Dining Underwater: The Norwegian Restaurant Turning the Ocean into a Stage.
The first underwater restaurant in Europe
At first glance, it looks like a structure fallen from the horizon: a tilted concrete block emerging from the waves, half boat, half bunker. But just descend a few stairs to discover that Under, in Lindesnes, is much more than a unique building. It is the first underwater restaurant in Europe, a capsule of design and contemplation that redefines what it means to go out for dinner.
Opened in 2019, this project by the Norwegian studio Snøhetta —responsible for the Oslo Opera and the 9/11 Memorial in New York— combines marine engineering, art, and sustainability. Its 34-meter-long structure, with part submerged five and a half meters below the surface, acts as an artificial reef where marine life already flourishes.
A dialogue between architecture and nature
The building was conceived as an extension of the environment. Its rough concrete facade allows mussels, algae, and small crustaceans to adhere to the walls. Inside, the atmosphere changes progressively: natural light dims, the blue of the sea gains ground, and the ocean’s murmur becomes the soundtrack.
The space culminates in an eleven meters wide by three meters high window, a sort of natural cinema that projects real scenes from the seabed. Fish, currents, and reflections of light compose a hypnotic spectacle that turns every dinner into a sensory meditation.
Sea-inspired cuisine, designed for the sea
In the kitchen, Danish chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard offers a tasting menu that. The ingredients —fish, seafood, algae, and coastal herbs— are locally sourced and vary by season. The “from sea to table” concept is followed to the letter: cod from cold waters, Lindesnes mussels, or a unique algae with black truffle aroma are among the most celebrated dishes.
Each service is a three-stage ritual: welcome on the surface, cocktail at sea level, and dinner under the waves. The full experience costs around 380 euros per person, with a waitlist of several months. Nevertheless, reservations are constantly sold out: the appeal of dining while a school of fish crosses the window does not need advertising.
