If you’ve ever felt the urge to eat like the Vikings once did, a new restaurant in Ajman is all set to recreate the magic of the past.
Simply named Viking, the venue will open its doors in the Ajman Heritage District on Thursday.
The first-of-its-kind restaurant has been designed to take customers back in time. This means medieval-themed interiors, staff dressed in authentic attire and even the traditional food of Vikings.
“It’s not just about having a unique concept – which it is already – but about reinventing dining,” says Ivo Cuci, the restaurant's general manager. “There are a couple of Viking-themed restaurants around the world, but ours is different as it brings to the table the Viking experience in every sense.
“We’ve taken a lot of trouble to make sure customers feel like they’re stepping thousands of years back in time. Nowadays, we have a lot of technology, but we’re trying to hide all signs of it. This includes things like phones, Wi-Fi or cash registers. Even the lighting is mostly candles. It may seem simple, but the most challenging part has been setting up this medieval space in a modern era.”
The attention to detail also extends to the tableware and cutlery, which has been customised for the restaurant. This means guests can expect to find heavy plates and bowls, tankards and goblets on their table. The restaurant even has traditional Viking horns with its logo embossed on it, and specially crafted knives and forks.
As part of its efforts to stay as authentic and traditional as possible, the menu has been designed to recreate the food Vikings ate.
“Of course, it’s not exact to the dot – Vikings ate wild animals, and we can’t exactly do that at a restaurant,” says Cuci. “But we’ve worked hard and documented the diet of the Vikings, which is what our menu is based upon. That means we’ve looked at the ingredients used, the types of techniques, which usually includes grilling, roasting and smoking the meats.
“Vikings actually had a very rich diet. They travelled around, so they discovered a lot of different types of food, and they ate a lot of bread, many types of proteins, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables. It’s almost a Mediterranean diet."
Main courses include steaks, lamb chops, chicken legs, soups, bread and cheese. There are no burgers or pizzas at this venue.
To make it more fun, the dishes are named after popular Viking warriors, such as Bjorn Ironside choice (Where is my lamb?), No meat for me! Oleg Kyiv's king, and The Leif Erikson's battle meal. The restaurant also offers an extensive drinks menu, including a King Ragnar-themed menu.
There will be plenty of live entertainment including cooking shows and fire dancers, as well as medieval ballads performed by popular musician Daridel Paganfolk, all in keeping with the theme.
“We’re looking forward to adding more experiences," says Cuci. "We want people to be able to experience something new, something they won’t be able to get to do anywhere else. And even if you’re not a fan of Vikings, you can always come in for the food."
Viking restaurant opens to the public on November 25, with two reservation time slots: 7pm-9pm and 10pm-midnight. Open daily except Tuesdays; 06 744 4431; reservations@vikingrestaurant.ae
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