So here's the thing about this restaurant. The fun is in the hype and the atmosphere. Located on a secluded island that is only available by boat? Stuck on the island as a group until end of the dining experience? Already fun in itself. Came with my husband on a whim and had a blast. Incredible views. Nice wine options. Now the food isn't the best and the timing of all the dishes were hair pullingly long. First 2-3 courses came out quick but last few courses took almost 45 min each then the dessert was rushed. We've been to many Michelin star restaurants before and the food her isn't quite up to scale although still tasty. But that view and that experience is where you are wowed and makes this special. Although as a foodie this is not the culinary gem I was looking forward to, I would definitely be back for the views. Great date night out read more

Cornelius - Whale tartare - Restaurants Near Me - Mathopen, 12

This experience was so disappointing and an expensive one at that. We should have realized that the best reviews were a decade old. The restaurant has become a tourist trap that literally traps you on an island for four hours and serves mediocre food at a snail's pace. After arriving by boat, we sat for 50 minutes with nothing to eat but a bowl of bread worthy of a spaghetti restaurant. There was nothing creative or exciting about any of the dishes. The courses were served at sporadic intervals until a mad rush at dessert 4 hours later with no coffee service even offered. The young and untrained staff, all lovely people no doubt, had no choice but to stand around between courses and then rush around flinging down plates on all the tables at the same time. You could sense the frustration mounting throughout the room. A bad experience but we laughed our way through it once we realized it gave new meaning to " tourist trap " since we couldn't get off the island. read more

The food was decent- I would say 4 of the 5 courses were solid. But it took way too long. It felt a bit like a tourist trap. The dinner takes more than 4 hours and it could be done in two. You can't leave!! And there's nothing special at all about the island Quite overpriced for what it is. read more

My husband and I were very excited to enjoy seafood on our trip to Norway. Cornelius was advertised as serving particularly unique/ local seafood. It was interesting that it was on an island, and the place is actually the inspiration for the movie The Menu. The boat ride to the island was very pretty, and the ambiance of the restaurant was good. The dining rooms were quiet, so it was easy to converse. There were nice ocean views from our table. The wait staff were very friendly. With that said, there were several aspects of the restaurant we didn't enjoy. First, the restaurant heavily pushed champagne and other alcoholic drinks as "welcome drinks". This was a bit odd given that we said no the first time, but they kept pushing it as if it were included in our meal (it wasn't) and as if we would be missing out if we didn't have the champagne. This didn't sit very well with us. Second, the food was advertised as being both extremely fresh and exquisitely cooked. It was fine, but nothing special. In fact, after being in Norway for a few days, it was probably our least favorite meal we've had during our trip. Some of the flavors were interesting, but the execution seemed poorly done (scallops were overcooked, etc). We expected better given the high ($200 per person) price. I've included photos of the food. Some of it is very pretty, but it looks better than it tastes. On the boat ride home, we talked to several other couples. It seemed that people didn't really enjoy the dinner, but they were hesitant to say so initially because they had all spent so much money on it. After we had chatted for 15 minutes, the couple we sat with asked us for a second time how we liked the food at which point we were truthful, and they agreed with us and said they couldn't even eat half the food. So in summary, the location was cool but the food was mediocre. It seemed more like a tourist trap than a nice restaurant. If you have a lot of expendable income and don't mind being stuck on an island for 5 hours it could be fun, but otherwise I'd recommend going somewhere else for dinner. read more

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Food was good, but it was pretty pricey. We got their 5-course meteorological menu experience as part of Norway in a Nutshell. They asked us for food allergies upon arrival. I do wish they told us what kind of protein to expect, because they served whale the night we were there. It was an interesting experience, but we all felt really guilty about it afterwards. The poor whale Also worth it to note: DRINKS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE 5-COURSE MENU. That said, the while experience was something unforgettable. A restaurant only accessible by boat! Beautiful views! read more

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We has heard about Cornelius and were really looking forward to the meal. The book trip out was very nice & the setting is unique. Unfortunately, the evening was very disappointing. It took almost 20 minutes for us to be greeted at our table & even longer to get water & drinks. Of the 5 courses, the bread was delicious, but the whale tartar was bland, the mussels were chewy with very little taste & the fish was almost inedible. We were 5 in our party and all had similar experiences with the food. We spent 2 weeks in Norway and had delicious fresh seafood & other meals that were fantastic. This was especially disappointing due to the cost and just the overall let down we felt. The boat ride back was very subdued. Don't go. It's not worth the money read more

This restaurant is big $$ and was not at all what we expected - we had ordered the seafood tower plan and it was mediocre at best - our drinks extra and we still waited 45 min after the last course for dessert in fact we had to remind our waiter. Way too long of a dining experience (4+hours) not worth the hype. Very disappointed one positive- the view read more

The entire experience was something special. From the boat transportation, to friendly greeting by the staff, and the creative menu. It is something I will never forget. Our server Damian was exceptional and made us feel fully taken care of and comfortable. Definitely recommend for a unique dinner with a beautiful view. read more

The food was excellent and we really enjoyed our server. Here are some things to look out for: 1. Transportation is via boat from Bergen Harbor, 25 mins each way. The outbound is at 6 and the return is at 10:30 so you will be at the restaurant for four hours minimum. There is no possibility to leave early. If the 3 course dinner is selected, you will have more than 1 hr between each of the courses. 2. The drinks are not included in the price of dinner and they are EXPENSIVE. Our party of 6 was not heavy drinkers and our drink bill was nearly $500US. We were offered a "welcome" Prosecco or champagne and the bill for just that (6 glasses) was $100. Scenery is beautiful and food is excellent (though our salmon and cod courses were not unusual to the area - you are not able to select menu items and we were not treated to any of the displayed shellfish). If choosing how to spend our last evening in Bergen we all felt we could have made better use of the evening, while still having an excellent meal elsewhere. read more

Was really excited to try this place, it was my first time in Bergen Norway. We sat down and started with the courses. First off service was great, but the food for the three of us that were here we all agreed on was terrible for what we were expecting. And then taking so long to get all the courses was not fun at all. Unless you're getting really toasty on alcohol I Think it's not a great experience. I highly recommend not coming here. My Mom, Dad, and I were very disappointed. And being stuck at the restaurant waiting for the boat made it even worst. Do some research before making a trip to this restaurant. read more

Most expensive place we have eaten at by far, but the food is SO fresh and delicious. The boat ride here is Beautiful and very comfortable. Our server was an absolute sweetheart and everything we ate was wonderful. We had smoked salmon, huge crab legs, fresh shrimp, Thai style mussels, salad, and homemade fresh bread with whipped butter. It was an absolutely wonderful experience that started with champagne and ended with fabulous coffee and dessert. Dessert was apple pie with pomegranate cream and raspberries. I loved this. :) read more

An absolute experience - the food is As fresh and pure as it gets. Being on an island the view is spectacular! Also.... Ask to have a peek inside their wine cellar. Can't recommend this place enough - a Bergen essential! read more

Cornelius - The greatest! - Restaurants Near Me - Mathopen, 12

This restaurant is terrible. The waitstaff are racist and would not serve us unless we waived our hands in the air to get their attention. They simply would not look in our direction or acknowledge our existence throughout the five hours that we were there. At one point during the evening when we were sitting with no food, while all the tables around us had been served, I had to go stand outside of the kitchen to demand food. I also asked to speak to Cornelius, who had given a little speech to the crowd earlier in the evening, but was told he was not available. The food, in and of itself, was awful. The restaurant states that they craft the menu each day based on the weather, their mood and karma. They need to use more seasoning, particularly, salt and pepper. Everything was bland and tasteless. They try to wow you with things like whale and crab stomach but why not focus on the preparation and taste. The worst thing was that I had to sit in that awful restaurant for five hours while waiting for the boat to come back to pick us up. You would do yourself a huge favor by avoiding this establishment. read more

Wonderful, magical night. We had the five course meal with wine pairing. The wine choices were amazing with different course of dish- really brings out the flavor. My first time dined on seafood with this kind of sophistication. Not a cheap dinner, overall costs about $500 US dollars,however, if you can afford it, you must tried it once when you are visiting Bergen. When I made the reservation- I asked for window seat and the restaurant promptly emailed back and we did ended up with the window seat. Service were great! And the chefs come around the table explained each course. I wanted a magical night for my boyfriend and we got it. read more

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Went here with my colleagues on a casual work dinner. We had three course meal and they were delicious. They catered to vegetarian too although this is a seafood restaurant. My vegetarian colleague who sat next to me also had some wonderful dishes served to him. The boat trip to the restaurant is an experience itself. A must go when visiting Bergen read more

Cornelius is for the adventurous looking for an experience to write home about. Take a boat to the restaurant and wait to be surprised by their menu which is freshly caught seafood of the day. We were served all raw clams. Lots of different types which I had honestly never even heard of. Appetizers were followed up by an incredible dinner. It was breathtakingly beautiful and delicious. read more

One of the best dining experiences I've had! Smoked salmon out of this world good. Staff are amazing and hard to beat the view!

Greatest dining experience of my life. The boat ride was fun, meeting the proprietor made it intimate, the food, wine and service were out of this world. Eating the beautiful scallops after hearing the backstory and knowing they had been caught by Alf made them taste all the more lovely. We came on our honeymoon and it was one of the most memorable things we have done in our lives. Spring for the full experience, you will not regret it. read more

Wonderful Norwegian experience. The food is exquisite. The scenery was breathtaking as you take a boat from Bergen out to the restaurant which is in a boathouse on its own island. The history behind the restaurant is wonderfully told by a sommelier accompanied by pro secco and raw scallops. read more

Come here to impress your guests and break the bank (or the expense account). Take the ferry from the pier across the street from Bryggen or your own boat. The glorious shellfish towers make this place famous, but will set you back over 1000 NOK per head. Wine, this place has their own wine cellar, is a must. Also the proprietor is a character and will regale you with tales of his exploits, and how this restaurant came to be a standard bearer in Bergen, way out there by boat. The well off locals come with their own boats in the summer time for weekend luncheons on the deck. The seafood is without equal. Not just the standard and ubiquitous shrimps on white bread with mayo and lemon, but great mussels, sweet raw scallop, langoustine tails, lobster, etc. read more