Oslo, Norway

If eating and drinking is all you ever think about, you will be happy in Oslo. Chances are you will survive even without a trailer with a fridge and a stove in it. But even though tap water is good, fish is cheaper than meat, and the east-end shops have a wide range of inexpensive vegetables and fruit in store, you probably did not come here to spend your time cooking.

Norway's capital is big enough for the amount of choice to be inexhaustible, no matter what your choice may depend on—value for money, low price, luxury, location, provenance of the cuisine—and yet the city center is compact enough for the restaurant you have chosen to be easily accessible even on foot.

A lot has changed since the 1960s. Norway has moved from rags to riches, Norwegians have acquired more leisure and money, and Oslo has become a multicultural society, notably with a large group of Asians. Today, half a million Osloers spend more and more of their time and money in Oslo's 1,000+ food and drink places. The traditional Norwegian food that, some decades ago, was simply prepared and eaten without anyone giving it much thought is now just a niche in the overall restaurant market and to be sampled at places like Maud , Engebret Cafe (sea specialties), Holmenkollen restaurant or Kaffistova (self-service). Around Christmastime you can find it anywhere; look out for Norwegian specialties like lutefisk (cod prepared in an alkaline solution, translucent in appearance), pinnekjøtt (smoked and dried ribs of lamb laid on top of birch sticks, steamed, and served with boiled potatoes and mashed swedes) and slices of spekemat (dried meat) like fenalår (cured leg of lamb), followed by some dessert based on multer (cloudberries).


Whether you come by plane or by train, your stay in Oslo is likely to start at the central train station, Oslo Sentralstasjon . The modest eastern opening of the city's main street, Karl Johans Gate will be among the first things you see as you leave the building. If you only eat food you are familiar with, you might as well choose a Burger King, McDonald's, Peppe's Pizza , Pizza Hut, Subway, or Bagel & Juice close to where you are staying, as such chains can be found all over the city. If you are already too hungry to move on, a more exciting bet would be Tampopo in Skippergaten, where you get two generous pieces of sushi for a reasonable price. Also, even before you reach the Oslo Cathedral , you could pause for Italian delicacies at Baltazar Restaurant or Trattoria Cappuccino for light meals. In Rådhusgaten, a couple of blocks to the left, you will find the luxurious restaurants Statholdergaarden and Wollans—the latter widely recognized as Oslo's best fish restaurant—and Cafe Celsius , which offers excellent cafe meals and a cozy fireplace.


To avoid misunderstandings, we might as well let you in on another Norwegian specialty: don't get too worked up if someone invites you to a vorspiel. In its local sense, the word vorspiel implies drinks and at least three or four people. And when you reach the point where none of you can bear to wait any longer, you all get dressed and go out. A nachspiel, on the other hand, is when you continue drinking and get things really going, at least judging from what people who have tried it are almost sure they remember.


With Egertorget, you reach the innermost core of Oslo, and here you no longer need anyone to tell you where to eat; whatever you are after, you would find it blindfolded. With a little luck, you will bump into a classy French meal at Brasserie Hansken for something a little formal, or Brasserie France ; spectacular Szechuan at Dinner or the plain luxury of Julius Fritzner. With a little class, you might seek out an evergreen like Grand Cafe , once Ibsen's hangout, or the Art Nouveau classic Theatercafeen whose clientele and atmosphere is more renowned than the food. Northeast of Studenterlunden, the streets are packed with nice bars like XO, Ett Glass , Savoy , Cafe Amsterdam , Zoo Lounge , Last Train, the rock venue So What, or the hip lounge club called The Living Room, while the Italian menu at Ciao Ciao is filled with exquisite, inexpensive highlights. On the other side of Studenterlunden there is the vegetarian restaurant Vegeta vertshus and the intimate Babettes Gjestehus .


If the weather is warm, you will be over at Aker Brygge in no time. Here, the beer and seafood barges moored along the piers make for a wonderfully dizzying afternoon in the sun. If it is cold and cloudy, most corners of the world are represented with at least one eating place inside the ancient docks of Oslo, rebuilt in a Post-Modern vein to form a big center with offices and residences. Acqua is its most exclusive restaurant, and Beach Club prepares the best burgers in town, while the Indian curry class is topped by Agra.

Frogner, Uranienborg & Majorstuen

On our way up Drammensveien to Frogner, we hurry past the Park of the Royal Castle trying not to spend too much time in any of the lively bars like Barbeint, Bollywood Dancing, or Palace Grill —also a splendid and imaginative restaurant. This west-end residential area is dominated by top-ranking French gourmet paradises like Feinschmecker or Le Canard ; seafood temptations like Mares , East, or Fuji ; modern Italian pleasures at Spezzo Cucina Italiana; or Indian ones at Village Tandoori. But it also boasts the country's best pizza place, Pizza di Mimmo. However, any gastronomical tour of Oslo, Norway or even Scandinavia would have to end at Bagatelle . From here, you cannot go any further; their mind-blowing, eight-course fantasies seem perfectly reasonable price-wise.


On your way back to downtown Oslo, you may consider crossing the Royal Park to visit Homansbyen and its beloved artist hangouts like Lorry . Here, you also find plenty of inexpensive places like Tapas Bar. Hegdehaugsveien is a long range of fashionable couture shops that extends into Bogstadveien, while the eating- and drinking-place density never drops for a second. From here to Majorstuen, try the Indian meals of the boisterous Curry & Ketchup (copious and cheap) or Gate of India (great food), the vegetarian ways of Krishna Cuisine, the crossover kitchen of Fusion, the drinking and messy dancing of Mezzo, or a nice cup of cappuccino at Broker .

Grünerløkka

If you still do not feel at home in Oslo, ask for a ride with one of the taxis loaded with west-end kids on their way to barhopping at east-end Grünerløkka, the hippest part of Oslo these past five years. The renowned Bar Boca —on which a drink book has been written—and the intimate Dr. Kneipps wine bar both make for a pleasurable evening. While Markveien Mat- og Vinhus is still the most exclusive restaurant, more recent eating places mostly opt for crossover, as is the case with Helt Rått and Somewhere Else. Of these, Sult has the best food as well as bargain prices, and it even takes on to quench your Tørst . Dermed Pasta is a great Italian take-away, whereas Mucho Mas prepares Tex-Mex dishes at a moderate price.


Grünerløkka slopes down to bridges across the Aker river. On the other side, in between Southeast Asian supermarkets and vegetable shops, the cross streets around Storgata and Torggata conceal secret treasures like Hai Kafe and Saigons Lille Kafe, both serving up a decently prepared meal with a drink at a pocket change. Likewise, at the excellent Korean-Japanese Nam Kang Sushi, there are meals to fit most wallets. Torggata is teeming with fast-food shops, mostly kebab, of which Lille Amir is arguably the best. Not far from there, you will find bars like Sikamikanico —with an alternative, young and hip clientele—and Paragrafen, the time-honored beer cafe Justisen , and the ethnic nightspot The Nomad . Storgata could be rounded off consuming delicious pastries at Cafe Bacchus; or instead, turn left down Brugata well before it, passing the stylish Teddy's Softbar on our way to Grønland where Punjab Sweet House will sell you a three-course meal and a beer for cheap. In the same area, Bangkok Thai Restaurant, providing Oslo's only authentic Thai cuisine, is also known to have an advantageous price level. Come to think of it, now we are almost back where we started, at Oslo Sentralstasjon !

Gamle Oslo & Oslofjord

If you ever get hungry again, try leaving central Oslo to find a restaurant so good its location does not count, like Victor on Sandakerveien. Or visit one whose location is exactly what matters, as in the case of Lille Herbern Fjordkro.

Holmenkollen & Greater Oslo

On the other hand, you can sample the popular staffed cabins deep in the Oslomarka. Or you could just as easily combine heavenly food and a great location by visiting Bølgen & Moi at the Henie-Onstad Art Centre where you will be running the risk of confusing the exhibited works of modern art with the deftly prepared culinary sculptures of the chef.

Holmenkollen is Oslo's big skiing center. This is not an alpine skiing center, so do not bother bringing your snowboard when you visit it. When people talk about Holmenkollen, they usually think about the ski jump. This is perhaps the best-known landmark in Oslo, and it can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. At night the tower is lit, and this is a sight that can put the citizens of Oslo in a rather patriotic mood. In winter large international competitions are held here, both in ski-jumping and on the cross-country ski tracks surrounding it. Every summer an outdoor concert is held by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra together with the televised amateur competition Ta Sjansen (Take the Chance). There is a ski museum in Holmenkollen, as well; as you may know, Norwegians like to point out that the cradle of modern skiing is in Norway, at Morgedal in Telemark.


Holmenkollen is a magnet for tourists; this is not a place for people who dislike hundreds of people with cameras. It is a good idea to take the underground line 1 up here in the evening or at night and walk around on your own (we can all do without talkative guides, right?) and look at the view over the city, which is quite magnificent. Just remember that it does not get very dark in summer, so if you want to see the lights of the city, you will have to wait until autumn.


Frognerparken is another big tourist attraction; endless rolls of film have been used up here. This is where the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland was given carte blanche. We advise you to take your time and look at the sculptures, because they are more than just naked people; they show the different stages in life and the different situations you may find yourself in during your life. What the big statue at the highest point of the park, the Monolith, symbolizes, you can find out for yourself. The best thing about this park is probably that it is very user-friendly as well as very beautiful. None of the statues are fragile or unapproachable: children climb on them, people sunbathe on the lawns and young people (both those who are young for the first time and those in their second youth) practice roller-skating.


In summer there are usually quite a lot of people here, but do not let that deter you; there is plenty of room. For the best experience of both culture and nature, come here in the autumn, on an early sunny morning just when the leaves start falling from the trees. At that time Frognerparken is probably the most beautiful place in the city.


Aker Brygge down by the fjord is full of life in summer. This is where many citizens of Oslo like to have their first utepils (outdoor pint of beer) of the year. Architecturally speaking, the authorities in Oslo really have started or approved of a lot of weird things. The building called Postgirobygget (you cannot miss it: very ugly and very high) and the Hotel Plaza are examples of that. Someone say about the former that it was something that not even Stalin with a bad hangover would have done. Aker Brygge, on the other hand, is a place where a bit of architectural courage has yielded a good result. This area is probably the closest Oslo will ever get to La Defense in Paris (which might be a good thing). The area consists of shops, offices, restaurants, a cinema and some terribly expensive apartments. The restaurants here, both the floating ones and the ones on land, can be recommended, but be aware that your wallet may feel much lighter afterwards. From Aker Brygge and the surrounding areas you can board guide boats that will take you around the Oslo fjord.


Across the road from Aker Brygge you will find the Akershus Fortress It was founded in 1300, but has changed since then; today it is a museum and the place where the Norwegian state hold their representation dinners. A lot of things are smaller in Oslo than in other capitals; this fortress is no exception. But it is still worth a visit (take a guided tour or just a walk in the area); if nothing else, do it for the view over the fjord.


It is nice to walk from the castle to the main railway station, Sentralstasjonen if you want to see the centre of the city. The castle (you will find it!) is by far not as impressive as castles elsewhere in Europe, but has its charm. You should try to come here on 17 May, the national day. That is an experience that many a foreigner actually finds worth writing home about.


If you walk southeast from here you will get to the National Theatre an old and honorable building. The statues of Henrik Ibsen, the most important writer in Norway and allegedly one of the best playwrights in the world, and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Norway's most famous National Romantic writer, can be seen outside of here.


From here you can walk up Karl Johans Gate the main street, where the already mentioned outdoor pint of lager is also consumed in summer. Grand Cafe on the ground floor in the Grand Hotel is the place where Ibsen used to go every single day at the exact same time. He apparently had a few habits which he was very unwilling to give up, this being one of them. Grand Hotel is a fashionable hotel, where for instance the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys stay when they visit Oslo (to give concerts, of course, they probably would not come here for any other reason). Grand Cafe is a popular place to come for the weird Norwegian dish lutefisk (a preserved fish dish) from the end of November until Christmas. You may want to try it if you are of the adventurous type!


From here you can go along Karl Johan a shopping street like many others, but again with its own Oslo charm.


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