Norjske

Hmm, thought I’d reviewed Norjske. Clearly not…
Norjske is just down right cool, there’s really no other way to describe it. The Scandinavian theme is evident throughout and looks like the Ikea catalogue is trying so desperately hard to.
The bar is well stocked and is one of the few places in the city you can get hold of the magnificent Icelandic beer Einstok which, if you haven’t tried it before, is absolutely delicious.
The smorgasbords are an absolute must as well, there’s three options — meat, fish and cheese — and for £7−9 each they provide the perfect accompaniment of nibbles to go with your fine beers. The gravadlax is gorgeous and the anchovies delicious saltiness are incredible when coupled with a bottle of the Einstok pale ale.
Norjske is a little tucked away just at the end of Highfield Road opposite St. George’s church but it’s well worth venturing out of the city for and it’s a little oasis of calm away from the chaos.
A great little bar and deli only a short walk away from Five Ways station.

Having developed a liking for traditional Swedish nosh on my recent travels I was excited to try this «Scandinavian» themed place in Edgbaston. As deli/​café/​bar/​restaurants go it’s ok, but it just didn’t feel very Scandinavian. There are a few IKEAesc touches to the décor, and a few Swedish poster prints on the walls, but nothing Scandi on the menu. And the Motown soundtrack did nothing to hammer home the theme either (not a peep to be heard from the likes of Abba, Neneh Cherry, Lykke Li, Bjork, Aha…). When we inquired about traditional dishes the chef chuckled and said «I could cook ‘em, but no one would eat ‘em, people don’t want fish eyes round ‘ere». So I ordered a New York deli style pastrami sarnie, which I have to say was excellent. We visited on a Monday lunch time, and if I was in the area I’d pop in for another deli sandwich. From reading the other reviews on Unilocal I suspect this place takes on a different, more bistro, vibe in the evenings.

What a brilliant little addition to birminghams bar scene!
I went here for a private party on a Saturday night, having not hung out in the area before. It’s located right next to the highfield and right opposite Simpsons, so it obviously falls into the bracket of upmarket bars and restaurants that the area is making a name for itself with.
The bar has been decorated brilliantly, with furs and wood giving a unique look. The glass fronted building really stands out on the road too.
The drinks selection is really good but I can’t comment on the prices as I stuck to lime and soda all night (damn dry January), but 1.50 for a bottled soda with lime represents decent value!
The buffet that was put on by norjske was incredible, some of the best prawns I’ve had in ages and plenty of interesting salads and cheese.
The staff were also excellent, friendly, efficient and funny.
I will definitely be back, to check the place out on a more typical night!

After a fabulous event here last year (
), it was just a matter of time before I planned to head back… When Unilocal Elite Caroline C. notified me that she had arranged some birthday drinks here, I couldn’t have been happier to accept the invite and pop back along to see if it was as good as I remembered.
After explaining to our cab driver that Norjske was indeed a bar *and not a furniture shop), we hopped out and wandered down Highfield Road. Norjske is just on the corner, opposite Simpsons restaurant/​next to the High Field and quite easy to spot with it’s name emblazoned on the sides of the pillars which welcome you in.
Downstairs is the Norjske Deli (which is open in the day to mostly serve the business community based around this area of Edgbaston) and a smoking area (complete with blankets to keep you warm on those chilly winter nights). The main bar area is up the stairs where you are welcomed into a clean, white, brightly lit space. We were greeted by Andre straight away and directed to the pre-​booked table Caroline had arranged. I had spotted that Veltin’s Pilsner was £3.80 a pint (thanks to a poster on the wall), so we grabbed a couple of pints and grabbed a seat in preparation for the rest of the gang to show up.
Service was pretty fantastic throughout our visit. Our barman was funny, polite and helpful over the course of the night and ensured that the second Birthday girl (Lauren) was given a free shot during the night to help her celebrate. We ordered some sharing platters (one meat and one fish at a cost of £8 each) between three of us, and these presented a great value way to try Norjske Deli without breaking the bank.
We had a very plesant evening at Norjske bar. Now, it’s not a cheap place to drink, but I would say it’s on par with the bars on Highfield Road. It’s got a lovely relaxing vibe to it and the food was superb. Go and give it a visit if you fancy some scandinavian style and a warm welcome.

Situated opposite the Church on Highfield Road, Edgbaston, this place isn’t the sort of venue you just stumble upon. However, this area is becoming quite a nice little area with Simpsons and few other up and coming eateries appearing around the corner.
I had read about this space in the press and then luckily Vicky organised a Unilocal event here, so we got to try it out. I had such a great time I decide to arrange my birthday outing here. It wasn’t’ easy to get hold of them on the phone, but once I did they were more that accommodating, with arranging space and providing a menu for us. The food platter — are £8 and you can choose, cheese, meat or fish, which they recommend you share. Personally I would share a meat and cheese board. Just having one of them can be a little dull and not quite enough for a meal I don’t think. However, it’s a great idea and nice to try different foods. We were offered desserts but this was much later than our mains so we had gone a bit past it! They have bottles of Einstok and Veltins on tap. There are plenty of cocktails to chose from too.
The décor is a simple Nordic/​Scandinavian theme-​quite tasteful — not too Ikea;)
Downstairs is the deli, you need to go upstairs to the bar.

I was driving past this bistro, on the way to my friend to go workout and thought we would try it afterwards. I must say that it was well worth passing! The food was organic and absolutely amazing. I would DEFINATELY recommend this place for breakfast and brunch or if you want a deli.
It has a nice ambience about it, and it’s quite intimate. Food was excellent. The one thing I would say was If they put background music in that would make it perfect. The pics on the wall made me a little scared but not enough to leave. I love the concept of the décor. Well done and keep it up!

The website does not do this place justice. Norjske is not a gallery to interior design. It does have a delicatessen, but is also a bar, and it does a very limited selection of excellent food.
We won a smörgåsbord and a bottle of wine which was good as the prices are a touch on the high side. However the mixed meat and cheese board (bord) would have been worth every penny.
The pastrami will be the reason I will be returning, and perhaps even including the delicatessen in my weekly shop.
Cocktails are available but are going to be overhauled. One of the previous customers used all the Tabasco but the bloody Mary I had was still put together with acceptable skill.
Lastly the music was very pleasant and yes, it is decorated well, but the ambiguous website and slightly awkward location loses it that last star.

Norjske is a Scandinavian themed bar in Edgbaston, part of a cluster of bars and restaurants that have opened up along Highfield Road.
Norjske is a stylish place. Sitting above Edgbaston Deli it has floor-​to-​ceiling glass along the street side, which is quite impressive. The décor is smart and contemporary, with nice Nordic touches in the form of sheep skins, horns and (fake) deer heads scattered about the open plan sitting areas. There are cosy booths facing out to the windows, as well as tables. The bar area really stands out, with black tiled walls lined with all manner of drinks and a glitzy, glittery deer head.
I visited Norjske as part of a Unilocal event and got a taster of the drinks on offer. I had my first taste of Aquavit, a potent but surprisingly lovely Scandinavian spirit (went down veeeeery easily). I also got through a fair few cocktails, including refreshing mojito and Aquavit and cranberry.
The bar staff were really friendly and knowledgeable, and gave me a couple of drinks tasters as well as telling me about some of the less well known spirits available.

A short walk from the Offices of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce is Nörjske it’s on a row of bars and restaurants that are making a splash on Highfield Road.
The downstairs is a outside smoking area and a deli with the bar upstairs.
As we were at a Unilocal event we had the whole bar to ourselves so It’s difficult to know what the regular crowd would be like.
It’s very white with comfy cushions and warm rugs giving that Scandi Game of Thrones feel. In contrast the bar area was positively heaving with bottles of all sorts of unusual types.
Friendly and informed staff added to the feeling that this was a cool venue.
I’d have a party here myself and line the shots up.

Nörjske landed on the Birmingham map around 12 months ago. Taking over the space above Edgbaston Deli as a pop-​up bar until Christmas. In January they secured a fulltime let on the premises.
When they arrived, Edgbaston was in dire need of somewhere to go for a drink. Considering that there are over 20,000 people living in Edgbaston ward, places to go were thin on the ground. Nörjske was a welcome treat, bringing with it Scandinavian elegance to leafy Edgbaston. I’m not really sure where the Scandinavian influence comes from though, as none of the staff appear to be from that part of the world.
It’s situated close to both Birmingham Uni and a BCU campus. Although I’m told they purposely keep their prices high enough to deter would be student visitors.
This is a Deli and Bar, not a restaurant. The Deli offer’s traditional English breakfasts, a range of sandwiches, salads, and some impressive cheeses. It’s is a shame that it’s not a restaurant, as I would enjoy a menu of Scandinavian fare meatballs etc. They do however, offer smörgåsbords during the evening. Using some of the delicious ingredients from downstairs. However, traditional smörgåsbords usually involve cooked foods as well as the cold on offer here. Nörjske’s smörgåsbords could easily be also described as. Their Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese is paired with more Italian than Scandinavian meats like Milano salami and Parma ham also some. They do have more traditional delicacies like gravlax (raw salmon) only I’m not a fan a fishy stuff, but I’m sure it’s great!
As a bar it is stylish, cool and all of the staff are lovely. Although a disappointing lack of flatpack furniture and Nordic noir.
They have an impressive array of spirits to produce their cocktails. The cocktails are complemented by beers from Einstök (Iceland) and Nøgne Ø (Norway), which cost between £3.50 and £6 per bottle. Oh, and of course akavit — a rather warming flavoured spirit. Akavit is distilled from either grain or potatoes and flavoured with herbs and spices.
All in all, it’s a lovely bar to visit, the staff are very friendly and a great addition to the prospering Edgbaston ‘scene’.

A little part of Scandinavia in… Birmingham! This place is adorable, amazingly furnished with some really quirky cushions and throws to keep yourself warm! The general ambience is relaxed, welcoming yet very trendy! As you come up the stairs from the Deli, you have a choice, left to a comfy seated area with sofas and views out over the local area or right… the bar! And what a bar! Absolutely astonishing decorations with their very own glittery reindeer on the wall! There’s a vast selection of spirits and a cocktail menu that will have you drooling! All reasonably priced for the area too — winner!
I attended one the fabulous Unilocal events here this time but will most definitely be returning for the entire evening, night and also be back for brunch!