Akershus Sign marking the entrance to the Royal Banquet Hall.
Actually, this main spire on top of the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is not over the main dining area, but off to the side, over the "country summer" wing of the popular Epcot restaurant.
There's almost always a little "waiting in line" at Disney character meals (which are mostly served buffet or all-you-care-to-enjoy style). It's a little hard to figure out how long guests are going to stick around eating and visiting with the princesses. At least the line outside Akershus has umbrellas that help keep the sun off those waiting in line.
Snowflakes adorn one of the exterior walls at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. (You have no idea how much I want to write an "it looks like someone is leaving their holiday decorations up all year long" joke.)
At the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion — Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog" might be one of the princesses you'll meet over the course of your meal.
Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog" meets with guests at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
At the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion — Aurora
from "Sleeping Beauty" might be one of the princesses you'll
meet during your meal.
Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty" meets with guests at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
At the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion — Snow White (minus any of the seven dwarfs) might be one of the princesses you'll
meet during the course of your meal.
Snow White from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" meets with guests at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
It might just be me... but I think I've found a Hidden Mickey on Belle's dress! At the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall — Belle
from "Beauty and the Beast" might be one of the princesses you'll
meet over the course of your meal.
Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" meets with guests at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
At the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion — Ariel
from "The Little Mermaid" might be one of the princesses you'll
meet over the course of your meal.
Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" meets with guests at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. (Clearly, she has feet and not a flipper at the moment.)
Tiana and Belle meet with guests at Epcot's Akershus Royal Dining Hall.
Aurora, Snow White, and Ariel are some of the princesses you might meet at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. There's usually four or five princesses on any given day... but they do change the lineup, every now and then.
At the end of your meal, each table receives an autograph card as a keepsake from dining at Akershus. This is the front of that card.
This is the back of the autograph card that's given to guests as a keepsake at the end of a meal at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. There's usually four or five princesses appearing on any given day, but they might change slightly, depending on availability. (Princesses are very busy, doing princess things, naturally.)
Here's a front and back view of the adult beverage menu that is placed on each table. (Summer 2023)
One of the "starters" at Akershus are these Lefser. (Lefser is the plural form of Lefse.) Lefse is a traditional Norwegian alternative to bread, and can be made with wheat or potato flour.
The Lefser are served with Cardamom-Cinnamon Butter. While you may think this is a dessert item, the cardamom/cinnamon spice combination shows up in savory Norwegian cooking as well.
It's common in Norway actual, to see Lefse being served at all times of the day. They are great with morning coffee, can be rolled with savory ingredients for lunch, and dipped in chocolate or berry sauce for dessert.
This is the Spring Mix Salad with a Lingonberry Vinaigrette (Summer 2023) and it's a much-improved version of what had previously been the salad at Akershus.
Look at all those poppy seeds! This is a really great, rustic, mixed greens salad that's pretty close to what you would find in Norway actual.
This is a bowl of Kylling go Melboller, or Norwegian Chicken and Dumplings from Akershus in Epcot's Norway pavilion. (Summer 2023)
The Kylling go Melboller is a lot like a chicken pot pie — only ... with small dumplings instead of a pie crust topping.
I was dining alone, so I ate right out of this bowl... but I'm not sure how multiple people would get to sample this, if the meal is served "family-style". There were no small bowls anywhere that I could see... only small plates for breaking out portions from the main platter.
Ahhhhh... Corn Dog Nuggets. Probably not the most Norwegian item, but the main guest demographic is going to be the possibly picky adolescent diner — between the Corn Dog Nuggets and the Mac & Cheese, you've got all the bases covered.
Here's a look at a bowl of Corn Dog Nuggets that are served with the main platter. While they may have been intended for children, they were actually quite good... Especially with the mac and cheese.
The Mac & Cheese from Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion.
An Akershus warm side item, the Mac and Cheese.
The bright yellow / orange color of the Mac and Cheese is such a great contrast with the purple color of the Sweet and Sour Braised Red Cabbage.
The Mac and Cheese at Akershus is thick and creamy (and paired really well with those little corn dog nuggets).
The Rødkål or Sweet and Sour Braised Red Cabbage pairs really well with the Kjøttkake or Norwegian meatball.
The beautiful warm side item at Akershus is Rødkål, or Sweet and Sour Braised Red Cabbage. While the color might suggest otherwise, it has a mild bite and none of that bitterness that's typically associated with cabbage.
The Herbed Butter Grilled Salmon from Akershus Royal Banqest Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion.
The Herbed Butter Grilled Salmon at Akershus is served on top of some green beans!
Here's two of the three proteins that make up the main course platter... on the left are the Kjøttkake or Norwegian Meatball with Gravy and Lingonberry Sauce and on the right is the Herbed Butter Grilled Salmon on top of green beans. The third protein (not pictured) is the Kylling go Melboller, or Norwegian Chicken and Dumplings.
Here's a photo of the Kjøttkake which is a Norwegian Meatball with Gravy and Lingonberry Sauce. (Summer 2023)
The Kjøttkake is one of three savory protein items on the main platter at Akershus.
The Akershus meal is served family style and "all you care to eat" which means if you want more of something, just ask! So what does more look like? I asked for some more salmon and green beans, and this plate is what came out of the kitchen!
I gotta say, these two medallions of grilled salmon were even better than the first one that was on the platter. They were piping hot and fresh!
Look at that hot herbed butter roll off the salmon as it melts! Yummy!!!
This is a small dish of Vanilla Gelato. It's on the plant based menu as a dessert. While it may look simple... it was really nice to have together with that Chocolate Mousse Cake (which is not plant based).
Here's the dessert platter at Epcot's Akershus restaurant. On the left is Rice Cream with Strawberry Sauce and on the right is a Chocolate Mousse Cake.
The Norway flag on the dessert platter is made out of edible chocolate! (And I did eat it.) My suggestion here is, ask for some more of the strawberry sauce in a little ramekin. It pairs just as well with the Chocolate Mousse Cake as it does with the Rice Cream.
Here's a closer look at the Chocolate Mousse Cake from the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall restaurant in Epcot's Norway pavilion.
The Rice Cream with Strawberry Sauce (Riskrem) is a traditional holiday dessert in Norway that's usually served on Christmas Eve.
Some people don't like the texture of the thick rice cream itself... but it's really not much different than something like overnight oats. The flavor is semi-sweet and it's served cold with a sweet strawberry sauce.
This plexiglass covered storybook near the entrance to Akershus explains why the place has so many princesses floating around. They're actually royal visitors that have been invited by the king and queen for a feast at castle Akershus.
Once your party's name is called, you'll be escorted though the main entrance doors into this room. Straight back, is the main central dining area. To the right, would be the bathrooms (which you can't really see in the photo), and to the left is the "summering in the country" dining area.
This is one of four different dining areas at Akershus. For me it has a "country summer" sort of feel — regal carpeted flooring with big windows — a little more modern than the rest of the castle. (Yes, that is Belle back there, near the china cabinet.)
Upon closer inspection, Belle was, in fact, having a conversation with these dishes.
I believe that might just be Mrs. Potts back in there.
This dining area (which is technically along the north side of the building) is the largest dining area at Akershus.
I can't be certain, but I think the princesses have a teleportation device behind that door at the back of the room.
This is the new "on stage kitchen" area at Akershus, which is really more like a salad and dessert prep and staging area. This is where the mini-buffet items had been in previous incarnations of the restaurant.
The seating area near the on-stage kitchen is one of the smaller rooms, but if you like seeing the hustle and bustle of kitchen life, this area is for you!
This seating area at Akershus has more of a modern Norway vibe, thanks to the large back splash and honey colored cabinet. The area is bright, clean, and full of energy.
A traditional Norwegian design. This particular plate, is made out of wood. (The plates you get to eat on, are a commercial grade melamine.)
This is a model of a traditional Viking longboat (possibly the Draken boat). I'm sure at one point, it could have been used to hold straws or even cheese. Now, it's a decoration near the salad prep area.
Here's a up-close look at the Viking longship's figurehead... a "Draken". It's really quite authentically detailed for a medieval era (replica) wood carving.
This cool little alcove in the back of the photo is actually what's inside the second, smaller spire that can be seen from the outside. Traditionally, it would be called a corner tower or a castellated tower with crenellations. This one, however, is only two stories high, capped with a metal roof, and seating for three or four tables.
This is part of the north-western dining area at Akershus. I usually call it the "hearth" room because of the fireplace (non-functioning) in the back. This area has more of a rustic manor house feel.
Tapestries and crests adorn the walls here and there, along with a few paintings. This is also where one of the larger "tables for ten" can be put together.
Here's a better view of the fireplace, complete with wood and some pokers. I'm fairly certain that it's never been fired up though... because there's no real "flue" leading to the outside.
Here's one of the more detailed tapestries hanging on the wall at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway Pavilion. (It's not "The Last Supper", it's just the king and queen having a feast with family and friends.)
This photo was taken in the hearth room at Akershus... looking into the main, central dining area. I've always wondered what that green thing is in the corner. They keep napkins in it, and the cast stand behind it... like they're launching boats into "It's a Small World" — but, I've always wondered about it's rather odd design and placement.
Look at all those chairs! This photo was taken in the main dining area (in the center of Akershus), looking north west at a tapestry hanging on a wall in the "hearth room" dining area.
An abstract tapestry hangs on a wall in the main dining hall at Akershus. I'm not sure what the backstory is on this one. It's rather Bjørn Engø-esque looking.
The thing that really makes the main dining area feel like a royal hall is the high beamed ceilings with hanging crest flags and chandeliers.
There's three "tables for eight" near the tall windows in the main dining hall at Akershus in Epcot's Norway pavilion.
The main dining hall at Akershus is quite large. The tables are spaced out nicely and you don't really feel too crowded or boxed-in.
Royal crest flags and chandeliers hang from the tall wood ceiling at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot's Norway pavilion.
There are a few tables however, in the main dining hall that might make you feel a little cramped.
Here's a look at one of the "adult beverage menus" that are on each of the tables. I took a photo of both sides (and larger, so it can be read) — and that's located near the food photos here in our photo gallery page for Akershus.
The main dining hall is on the left — and on the right, is a closer look at that abstract tapestry hanging on one of the back walls at Akershus.
This photo of the main dining hall at Akershus was taken from the three tall windows at the south end of the restaurant, looking toward the main entrance doors (all the way at the back, through the archway).
Here's a quick look at a typical table setting at Akershus. There's an "adult beverage" menu on the table, along with a couple of plates, blue cloth napkins, and a full set of flatwear.