A house that has stood for over a century

The trading house and the steamship quay

1920–1959

The property was separated from farm number 6 in 1920. The same year Kristoffer Berntin Johnsen (1880–1953) took over the deed. Soon after, he built a quay. Here he handled the boats of Det Midthordlandske Dampskibsselskab, the steamship company.

Kristoffer had run the trading post after his father-in-law since 1915. In 1920 he lost the lease. He then rented rooms from Ole Bruntveit for three years. In 1923 his own store was finished on the quay.

His father-in-law had already started handling the Midthordlandske boats at Handelslagsbryggja. Kristoffer carried on with this work alongside the store.

Kåre Johnsen

1959–1967

In 1959 his son Kåre Johnsen took over the property. He restored the trading house in 1960 and ran the store for some years. His store is our restaurant and bar today.

Kåre handled the steamships until around 1961. The year after, Midthordlandske merged into HSD. Before and after, Kåre went to sea as a ship's steward.

Torvald and Nelly Hillesvik

1967–1994

Torvald Hillesvik took over the property in 1967. From 1 January 1968 he ran the store after Kåre. Torvald and his wife Nelly also kept their shop at Uggdalseidet for some years. From 1973 they only had the store in Våge, where they also lived.

In 1994 the store on the quay closed. After 71 years of trade, the rooms stood empty.

Roasted almonds from Bergen

1995

The idea of a restaurant came while Liv and Arvid Arnesen were waiting in the ferry queue. The empty rooms sat by the sea, in the middle of the village. They suited a small restaurant on the quay.

Mandelhuset was a family business in Bergen. It sold sweets and made roasted almonds, which is where the name comes from. Mandel means almond. Liv and Arvid Arnesen and Randi Beate Bjørge owned the business and wanted to grow.

In 1995 Mandelhuset AS opened a restaurant in Våge. The rooms were renovated and the company got a licence to serve alcohol. After a little more than a year, the house was also allowed to serve outdoors on the quay.

The restaurant was meant to be called «Ett rom og kjøkken», one room and a kitchen. The name never caught on. In the village people said Mandelhuset, Mandelen or Mandelstova. «Ett rom og kjøkken» stayed in the logo until 2017.

A meeting place for the village and the boat people

The restaurant was built on hard work and people who kept at it. Over time Mandelhuset became a place for everyone. The people of Tysnes took it to heart. For people travelling by boat, the stop in Våge became a fixed part of the trip.

Many guests came back, summer and winter. Without them the story would have been a very different one.

With guests all year, the house also became a place to celebrate. People have held confirmations, weddings and birthdays here.

New owners

2003–2012

In 2003 the restaurant was sold to Waldemar Solheim. He sold it on to Christine Bakkane and Tor Erik Thunold. The same year Torleif Hillesvik, Torvald's son, sold the property to Karl-Aage Tvedt.

In 2005 Sigvard Madsen, Anders Dalland and Morten Storetvedt took over the restaurant. After a year, Dalland and Storetvedt stepped out. Sigvard brought in Patrick Madsen. Over the next years they built the place into a restaurant and function venue.

In 2012 Sigvard and Patrick bought into the property together with Karl-Aage Tvedt.

The houses grow

2007–2020

Since 2007 we have held small concerts with food and drink. In 2009 the store's old warehouse became Sjøhuset, a small function room with a view of the sea. The banquet hall, Festsalen, followed in 2017.

The boathouse, Naustet, has stood by the sea since 1920. In 2020 we moved it by crane, 8 metres further up the shore. Today it is a room for wine tastings and small parties.

The furniture and objects in Naustet came from around the village. Much of it belonged to Karl-Aage Tvedt's father. Karl-Aage gave it to us after his father died. On the wall hangs the original 1945 front page of Bergens Tidende, «Våpenfred i Europa», peace in Europe. It was a gift from Arne Tvedt. There is also a letter from Prime Minister Erna Solberg, sent after her visit during the pandemic in 2021.

The people's restaurant

2022

After the pandemic the restaurant needed new footing. In 2022, 145 new small shareholders joined us, from the village and among friends of the house. That is how Mandelhuset became a people's restaurant.

Mandelhuset today

Today Mandelhuset is open for much of the year. Food and parties come first, and the pub is an important part of the house. Butikken, Festsalen, Sjøhuset and Naustet stand on the quay. Boats moor in the guest harbour right outside.

Patrick Madsen, Sigvard Madsen and Espen Aspenes own the property. Espen joined in 2025, when we started looking at plans for a hotel. Whether there will be a hotel, time will tell.

We look forward to more adventures in Western Norway, with Tysnes as the melting pot.