Visit the Michelin restaurant in the middle of a Norwegian fjord
Salmon Eye is visible on Google Maps and has been an international sensation since it opened in September 2022. The aim of the team behind this aquatic center, which also houses the award-winning Restaurant Iris, is to inspire and inform its visitors of how to better feed the planet.
Bird's view of the Salmon Eye, which has the look of a fisheye when seen from above, photo: Tobias Lamberg Torjusen
Close up of the exterior of Salmon Eye, photo: Rasmus Jurkatam
A short boat ride from the idyllic village Rosendal out into the Hardangerfjord, Salmon Eye is surrounded by cool, dark water. The floating building is clad in shimmering steel sheets reminiscent of salmon skin, and the construction looks like a fisheye from above thanks to its round shape. The expression is of course no coincidence – the around 1,000 square meters house a visitor and information center about the future of the aquaculture industry in a sustainable perspective as well as Restaurant Iris, which has received a Michelin star for exploring the same theme through its menu.
The interior's curved walls follow the design of the building's frame, photo: Tobias Lemberg Torjusen.
Salmon Eye is a floating structure that can be easily moved, and the unique architecture was designed by the Danish architectural firm Kvorning Design on behalf of Eide Fjordbruk. More than 9000 stainless steel plates covers the facade, with the exception of strategically placed glass sections that open up to the surroundings, as well as a built-in, circular terrace on top of the building. The plates resembles fish scales and make Salmon Eye sparkle in the sunlight and reflect the surrounding ocean and mountainside. Since its launch, the destination has been widely talked about internationally for its spectacular appearance. The building is created to inspire and inform, and has a exhibition design that awakens the senses. Visitors are taken on a guided tour that takes around two hours and which is intended to increase knowledge about sustainable seafood production.
The restaurant Iris has a panoramic view of the Hardangerfjord and the mountains beyond, photo: Tobias Lemberg Torjusen.
The meny at Restaurant Iris is based on local ingredents, photo: Tobias Lemberg Torjusen.
In additon to the visitor center the building houses Iris, which serves gourmet food made with local ingredients from both sea and land. Guide Michelin specifically emphasizes the restaurant's ability to transform even more unglamorous ingredients, such as the ulkefish, to exquisite taste experiences. The restaurant area has been designed by the Danish studio Norm Architects, and the interior is characterized by an intimate and cozy atmosphere that contrasts with the building's cool, futuristic architecture.
A visit to Salmon Eye and Iris is a unique experience well worth the trip, thanks to the spectacular design, wonderful natural surroundings, and, if you reserve a table in the restaurant, for 18 world-class dishes that awaits you.
Websites: Salmon Eye, Restaurant Iris
The aqua culture center Salmon Eye in the middle of the Hardangerfjord, photo: Tobias Lamberg Torjusen