May 2019
What’s dinner at the Gruvelageret like? Well, probably worth the visit to Svalbard all on its own!
We drove up a narrow winding snow-covered road to find an old wooden shack – the Gruvelageret, or “Mine Storage” – perched on the mountainside below menacing avalanche paths. It looked closed. No tracks in the snow outside the building, dark inside, front door locked. It was about 10 minutes past 6 pm, and they “open” at 6 pm. We knocked on the door, no answer. Then Sally saw a movement inside… we tried the other door and heard a voice in Norwegian calling out. I opened the door to the kitchen and saw one of the cooks busy with his hands in a big bowl; he confirmed that the restaurant was open and urged us to try the front door again. We were greeted by the troubled-looking hostess who asked if we’d called for a reservation (we had tried to call earlier but the message was in Norwegian). After a bit of negotiation she went to check with the cooks and confirmed that if we were OK with waiting 90 minutes they would prepare our fixed menu meal. No problem — the dining area was very inviting and we relaxed to a few drinks and soaked in the ambience.
Our meal at Gruvelageret was incredible, and the improbability of it all — its location, the ambience, the unusual “welcome”, the wait — made it all the more memorable. This video will give you a feel for what our evening was like that words can’t describe.
Check out our slideshow and photos from our 2019 s/v Rembrandt van Rijn Ski and Sail trip!
Our second week, spent on the s/v Noorderlicht, gave us almost perfect weather the whole week, with some incredible wildlife viewings including the elusive polar bear. Our 2019 s/v Noorderlicht Slideshow & Photo Album showcases the highlights of that trip in the sun.