The cooking showed real flair and talent, if not in all the dishes we tried, at least in several of them. Starters, although verging on the small side, were stunning, be it the duck with Cumberland sauce, or the scallops in green pea cream. So were the desserts – my chocolate fondant with pear sorbet, for example, was a great way to round up the meal, and I wouldn’t rule out going back to Kranbanen just to have it again. It was that good.

Our mains, however, were not all quite in the same league – a dish of pinnekjøtt turned out to be slightly chewy, and the sauce accompanying my (otherwise delicious) venison was somehow dull. Likewise the lacklustre wine list was a disappointment, with no real exciting labels to speak of – here again there was room for improvement.

So the verdict? This is a restaurant showing real potential, and definitely one of the best in Fredrikstad, despite the slightly harsh review (well, when I fork out over 1,500Kr for a meal for two, my expectations go up a notch). I’ll have to revisit at a less busy time… but so far what I’ve seen, and tasted, has been rather promising.

Kråkerøyveien 2, Fredrikstad. Tel: 69 34 55 05, www.kranbanen.com. Dinner only. Expect to pay around 500Kr per person, excluding drinks.

I was born here in 1974, and have lived most of my life in Fredrikstad, the last three in Gamlebyen. My father is Spanish and my mother is Norwegian. I have two boys, so when I’m not playing music, I hang out with them.

I got my first guitar when I was 10, but didn’t start playing until I was 17. I started playing in a hardcore band called My Right Choice 15 years ago. Soon the musical inspiration from my childhood took over, however. Simon & Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, Elvis, Bob Marley, classical music and of course different types of Latin music became my references when I wrote my songs.

I’ve never called myself a singer or a guitarist. I just wanted to create little melodies and play along with friends. I have a full-time job – and I’m very happy with that. I work as a culture consulent and my office is located in Gamlebyen as well. Which means I hardly have to leave this place!

I have had a single out before, ‘Songs for Sunday morning’, and an album, ‘Whatever’, with a band called Sunday Morning. This new project is called ‘Gamlebyen’ and our first CD ‘Tangood’ is in the shops now. Basically we are just a group of friends who wanted to make a CD. We rehearsed a couple of times, and just started recording. The official release was yesterday (17 Jan 2011), so we don’t know much about sales yet.

It’s hard to say what I love the most about living in the Old Town. Maybe watching my son going down the ramparts with the sledge in winter, or sitting on a bench watching all the people on the market in the summertime. And of course Månefestivalen*, or just taking a beer with a friend in Tamburen**. I can go on and on…

Gamlebyen, Tangood is available from good record shops in Norway, and from www.platekompaniet.no, 169Kr for the CD, or 79Kr for a MP3 download (10 songs)

* Månefestivalen (Gamlebyen’s most popular festival, taking place in the Old Town every year in late July)

** Tamburen (the bar at the back of Restaurant Major Stuen, a popular place with outdoor sitting in summer.

You will find pictures of the Gamlebyen Model Railway at www.gbmj.no (Norwegian only).

Voldgaten 8, Gamlebyen, Fredrikstad. Open weekends only, Sat 11am-4pm, Sun noon-4pm. Admission 30Kr.

Nygaardsgata 50. Tel: 69 31 62 99, www.dalucalunchbar.com. Closed Sun.