Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Posted on 05. Sep, 2010 by bharfly in Blog | No Comments

Ok, first an important disclaimer! As a heterosexual middle age man, I like women, especially beautiful women but this is NOT why I dined at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall within Walt Disney World’s Epcot’s Norway Pavilion.

I want to clarify this matter, as this dining experience is definitely not for a single traveler, especially an heterosexual middle age one, that likes women, especially beautiful women in costume, that are housed within a medieval castle.

The women of Akershus are beautiful creatures only matched by Disney’s wonderfully costumed princesses, that delight young children dining on Norwegian specialties while their fathers and other male companions stare in admiration and lust.

The above culminates in a strange permutation of Disney magic and voyeuristic fetishism sporadically disturbed by the intriguing Bokmål and Nynorsk accents of Akershus’s servers.

I make a passionate plea to all male Disney theme park diners, please focus on the Norwegian food delicacies offered at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and leave the leering to the Gentleman’s and strip Clubs back home. It was disturbing to watch fathers, brothers and even aging grandfathers jostle children out of the way to get a better look at the vivacious Jasmine or the buxom Snow White.

Ok, with the Bharfly sermon now over and lets talk about the dining.

Firstly, this place is beautiful. As you enter Akershus, the Disney Imaginers immerse you in the regalness of a medieval castle-themed restaurant. I must say, I have never been to Norway but as a virgin to the Norwegian culture and its architecture, Akershus felt like the real deal.

The menu is a refreshingly challenging alternative to your normal American theme park restaurant fare that proudly features Norwegian dishes complimented by an à la carte koldtbord buffet.

I ordered the pork, beef and caper meatball called the “kjottkaker”. I recommend ordering this dish, just to hear the pronunciation. I asked my server three times how to pronounce this dish and each time she laughed at me hysterically and finally gave up! The kjottkaker is served with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and lingonberry sauce.

I also ordered a bottle of Brassfield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that was served in a bottle and accompanied by a glass…

Even though it was a Tuesday night, service was slow and by the time my kjottkaker arrived, the Brassfield was half finished and I was on my third trip to the koldtbord buffet.

The kjottkaker meatball was interesting, not in a bad way, but not inspirational either. It was a cross between a great Sunday night family dinner offering and a Frankenstein food experiment performed on certain delicate parts of the cow. However, filling it was and after the three previous trips to the koldtbord and almost a whole bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in my belly, dessert was only ordered to fulfill my duties as a gluttonous food & wine reviewer.

Mercifully, desserts offerings at Akershus are of a lighter affair. My wonderful server Hjørdis that hailed from Norway’s Fredrikstad, delivered a trio of dessert offerings to the table. The plate consisted of bite sized portions of Norwegian inspired Chocolate Mousse, Traditional Rice Cream with Strawberry Sauce and Flaky Puff Pastry filled with Mascarpone Mousse and fresh Berries.

Overall, the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is a dining “attraction” and definitely not a fine dining experience. It is pure Disney magic in its design and delivery but be aware it does contain a few quirks for first time diners.

Firstly, this is a Character Dining Experience, which features Disney Princesses and as such attracts many families with young children (and a few male princess voyeurs as well) but the menu does not reflect its wider audience. Although it is wonderful to have authentic Norwegian dishes offered within a theme park environment, I would like the menu expanded to also cater for palates a little less adventurous.

Also, this is a restaurant that can be uncomfortable / intimidating for single diners, especially men. There can be some uncomfortable moments when the Disney princesses first approach your table and make rehearsed conversation. It is also an unexpected challenge when you are asked by the photographer as you enter the restaurant “would you prefer to wait until your family also arrives, before we take a photo of you and Arial”. This one is hard to fix, but be aware if you are planning to dine alone at Akershus.

My recommendation is to give Akershus Royal Banquet Hall a go next time you visit Epcot and enjoy the friendly Norwegian hospitality and the unique food offerings of Norway while immersed in Disney magic and architecture.

Bharfly Rating: 7 /10

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