On Saturday they open the doors. Behind them are years of work
For a long time those passing through the center of Rjukan saw covered shop windows at Sam Eydes gate 97. Behind them a reconstruction was underway, the result of which can already be seen on Saturday 19 September from 12:00.
It is here that the new incarnation of Icons Restaurant opens.
The person behind the restaurant is Vladyslav Krasnovskyi, but when we ask him about the creation of the place, he quickly emphasizes that he did not do it alone.
Family, friends and acquaintances helped. One could build, another could paint, someone knew the kitchen. Everyone took on the part of the work in which they felt strongest.
— Without them it would have been really hard — says Vladyslav.
And perhaps that best describes the story of this place.
Not only business. Also people.
Icons did not start yesterday
Radio Rjukan reminds, that Icons previously operated in Gullsmedhagen on Miland, later in Austbygde, and now moves its activity to a freshly prepared premises in the center of Rjukan.
For Vladyslav this journey began in 2022.
The new premises, however, are a completely different challenge. There was no restaurant previously at Sam Eydes gate 97. The space had to be transformed from a commercial premises into one for restaurant use.
And here began the part of the project that a customer later sitting at a table will probably never see.
“If I had known at the beginning how much there would be…”
When we ask Vladyslav what was the hardest part of creating a restaurant from scratch in Norway, the answer comes immediately:
formalities and requirements.
Change of use of the premises, documentation for the municipality, issues related to Arbeidstilsynet, building requirements, solutions for employees, catering and permits.
— If I had known from the start what I would have to face, maybe I wouldn't have started — he says.
Not because he considers Norwegian regulations bad.
On the contrary.
In his opinion the system is well built, but for someone creating a restaurant from scratch for the first time, the biggest problem is the lack of a single simple instruction:
first do A, then B, then C.
When you learn about another requirement already during construction, sometimes it turns out that something has to be changed or redone.
And that costs.
Time.
Money.
And nerves.
This experience of Vladyslav corresponds well with official rules. When changing the use of a premises to a facility with workplaces certain undertakings require prior approval Arbeidstilsynet, and the municipality cannot issue a permit to start work until such approval has been obtained.
A restaurant was created from a shop
It was precisely change of use, that is the change of use of the premises, that was one of the more important parts of the undertaking.
The restaurant was not created in a space previously adapted for restaurant use.
It had to be created practically from scratch in accordance with the current requirements for the workplace and a food service business.
This also explains why the preparations took so long and why part of the investment cost significantly more than originally expected.
For food service businesses, requirements from Mattilsynet also apply. Every new company that prepares and sells food must be registered with Mattilsynet before starting operations. Subsequent inspections are planned by the agency based on, among other things, the type of activity and a risk assessment.
Ukrainian restaurant, but the menu does not confine itself to a single country
This is where Icons gets particularly interesting.
Because the term “Ukrainian restaurant” does not mean that the menu will consist exclusively of traditional Ukrainian dishes.
Vladyslav says directly that the menu was prepared primarily with the residents of Rjukan, the entire municipality and tourists in mind.
— We want someone coming from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom to also find something they know and like — he explains.
Therefore the menu brings together several cuisines.
The Ukrainian character remains visible, but the owners do not want to confine the restaurant to a single national label.
Borscht and syrniki, but that's just the beginning
Some of the flavors may be very familiar to Poles.
The menu includes, among others, Ukrainian borscht served with beef, potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots, onions, tomatoes, garlic, cream and salo.
For dessert there are Ukrainian syrniki with cream, jam and fresh fruit.
But then the menu changes direction.
There is Norwegian beef.
Salmon and cod.
Fish soup.
Steaks.
Pastas.
Pizza.
Burgers.
Sushi.
Salads.
Children's menu.
Desserts.
This is not an attempt to reproduce a Ukrainian restaurant one-to-one from Kyiv to Rjukan.
It is rather an Ukrainian interpretation of an international restaurant.
And that's how the owner describes it.
Norwegian products, international flavors
The ingredients on the menu are also noteworthy.
The carpaccio is prepared from Norwegian beef. Main courses feature salmon, cod, beef tenderloin and entrecôte.
Alongside Ukrainian borscht you can order a creamy fish soup with salmon, cod, prawns and mussels.
Alongside syrniki – cheesecake, brownie or Napoleon.
Alongside classic carbonara – sushi.
It's a broad menu, but it has a specific goal:
everyone should find something for themselves.
We are not publishing the full menu here. It's worth leaving something for the first visit as well.
“We are waiting for everyone”
I ask Vladyslav directly: who was Icons created for?
Is it primarily for Ukrainians?
He answers without hesitation:
for everyone.
Of course he counts on the Ukrainian community. For many guests, borscht or syrniki will be flavors well known from home.
Poles will also find some of this cuisine familiar.
But the owner does not want to divide customers by passport.
The most important should be the residents of Rjukan and Tinn, and later also tourists visiting the town.
And that is probably the best form of integration.
Not a conference about integration.
Not a slogan on a poster.
Simply a shared table.
Family and friends left their own work in this place
One more thing resonates particularly strongly in this story.
When the venue was being built, not everything was done by an anonymous company.
People from Vladyslav's circle helped.
Family.
Father-in-law.
Father.
Friends.
Acquaintances.
— Someone knew how to build. Someone could paint. Someone knew how to cook. Everyone helped where they were strongest — he recalls.
That's why the opening is not just a ribbon-cutting and turning on the cash register.
For the group of people who co-created this place, it is the end of a very long phase.
And the beginning of the next one.
Alcohol also required a separate process
In Norway, a restaurant that wants to serve alcohol must obtain the appropriate permits.
Vladyslav says that among other things it was necessary to pass the appropriate exams and go through the procedure related to skjenkebevilling.
According to the owner, Icons obtained the right to serve all three groups of alcoholic beverages.
However, this is not the main element of the concept.
The core is to remain food and the restaurant, a place where you can come for lunch, dinner, coffee, as well as a family gathering.
Open seven days a week
Icons plans to operate every day.
Key information for the opening:
Opening: Saturday 19 September 2026, 12:00
Address: Sam Eydes gate 97, Rjukan
Monday–Thursday and Sunday: 10:00–22:00
Friday–Saturday: 10:00–23:00
Cuisine: international with distinct Ukrainian accents
The menu also includes dishes for children, fish, meat, pasta, pizza, burgers, sushi and desserts
Radio Rjukan confirmed both the Saturday opening and the new location of Icons at Sam Eydes gate 97.
The first such restaurant in Norway.
However, we did not find a public Norwegian registry that would allow us to reliably compare the nationalities of the owners of all restaurants operating in the country.
Therefore we treat this as information, not an officially confirmed record.
One thing is certain, however:
In Rjukan, a place created by a Ukrainian entrepreneur, his family and friends is being established, which from the first day wants to be open to the entire local community.
And that is precisely why we write about it on YourNorway
Yes, YourNorway is primarily a portal for Poles living in Norway.
But integration is not about us seeing only ourselves.
Poles and Ukrainians live alongside each other in the same Norwegian towns. We work together, our children meet at schools, we shop in the same stores and sit in the same restaurants.
And the palate really does not need a passport.
When a person creates something from scratch, goes through years of work, regulations, investments, stress and finally opens the doors to the city's residents – it's worth showing.
Whether they were born in Poland, Ukraine or Norway.
Saturday at 12:00. Now the guests will be the judges
The venue itself is ready.
The menu is printed.
Exams passed.
The formalities have run their course.
Family and friends have done their part.
Now the most important test remains.
Guests.
Vladyslav ends the conversation very simply:
— We are waiting for everyone. We will be happy to see you in our new restaurant.
The first opportunity is coming up:
Saturday, 19 September, at 12:00.
Sam Eydes gate 97, Rjukan.
The rest is best judged at the table.
Editorial comment Your Norway
Stories of integration are often told through grand words. Meanwhile, sometimes it looks much simpler: a Ukrainian family builds a restaurant in a Norwegian town, the menu features borscht alongside salmon, sushi and carbonara, and later a Ukrainian, a Pole, a Norwegian and a tourist from Germany may sit at the same table.
And these are the kinds of stories we also want to showcase.