Fedje is not the only place where the archipelago provides surprises. We don’t expect much when we drive into the little fishing community of Bekkjarvik, with a population of fewer than 600, on the island of Selbjørn, less than a couple of hours south of Bergen, with its well-to-do houses with Norwegian pennant flags. We certainly don’t anticipate having one of our all-time greatest meals at Beckerwyc House, an angular boutique hotel on a hillside overlooking the serene harbour. Mirabelle, its low-lit contemporary restaurant, is the passion project of chef Ørjan Johannessen, whose family own both Beckerwyc House and its more traditional sister hotel, the harbourside Bekkjarvik Gjestgiveri.
The self-effacing Johannessen first won the Bocuse d’Or Norway Gold in 2011, aged just 26 (he went on to win Gold in the main competition in Lyon in 2015). His 16-course menu is a love letter to archipelago ingredients, especially seafood: tiny fried potatoes from nearby Fitjar topped with Black Label caviar; local crab in a delicate round crisp; a sculptural sole with artichoke emulsion and Oscietra caviar that Johannessen served the Bocuse d’Or Europe judges in 2012. Guided by charmingly esoteric sommelier Alex Wiggins, whose strong opinions about pet nat wines are justified by the richly complex Loire Pouilly-Fumé and Otago cuvées he serves us, there’s a joy to it all, down to the little bites of “verdens beste” – world’s best – sponge cake with meringue inspired by Johannessen’s grandmother.
Mirabelle is part of a broader shift here, from fishing to tourism. The next morning, we take a truncated sea safari with new outfit Bekkjarvik Experience, on a sleek black Bond-worthy RIB that reaches speeds of up to 70 miles per hour on a rollercoaster-like tour of tiny islands that remind me of the Finnish archipelago. We stop at sea eagles’ nests, the waterside Brandasund general store and En Liten Øl brewery, which overlooks a harbour of modern homes.
