous, handcrafted tin bar made in Lyon, a more open kitchen, and just enough new energy to feel like a real comeback.
I stopped by on a Friday evening, just one day after reopening and that was perhaps a little bold, but the pull was too strong to resist. The room felt familiar and yet noticeably improved: that elegant blue, the gleam of the tin bar, the sense of a space that's been thought through rather than just touched up.
The menu will feel comfortable to anyone who knew the old Matbaren with options like oysters, pâté, tartare, fish and meat! It is a classic bistro framework with room to graze or go the distance. We opted to share our way through the evening, which turned out to be exactly the right approach.
We opened with champagne and caviar as one should. The crisp toast and lightly acidic crème fraîche were well-matched companions, though the balance tipped a touch too far toward cream for our taste. A little less dairy would let the Rossini Caviar speak more clearly. Still, a very elegant way to begin.
We continued with "Stavanger's Best Sausage" which is a bold statement but frankly, hard to argue with. They were meaty and satisfying and with a kick of heat. We paired it with a South African Pinot Noir from Thorne and Daughters that handled the spice beautifully. The potato purée was also simple yet delicate and rich. Pure comfort on a plate, no apologies needed.
The beef tartare was well composed and clean in flavor, with shaved truffle lending a quiet luxury. The accompaniments were spot on individually, but I would have liked to see a bit more of the gherkins and mustard mixed into the tartare. A minor note on an otherwise solid plate.
The centerpiece of the evening was a piece of meat from Nyyyt with a Sarawak pepper sauce, and rightly so. Beautifully tender, carefully cooked to rare, with a pepper sauce that had depth without overwhelming the meat. The frites held their own. And the tableside carving? That was handled by none other than Torill Renaa herself, with Sven Erik Renaa and Mathew Leong also on the floor (usually a Executive Chef at the 3 Michelin star restaurant RE-NAA). If you're going to reopen, you may as well bring in the first team.
We finished with a small dessert before stepping back out into the Stavanger evening — full, happy, and already thinking about a return visit. Sommelier Thomas Myklebust looked after us well throughout; the wine list is still finding its feet after the reopening, but Thomas is clearly building something worth watching.
The team is new in places, and a few rough edges in the service rhythm are to be expected this early. Give it a few weeks and it'll click into place. What matters is that the kitchen is already firing, the room feels alive, and the soul of the original Matbaren is very much intact.
Highlights
Deeply satisfying comfort food
Beautiful, refreshed space
A menu with something for every appetite
Tableside carving — a lovely touch
Thomas on wine: in good hands
Watch out for
Wine list still building
Service finding its rhythm
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