On Saturday the doors open. Behind them are years of work
For a long time passersby in the centre of Rjukan saw covered shop windows at Sam Eydes gate 97. Behind them a rebuild was taking place, the result of which will be visible already on Saturday 19 September from 12:00.
This is where the new incarnation of Icons Restaurant is opening.
The restaurant is run by Vladyslav Krasnovskyi, but when we ask him about creating the venue, he quickly points out that he did not do it alone.
Family, friends and acquaintances helped. One could build, another paint, someone else 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 just business. Also people.
Icons did not start yesterday
Radio Rjukan reminds that Icons previously operated in Gullsmedhagen in Miland, later in Austbygde, and is now moving its activity to a freshly prepared premises in the centre of Rjukan.
For Vladyslav that journey began in 2022.
The new premises are, however, a completely different challenge. At Sam Eydes gate 97 there had not previously been a restaurant. The space had to be converted from a retail premises into a restaurant.
And this is where the part of the project began that a customer later sitting at a table will probably never see.
“If I had known at the beginning how much of this there would be…”
When we ask Vladyslav what was the most difficult thing in 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, food service and permits.
— If I had known from the beginning what I would have to face, I might not have started — he says.
Not because he thinks Norwegian regulations are bad.
On the contrary.
In his opinion the system is well built, but for a person 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 must be changed or done again.
And that costs.
Time.
Money.
And nerves.
Vladyslav's experience corresponds well with the official rules. When changing the use of a premises to a workplace, certain undertakings require prior approval Arbeidstilsynet, and the municipality cannot issue permission to start work until such approval has been obtained.
A shop became a restaurant
It was precisely change of use, that is the change of how the premises are used, that was one of the most important parts of the undertaking.
The restaurant was not created in a place previously adapted for food service.
It had to be created practically from scratch in line with current requirements for the workplace and food service operations.
That also explains why the preparations took so long and why part of the investment consumed far more money than originally planned.
The Mattilsynet requirements also apply to food service activities. Every new company preparing and selling food must be registered with Mattilsynet before starting operations. Subsequent inspections are scheduled by the authority based on, among other things, the type of activity and the risk assessment.
Ukrainian restaurant, but the menu does not confine itself to a single country
And here Icons becomes especially interesting.
Because the term “Ukrainian restaurant” does not mean that the menu will consist exclusively of traditional Ukrainian dishes.
Vladyslav says plainly 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.
That's why 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 only the beginning
Some of the flavors may be very familiar to Poles.
The menu includes, among other things, Ukrainian borscht served with beef, potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots, onion, tomatoes, garlic, sour cream and pork fat.
For dessert there are Ukrainian syrniki with sour cream, jam and fresh fruit.
But then the menu changes direction.
There is Norwegian beef.
Salmon and cod.
Fish soup.
Steaks.
Pasta dishes.
Pizza.
Burgers.
Sushi.
Salads.
Children's menu.
Desserts.
This is not an attempt to recreate a Ukrainian restaurant transplanted one-to-one from Kyiv to Rjukan.
It is rather a Ukrainian interpretation of an international restaurant.
And that is exactly how the owner describes it.
Norwegian products, international flavors
The ingredients on the menu also stand out.
The carpaccio is prepared from Norwegian beef. The main courses feature salmon, cod, beef tenderloin and entrecôte.
Alongside the Ukrainian borscht you can order a creamy fish soup with salmon, cod, shrimp and mussels.
Alongside the 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 entire 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.
Some of this cuisine will also be familiar to Poles.
But the owner does not want to divide customers by passport.
The priority should be residents of Rjukan and Tinn, and later also tourists visiting the town.
And that is probably the best expression of integration.
Not a conference on integration.
Not a slogan on a poster.
Just a shared table.
Family and friends contributed their own work to this place
One more thing resonates particularly strongly in this story.
When the premises were 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 strong — he recalls.
That's why the opening is not just a ribbon-cutting and opening the till.
For the group of people who helped create this place, it is the end of a very long phase.
And the beginning of the next.
Alcohol also required a separate process
In Norway, a restaurant that wants to serve alcohol must obtain the appropriate permits.
Vladyslav says that it was necessary, among other things, to pass the appropriate exams and to go through the procedure related to skjenkebevilling.
According to the owner, Icons obtained permission to serve all three categories of alcoholic beverages.
However, this is not the main element of the concept.
The core will remain food and the restaurant, where you can come for lunch, dinner, coffee, or a family gathering.
Open seven days a week
Icons plans to operate daily.
Key information for the opening:
Opening: Saturday 19 September 2026, at 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 register that would allow reliably comparing the nationality 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:
In Rjukan, a place is being created by a Ukrainian entrepreneur, his family, and friends, which from the first day wants to be open to the entire local community.
And that is precisely why we write about it on TwojaNorwegia
Yes, TwojaNorwegia is primarily a portal for Poles living in Norway.
But integration is not about seeing only ourselves.
Poles and Ukrainians live side by side in the same Norwegian towns. We work together, our children meet at school, we shop in the same stores, and sit in the same restaurants.
And the palate really doesn't 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 town's residents – it's worth showing.
Regardless of whether they were born in Poland, Ukraine or Norway.
Saturday at 12:00. Now the guests will judge
The venue itself is ready.
The menu is printed.
Exams passed.
The formalities have run their course.
Family and friends have done their part of the work.
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 already:
Saturday, 19 September, 12:00.
Sam Eydes gate 97, Rjukan.
The rest is best judged at the table.
Editorial comment Your Norway
We often tell stories of integration with big words. Meanwhile sometimes it looks much simpler: a Ukrainian family builds a restaurant in a Norwegian town, borscht appears on the menu next to salmon, sushi and carbonara, and later a Ukrainian, a Pole, a Norwegian and a tourist from Germany can sit at the same table.
And these are precisely the kinds of stories we also want to show.
Icons now officially open. The ribbon was cut by the mayor of Tinn
On Saturday 19 September promptly at 12:00 Icons Restaurant officially began operations at Sam Eydes gate 97 in Rjukan.
The symbolic ribbon cutting was performed by the mayor of Tinn, Kathrine Haatvedt, who has held this position since 2023.
Thus the stage of preparations, renovations and formalities ended, and the restaurant officially opened its doors to the residents of Rjukan, the entire municipality of Tinn and guests visiting the town.
Icons is now open. Welcome and enjoy your meal!