Where to Eat in Oslo

A question I'm often asked is, "where should I eat out in Oslo"? In general it can be tricky to eat well in an Oslo restaurant; establishments with atrocious food and equally shocking prices abound. But there are some real gems here if you know where to find them. I’ve found many guide books to be a little dated or out of touch with the restaurant scene here in Oslo, so I’ve decided to create my own little compendium of places to eat out in Oslo.

This is by no means a definitive list; it is just my humble opinion and comprises of places I like to go. I have added this post as a separate stand-alone page (see the little tab above) to make it easy to refer back to and will add and remove names from the list as time goes by.

If there are any egregious omissions then let me know; I’m always happy to try out others’ recommendations. So without further ado, here is the Nordic Nibbler list of places to eat and drink in Oslo:

Treat Yourself

Maaemo (see my most recent review here) – Quite simply one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to anywhere, and one that is single-handedly redefining Norwegian cuisine. This two Michelin-starred restaurant serves food made from 100% organic produce that originates almost exclusively from Norway, with most ingredients coming less than 100km from Oslo. If you only eat at one place in Oslo, then make it here. Stunning! ($$$)

Ylajali (see my review here) – A wonderful old apartment has been converted into this restaurant, named after a character in one of Knut Hamsun’s books. Run by chef Even Ramsvik, Ylajali's brand of modern Nordic cuisine is characterised by clean, focused flavours. ($$$)

Seafood

Alex Sushi (see my review here) – I first tried the sushi here a few days after arriving back from Tokyo. The highest compliment I can give Alex Sushi is that it held its own against some of the sushi I tried in Tokyo. Expect to see mostly local fish (as well as whale!) on offer here. ($$)

Solsiden (see my review here) – This Oslo institution sits on the shores of the Oslo Fjord, and the views at sunset are beautiful. Open from May to September this is the place to try stunningly fresh Norwegian seafood. Their Fruits de Mer platter is a must. ($$)
[Open early May – early September]

Fiskeriet (see my review here) – One of the last remaining fishmongers in Oslo, this small shop/restaurant located at the foot of Oslo’s imposing Folketeater building is a great place to stop by for a quick lunch of simply prepared seafood and, surprisingly, some of the best fish and chips I’ve tasted. ($)

Casual dining

Von Porat (see my review here) – Located in Oslo's gleaming new Mathallen, this restaurant serves no nonsense modern Norwegian food made from local ingredients. It's the sort of restaurant that Oslo has needed for a long time – simple, honest, and above all tasty food that won't break the bank. One of my current favourites. ($ to $$)

Le Benjamin – (see my review here) A great addition to the burgeoning restaurant scene in Oslo's trendy Grünerløkka neighbourhood. This bistro serves simple, but well-executed French classics such as onion soup, tarte flambée, and bouillabaisse in a relaxed setting with wonderfully friendly service to boot. ($ to $$)

Åpent Bakeri – Norway is home to some wonderful baked goods. Some of the best can be found at Åpent Bakeri. Founded in 1998 by a Norwegian and a Frenchman, this bakery/café now has four locations across Oslo. Their sweet, chewy skillingsboller (cinnamon buns) are a must! ($)

Olympen – An Oslo institution, “Lompa”, as it's affectionately known locally, is one of the city's oldest pubs. Having recently undergone a refurbishment, this is a great place to try a range of local Norwegian beers and some tasty, reasonably priced (3 courses for NKr. 349) no-nonsense food. The Nøgne Ø Imperial IPA in particular is wonderful, just be warned that at 10% ABV it packs quite a punch! ($)

Kolonihagen – An all day café/restaurant with a focus on simple, but delicious dishes made from organic produce. They also have a shop on site and will deliver boxes of organic fruit and vegetables to your door. Their Sunday brunch offering is a favourite in the Nibbler household, but arrive early to secure a table. ($ to $$)

Food Story – This restaurant/shop located in Oslo’s fashionable Grünerløkka neighbourhood serves simple food with a focus on organic Norwegian produce. It’s open all day and is a good spot for a casual brunch, lunch or dinner. The outdoor terrace is also a nice place to sit in the summer months. ($)

Hanami (see my review here) – Yet another Japanese restaurant in Oslo, and although it's by no means perfect it's certainly a cut above most. Hanami is Oslo's answer to the likes of Nobu and Roka. Come here for a selection of modern Japanese fusion dishes that range from sushi & sashimi to izakaya style fare as well as tasty food cooked on their robata grill. A stylish atmosphere and some of the best cocktails in the capital. ($$)

Other

Tim Wendelboe – Norway’s “King of Coffee” and former World Barista Champion opened this little coffee bar and roastery in Oslo’s trendy Grünerløkka neighbourhood. Don’t come here expecting soy milk caramel crappuccinos or free WiFi, but instead come to learn and to savour some of the best coffee you will ever have. The wine-like juiciness of their chilled Kenyan Ndumberi will totally change your perception of coffee.

Farmers' Markets (see here and here) – It is often difficult to get hold of products from artisanal producers in Norway. A great place to find great local products from smaller producers is at the regular farmers’ markets that pop up across the country. You can check the Bondens Marked website for the latest schedule. Also, once a year the Matstreif food festival is held in front of the Oslo City Hall. It is one of Norway’s largest food festivals and attracts producers from all over the country.

Fuglen – Quite possibly the coolest retail concept ever. Fuglen (pronounced foo-len) – Norwegian for 'The Bird' – is a coffee and vintage design shop by day and a kick ass cocktail bar by night. Come here to revel in 1960's Scandinavian design nostalgia and to try cocktails with a unique Norwegian twist. Barman Halvor recently won the prestigious Linie Award for his unique aquavit based cocktails. They now have an outpost in Tokyo too!

Finally, here are a few notes on eating out in Norway that may be helpful:

Service

In general, service in Norway is polite and efficient without being overly friendly or deferential. However, service can often be glacially slow compared to the UK or USA. This used to annoy me at first, but I now realise that because eating out in Norway is so cripplingly expensive, you perhaps tend to save it for special occasions only. So by slowing the service down it allows you a bit more time to savour the moment. At least that’s what I keep telling myself behind clenched teeth when I'm still waiting for a main course an hour after sitting down.

Tipping

In general, tipping in restaurants is not mandatory or universally expected in Norway – waitstaff here are salaried and do not rely on tips to make up their pay, and service charges are already factored into the bill. However, it is usually customary to leave a tip to reward good service, especially at higher end restaurants. In most places you can usually round up the bill to the nearest 10 or 100 NKr. I tend to leave a 10-12% tip if I’ve been happy with the service, which may be on the generous side in Norway, but after spending most of my life in the UK as well as 4 years in the US, I have this Pavlovian response that leaving no tip means I was very unhappy with the service.

A Note on Groups

Norwegians are a sociable bunch and this extends to eating out. It is not uncommon to see huge tables of 10-15+ people in a restaurant. They may be there for a family gathering, or more likely they’re from the same company at a work dinner (especially in the run up to Christmas). This is all well and good but, unfortunately, serving tables of this size (and there may be more than one large group at a time) has a huge impact on other diners as the kitchen often struggles to serve such a large number of covers in one go, and more often than not results in long waits and hastily prepared food. If your dates are flexible it’s sometimes worth checking that you’re not going to be eating at the same time as 20 inebriated shipbrokers from Stavanger and pick another night instead.

Lunch

To my knowledge there are no high-end restaurants serving lunch in Oslo. There isn't really a culture of going out to lunch in Norway, and there just aren't enough business people or ladies-who-lunch to make the economics of lunchtime opening work at the gourmet restaurants. As a result, fine-dining restaurants in Oslo tend to be dinner-only affairs. There are, of course, a few decent and more moderately priced places that are open for lunch, some of which are listed above.

Price guide (per person, excluding drinks and service):

$$$                NKr. 1,000+

$$                  NKr. 400 to 1,000
$                    NKr. less than 400