April was visiting Norway last weekend, and we had such a lovely time together with great weather and lots of good food. On Friday evening, we had dinner at Broken, a new seafood restaurant in Stavanger. It opened in November 2024 and is located on Langgata, right by Pedersgata, which has become the city’s hotspot for exciting new restaurants.
Behind Broken is Alan Kaye, who both owns and runs the place. Originally from England, he has worked at restaurants in Barcelona, Australia, and Denmark before settling down in Norway. Broken is a small restaurant with seating for about 25 guests, and with the open kitchen, the experience feels both personal and intimate. The night we visited, Alan was cooking himself, assisted only by a single waiter.
We ordered the four-course menu (1250 NOK), which began with snacks: tiny cones, paprika chips, and freshly baked sourdough bread with homemade butter. After that came:
Fresh Ceviche Scallops with fermented tomato “caviar” and lovage snow. A bright and tangy start that hit all the right notes.
Torched king fish tartare with salt-baked yellow beetroot, pickled plums, reduced cabernet sauvignon vinegar, and Jerusalem artichoke purée. An intense dish with a lot going on, yet everything came together beautifully.
For the main course, we had poached halibut with barigoule sauce, glazed Jerusalem artichoke, and fermented chanterelles. The fish was cooked to perfection, right on that fine line between raw and done. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had halibut this good.
Dessert was a pistachio soufflé with coconut and dark chocolate ganache, and it was so good that we both scraped our bowls clean to get every last bite.
April called the meal an explosion of flavors, and I couldn’t agree more. Broken is yet another example of how far modern Norwegian cuisine has come over the past decade. According to the restaurant, they have no plans of expanding, wanting to keep the intimate and relaxed atmosphere, but with the level of food they’re serving, it’s hard to imagine Broken will remain a hidden gem for long. The standard is impressively high, and it’s fascinating to see how a small restaurant in Stavanger can deliver food this refined. If you get the chance, I highly recommend trying Broken while you can still get a table.
Broken, Langgata 9, 4013 Stavanger
