Named after the character Isak Sellanraa in Nobel prize winning author Knut Hamsun’s famous novel Marken’s Grøde (in English: Growth of the Soil), Sellanraa is a café, bar, and restaurant fittingly located in the Trondheim Literature House. Sellanraa focuses on locally sourced ingredients from Trøndelag, and updates its menu depending on the season.
Ay, I’ll buy you coffee, that I will. A paper of coffee, was it? Why not a pound? A pound of coffee, while you’re about it.
—Isak Sellanraa
It was Saturday noon, and I gathered a few friends to go for brunch and coffee. We made a reservation in advance as it can get quite busy in the weekends. We ordered the shrimp sandwich (239 NOK) and the braised beef cheeks open sandwich (249 NOK). The shrimp sandwich was a well-balanced Norwegian summer classic, with hand peeled Norwegian shrimp, caviar, lemon aioli, egg and mixed salad on toasted sourdough bread. The beef cheek sandwich however, served with caramelized onion, lingonberry jam, pickled mustard seeds, mixed salad and crispy rosemary all on a toasted brioche, was the star of the show. The beef cheek was so tender it just melted away on my tongue, and the tartness of the lingonberry and mustard seeds elevated the sandwich from homestyle to gourmet.
Shrimp open sandwich Beef cheeks open sandwich Small kitchen Sitting area
The dining area is large with additional seating outside during the summer, and large floor-to-ceiling windows bring in lots of sunlight. Conveniently located in the far end of the dining area is a door leading directly into the Trondheim library, if you have yet to read any of Knut Hamsun’s novels.
Financier Burnt basque cheesecake Coffee tasting board
For dessert, I ordered a coffee tasting and a burnt basque cheesecake. The cheesecake was rich and full in flavor, but I can not help but compare it to Oslos go-to shop for basque cheesecake, Hernandez. The cheesecake from Hernandez is creamy and soft as silk, but the cheesecake from Sellanraa had a grittier texture, and I would probably go for the Cannelés instead on another visit.
The only other coffee shop that comes to mind which offers coffee tasting menus is Tim Wendelboe, where you get different coffees made using the AeroPress presented and explained by the barista. Sellanraa offers a similar experience where you get one filter coffee, one espresso, and one cappuccino. The only explanation given is the country the beans are from, but three different coffees served in three different ways for around 70 NOK is nonetheless a great deal.
Espresso machine Coffee for sale from various roasters
It is clear that coffee is Sellanraa’s specialty, with their baristas securing several wins in the Norwegian national barista championships. The coffee beans put up for sale rotate depending on what they think is interesting. I have seen roasteries such as Tim Wendelboe and April (roastery in Copenhagen). On this day I could see coffee from Pala in Trondheim, Jacu in Ålesund, and A Matter of Concrete (A.M.O.C.) in Rotterdam, with Geisha beans from the latter ending up in my shopping bag. Such a place does not exist back home in Oslo, where cafés are usually dedicated to at most a handful of domestic roasters.
Brunch or lunch, coffee or wine, you will not leave Sellanraa disappointed.