Nordic fare may have reigned supreme thanks to the opening created by Rene Redzepi and his Noma empire over the last few years, but this subterranean space is dishing up food inspired by a different type of Nordic culture. Vikings. Mjolner is an otherworldly Viking-themed restaurant inspired by Thor, the Norse god of thunder, and it turns out, Mjolner is not such an ungodly idea after all.

The name refers to Thor’s mighty hammer (a replica sits on the bar) and the room is packed tighter than a shindig on Asgard. Diners sit on fur-lined banquettes in a room of brick walls and archway windows housing props you might see on the History Channel. Every guest is welcomed with a complimentary ‘skal’ (honey, mead, vermouth), served in a miniature glass horn and they even get to choose a knife from a bag full of blades.

Norwegian Sven Almenning and the crew behind Eau De Vie and The Roosevelt have enlisted chef Tom Gripton (ex-Bentley) to deliver “Viking-luxe” cuisine, though it really feels like contemporary Australian.

Ocean trout gravlax with pickled cucumber gets a punch from horseradish cream. A banging pig’s head terrine, with its wobbling texture and crunchy pistachio, is a must-order. Meanwhile, line-caught flathead is cooked superbly, and straight from the butcher’s block (there are different rotisserie-cooked animals every night) a braised beef short-rib paired with toothsome fried kale that’s an absolute killer.

Seal the deal with sweet and sour a rice pudding with rhubarb sorbet before heading to the bar for a serious nightcap (over 400 whiskies). For a great night, the Mjølner hammer has hit the nail on the head.

Must-eat dish: Braised short-rib with kale and mushroom
Instagram: @mjolnersydney