I’m delighted that the Prague guide has gained so many followers, and that the post itself has become the most-read article on my website. As with my Moroccan and Georgian reminiscences, it seems you enjoy reading about my culinary explorations. This time – escaping the August heatwave in Poland – I traveled with my beloved to the Norwegian capital, Oslo . Considering the prices, which were significantly higher than the Polish standard, we practically skipped breakfast and visited mainly places serving main courses, coffee, and sweets. Of course, we also visited a Michelin-starred restaurant, which I described in one of the paragraphs. Interestingly, the prices weren’t much different from other similar establishments in Europe. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Grab a coffee and read on. Where to eat in Oslo? Here is my original mini-guide, current as of August 2024.
Map
As in the case of Prague, I am including an interactive map at the beginning so that you can see the location of the places described.
The best ramen in Oslo
Ha! You didn’t expect such a start, did you? Where’s Norway, and where’s Japan?! Besides… who goes to Norway to eat ramen? Well, I hope you do—because it’s worth it! Hrimnir Ramen restaurant is located on the most romantic walking trail in the capital . It’s a unique place where local produce and artisanal ferments combine with Asian noodles and aromatic broth. Most of the ingredients are made on-site or sourced from artisans. Even the alkaline noodles, the king of ramen, are made here from an ancient variety of wheat grown in Norway—emmer wheat.
The restaurant’s founder is an American microbiologist who has translated his knowledge of fermentation into exquisite dishes that will satisfy any connoisseur of intense sensory experiences. The dishes served here are characterized by unusual flavor combinations and the use of ingredients rarely found in traditional ramen.
Before I came here, I was recommended to order the thick, creamy, and spicy nutty tan tan men with pickled Jerusalem artichokes, fried cabbage, chashu, egg, crushed nuts, and spring onions. I wasn’t disappointed. The portion was incredibly filling, and the flavor intensity was top-notch. Besides my visit to Stallen, this was probably the best thing I ate during my visit.
Each ramen can be ordered with pork or lamb, or with mushrooms instead of meat. A vegetarian broth is the basis of shoyu ramen, where roasted celery broth and chive oil provide the umami flavor in the absence of meat. Other additions include pickled Jerusalem artichokes, fried cabbage, egg, and mushrooms.
Besides the ramen, it’s worth ordering an appetizer—we had the shio koji-marinated cucumber with toasted sesame seeds. The menu also includes homemade kimchi and miso-infused nuts with yuzu. And to drink? Homemade kombucha! In my opinion, this is definitely a place worth eating in Oslo. A must-see on the culinary map of Norway’s capital.
Where to go for coffee in Oslo? (and sweets)
While we ate breakfast in our rented apartment (here I highly recommend buying brunost for sandwiches – a Norwegian cheese made by long-term caramelization of whey; it has a sweet, milky, caramel flavor and pairs perfectly with good-quality bread. Apparently, it also enhances the flavor of burgers, but I haven’t tried it), we went for coffee several times a day while exploring the Norwegian capital. After all, caffeine addiction plus the constant exhaustion of tens of thousands of steps can take its toll.
Coffee lovers will be happy to know that in Oslo , you don’t have to search far to find coffees from local, artisanal roasters, including specialty quality. Unless you go to international chains, you’ll find craft beans available practically everywhere.
The most popular local coffee shop chain seems to be Kaffebrenneriet , modeled after American West Coast cafes. Founded in the 1990s, the company now boasts over twenty locations, and the company itself was sold to Norway’s largest food corporation. While it’s certainly no longer a “craft” coffee shop, you can still enjoy a decent cup of coffee and savor delicious kanelbolle , or rolled cinnamon rolls. Where to find sweet treats in Oslo? Why not Kaffebrenneriet?!
An interesting item on the menu is the “Thor’s Hammer,” an Americano with an additional double espresso. Considering the location of our spot (near the corporate hub near the National Opera), local “successful people” likely frequent this beverage, seeking a morning energy boost for work.
Continuing from the Opera House, past the National Museum, at the very end of the promenade, we’ll find… a gleaming Porsche parked in front of the building. This signals we’re near Supreme Roastworks – a local roastery and café located in this very spot. Wondering where to grab a coffee in Oslo, you can also reflect on your automotive passions? Supreme Roastworks boasts not only two exhibits from the popular German luxury car brand, but also a whole shelf of Porsche gadgets and toys, as well as a photo gallery dedicated to the brand’s history. Here, the café merges with a mini-museum – as if that weren’t enough Norwegian richness for you.
The coffee on-site comes from their own roastery, which has been roasting beans in Oslo for over a decade. Until recently, Supreme Roastworks operated in a different, less touristy location, but after the pandemic, they partnered with Porsche, resulting in the aforementioned showroom with artisanal coffee and a stunning sea view. It’s hard to find a better location in Oslo.
For coffee—which is also served here using alternative methods (pictured is my V60 drip coffee)—you can order microscopic monoportions, each bursting with flavor. Here, you’ll find four chocolate love options: passion fruit (for the uninitiated, passion fruit), hazelnut, licorice, and Earl Grey. It was the tea-bergamot flavor that we enjoyed most, and it paired best with new-wave coffee.
After a coffee, we went to explore the National Museum, where we spent a good few hours. There are two restaurants in the museum courtyard: the museum restaurant, which includes an internal garden, and Bollebar , which can also be accessed from the courtyard. However, this café doesn’t have tables on that side, and to sit down and enjoy their delicious rolls (pictured above), you’ll need to go inside or to the main entrance, facing the sea.
We ordered a pistachio and raspberry cream roll, as well as a local delicacy—salted caramel and the aforementioned brunost cheese. Both met our taste expectations and satisfied our calorie needs for further sightseeing.
We also ended up at Trekanten for coffee and cinnamon delights – I must admit, by accident. We were heading to nearby Fuglen , which was on our list of recommendations, but we ended up at this first café. Here, too, you can sit in the garden and enjoy another cinnamon roll.
I said I drink a lot of coffee. A lot. Since I work from home, I can easily calculate from the orders I place that I consume an average of 1 kg of coffee per month in liquid form. Returning to Oslo, the next day we went to the Norwegian Folk Museum and its open-air museum. After learning about the rural architecture and customs, admiring horses, pigs, and sheep, and visiting a replica of a half-century-old apartment block built from scratch, we naturally went to the local café. Interestingly, nowhere in Oslo, not even a touristy one, did I get a terrible, undrinkable cup of coffee. We also tried another local pastry: skolebolle , a pastry with custard and coconut flakes. Its name means “school roll” and was my other half’s favorite.
Just before departure, we stopped for a delicious fruit drip at Java Espresso and Coffee and that was it for where we went for coffee in Oslo.
Vegetarian cuisine in Oslo
We spent a total of five days in Oslo , so I’ll recommend the same number of places in the main courses section. I’ve already described the first one – the excellent ramen. Since my partner doesn’t eat meat, any recommendations I publish always include a vegetarian option. Oslo has quite a wide selection of such places, so we had a wide selection to choose from. It was even better that one of them was located in a well-reviewed food court where – at the same table – you could also eat meat from a different window.
I’m always interested in interesting places, which is why I marked Jefjel Healing Food on my map – a place, or rather a stand, specializing in African-Caribbean cuisine. It’s located in the Barcode food court, near the opera house and the Munch Museum, and is staffed by two black women. The story behind Jefjel is quite interesting, as they served vegan food… until recently. They recently changed their name to Fulani and added meat to the menu. However, they still list it as a vegan restaurant on Google!
Just so you know, I’m not recommending meaty places for vegetarians, but I ordered my shama at Fulani, and what’s more, the meatless option! It was Senegalese ndambe with fried plantains, black beans with cheese sauce, cabbage, jolof rice, and spicy jackfruit. I found the combination interesting, though not necessarily harmonious. What’s interesting to eat in Oslo? Maybe this.
Moving on to more vegan options, Dirty Vegan is located in the same location. This burger joint serves a variety of burgers with meatless fillings (you can choose from a Beyond Meat patty that imitates beef or a breaded chicken substitute called Crispy Chick’n). They advertise themselves as 100% vegan junk food, and that’s exactly what they serve. Fast, fatty, and… delicious! Perfect for vegans and vegetarians who want to indulge. Where to eat vegetarian or vegan dishes in Oslo? Dirty Vegan is recommended to everyone.
The best pizza in Oslo
I had to find this place too. But how?! In Norway, ramen and pizza , but not fish? Yes, right. Typically, fish restaurants don’t usually have any meatless options, so traveling as a mixed couple is a hindrance. Norwegians, however, love pizza— especially the frozen Grandiosa.
As with ramen, we went to a place famous for its strongly local twist, and Italians would probably be inspired to order a few “hail Marys.” Loftus Samvirkelag serves a highly recommended reindeer carpaccio pizza. It’s a bianca, full of cheese, finished with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. And… well, that’s all the superlatives. The pizza itself was tasty, but the very tender meat was completely lost in the flavor. It drowned in this sea of cheese and dough. I recommend the carpaccio on its own, but I prefer more substantial cold cuts on pizza, like spicy salami.
We ate pizza again at Arte Pazza towards the end of our trip – not far from Java, by the way – and we ordered one in half – with eggplant, basil, and cheese. Italians were sitting next to us, and they loved it. For me, it was okay at best, but when it comes to pizza, I set the bar pretty high.
So, where to eat in Oslo? If you want to try that reindeer pizza for a taste, go to Loftus, but don’t expect anything special.
A date by the water
Where to eat in Oslo with your girlfriend or boyfriend? I recommend heading to the “Norwegian Venice,” a newly built apartment complex on the canals near the Munch Museum. They’ve tried to recreate the atmosphere of the Italian City of Sighs, but with a modern Scandinavian twist. The area itself is also full of various restaurants and bistros. We chose a place called Rivoli for our date in the fjord. It’s an Italian-sounding restaurant, but serves a wide range of interesting and delicious dishes.
For my meaty dish, I chose ling (a fish from the cod family), served with potato croquettes, cucumber pickles, and roasted fennel. All accompanied by an aromatic butter sauce. Excellent! For the vegetarian version, my beloved received pan-fried enoki mushrooms on pan-fried spätzle, garnished with green peas, among other things. Unfortunately, the salt was a bit excessive here – if you don’t normally eat very salty foods.
Dessert, however, lived up to expectations. A delicious, buttery, flaky mille-feuille with raspberries and creamy custard capped off a date afternoon in a way worthy not only of Oslo but also of Venice. Contarini himself would have smacked his lips with delight.
Stallen – Michelin-starred restaurant
Our tradition is always to try a tasting menu at a Michelin- recommended restaurant. Ideally, one with a star. At Stallen , we had the opportunity to sample cuisine with both a traditional and a green star (awarded for a sustainable approach to business, ecology, and the promotion of local produce). Located in a restored former stable, the menu at this restaurant features vegetables and fruit from its own farm (as well as from partner micro-farms), as well as preserves and ferments prepared on-site.
Here – a digression – I’ll just mention that before leaving, I contacted all the restaurants in the Oslo guide to find a vegetarian option. Typically, they’re not readily available or advertised on the website. Thank you to everyone who wrote back and invited us. Unfortunately, I could only choose one place! A big shout-out to Stallen Kitchen for preparing a meatless version of their signature menu! So we were able to try two options: the traditional one and the vegetarian one. I’ll focus mainly on the former in this description.
This time I didn’t choose a wine pairing , because after my experience at Field in Prague, I find non-alcoholic options in such places much more creative. At Stallen, they also adhere to zero-waste principles, and the elixirs often used ingredients that were part of the dish they were paired with.
The gala dinner began with a glass of champagne and a cup of homemade kombucha , poured from a transparent teapot filled with flowers. Every detail was meticulously crafted. The musakas and appetizers began with dark bread with potato emulsion, herring, and fermented onion, followed by a mini turnip dumpling. Of course, the vegetarian version didn’t include the herring. Next came the cupcakes, seen in the first photo of this section; one filled with delicious beef tartare, the other with grilled langoustine. Vegetable tartlets were also available. The beginning was promising and full of flavorful delights.
The first course, served with a matching drink, was a ceviche made with hamachi (amberjack), accompanied by lemon verbena, wasabi, pickled cucumbers, and a buttermilk sauce. The tender yet firm white meat melted in the mouth, and the citrus notes of the verbena played a sensory symphony with the perfectly composed sauce. The thick drink, with its olive oil and verbena, perfectly complemented the first full-fledged dinner offering at Stallen. Verbena is a gamechanger—I recommend trying it!
The second dish, however, surpassed the first—and I think it won the evening overall. Pan-seared scallops , accompanied by shiitake mushrooms and a buttery sauce with mushroom essence—a true umami bomb. – something I love. This drink, on the other hand, filled my nostrils with spicy notes, a touch of plum and vinegar. Fantastic stuff.
After a solid appetizer, topped off with a wonderful finish, it was time for the main courses. Here, I had halibut with caramelized onions, served in a sauce based on chicken broth and butter. The skin was made from scallop. A novel and interesting approach. The drink, matching the fish, was rich in yogurt and salty flavors, with a subtle hint of spice.
As a short break, we were served hot homemade potato bread with soft butter and mushroom powder. Once again, a perfect dose of umami, as with the scallop. This was followed immediately by a sorbet of hyćka and gin served on whipped white cheese. It was OK as a taste-bud cleanser, but I didn’t detect much of the juniper.
The second hit, besides the scallop, was definitely the browned cabbage , seasoned with two-year-old Norwegian kimchi, smoked butter, and capers. The vegetarian version featured vegetable broth as the base for the frothy sauce, while the meat version featured chicken broth. For drinking, the dish featured a plum-flavored elixir with a balsamic and spicy note.
Next came craquelins , stuffed cream puffs with pickled lingonberries, topped with Norwegian cured ham (or not, for a vegetarian version) as a prelude to the real feast: wagyu . Of course, it couldn’t be missed! The wagyu beef was served as a lightly seared mini steak, just right on the raw side, with a bouquet of fresh herbs, chard, and cracklings made from wagyu fat and shallots. A sauce based on beetroot and veal stock was served. To drink, there was a beetroot juice—as red as blood!
This brings us to desserts. Here, I drank a richly honeyed concoction with a distinct note of chamomile flowers. Next on the plate was an egg custard with green tomatoes, lilac, and honey. Quite alright, though—as you know—sweet isn’t my cup of tea. The second dessert was a fruit explosion: strawberries, meringue, sorbet, meadowsweet, and rhubarb consommé, with strawberry essence to wash it down.
At the end, we received a few petit fours in a tasteful wooden box. I rate the entire experience highly and certainly recommend it to anyone wondering where to eat something unique and luxurious in Oslo.
Where to go for a beer and a drink in Oslo?
Alcohol in Norway is outrageously expensive. I mean, food is expensive too, but alcohol prices, even compared to the pricey food, are outrageous. It’s certain that if I lived in Norway, due to government barriers, taxes, and other nonsense, I’d be making moonshine. Drinking in the city is pointless. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit any craft beer establishments, so you won’t find a typical guide to Oslo’s beer scene. There was a beer festival going on when I was there. However, I didn’t have a few hundred złoty or a few hours to spare to go there. So, unfortunately, I can’t help! This guide focuses on food, after all.
I only drank alcoholic beverages at restaurants for dinner, and we only went for a beer once – to Mysterud Bar . It’s a place a bit off the main drag, but easily accessible by public transport. They have a dozen or so craft beer taps on site. I had a Dora #65 IPA from the Canadian Badlands Brewing Company , but the beer felt a bit stale. I washed it down with a Viennese lager brewed under the pub’s brand by the Norwegian brewery Kinn Bryggeri . I couldn’t fault it. A stylish, solid representative of its genre. I finished the evening with another IPA – Solitaire from the Bådin brewery in Bodø. I drank it the day after my Jagiellonia team’s disgrace in the Champions League qualifiers in Bodø.
In restaurants, I also had a pretty good IPA called Snublejuice from To Øl , and at Barcode as an accompaniment to ndambe, and with a reindeer pizza at Loftus Samvirkelag : an old-school English IPA called Fantasma from the UK’s Magic Rock , as well as the most popular pilsner here from the Aass brewery, which—unlike their cider—actually held up. At Rivoli , I paired the fish with an English pale ale, Pilegrim from Kinn (my second attempt at this brewery), which also didn’t seem fresh, and, as always, a decent porter from Nogne Ø , which, while lacking body, held its own in this deluge of mediocrity.
I spent a fortune on a mediocre or weak beer. I don’t recommend it. Maybe it was tastier at the festival? You’d have to ask those who were there. My conclusion is that most of these beers were old, meaning they’d been sitting for a long time, either in the back or on tap. While a porter or malt lager doesn’t lose much, in the case of an IPA, this unfortunately significantly impacts the quality. However—and I should emphasize here again—I didn’t frequent the typically trendy, hyped craft beer pubs.
I remember the cocktails much better than the beer. We ended up at a recommended spot called Svanen , located in a former 19th-century pharmacy. Behind the bar, you can still see drawers with the Latin names of herbs, flowers, and fruits, and the ceilings are adorned with symbols of ancient medicine and pharmacy. The atmosphere was excellent. We sat at the bar and ordered two cocktails each. Honestly, they didn’t really wow us, as bartending is of a very high standard in Poland. But at least it was tasty and atmospheric. Except… it was small and expensive. But, as I mentioned, Norway isn’t a country for people who enjoy drinking out. And that—despite the weather being to my liking and the streets being clean—would have been a dealbreaker for me.
What to drink in Oslo besides cocktails? Definitely cider , as it’s a drink Norwegians passionately consume. I had the misfortune of choosing not a craft cider, but the most popular one—the one from the Aass brewery. It tasted like apple juice from a carton—the kind you drink with vodka at a wedding in a fire station. Only with carbonated water. I’m sure the craft options are far superior, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try them. I recommend avoiding the mass-produced stuff.
In the paragraph about ramen, I wrote about the lovers’ path. Leaving it, we came across the Coffee and Cigarettes café. It was there that I had this dubious pleasure. Their coffee is OK, so if you stop on the way to St. Olaf’s Church—the most Polish church in the city—just stick to the small black one and skip the cider.
In the store, it’s certainly worth reaching for Akvavit , a local distillate infused with herbs. It tastes delicious with a cube of ice. As I write this article, I’m sipping a bottle I bought at the airport—aged at sea in sherry barrels.
Post scriptum – what else to eat in Oslo?
Norwegian cuisine also features ubiquitous fish and seafood. Norwegians enjoy shrimp sandwiches and smoked or marinated salmon ( gravlax ) for breakfast and lunch, as well as fish soup . For breakfast, locals also enjoy a brown cheese sandwich ( brunost ), which they also use in desserts and burgers. Late autumn marks the beginning of the season for lutefisk , stockfish cured in caustic soda.
Additionally, Norwegian homes also eat lefse , the pancakes known and loved in Polish households—usually with cinnamon, sugar, and butter, although savory versions also exist. Potatoes are sometimes added to the filling.
Similar to neighboring Sweden, Norway also eats ground meatballs , though they are slightly larger. They can be made from a variety of meats and served with potatoes or in soup.
Besides brunost, other popular cheeses in Norway include goat’s cheese Geitost and Kraftkar , a local blue-veined cheese. Interestingly, it won an award at the 2016 World Cheese Awards. At Loftus Samvirkelag, the “five cheese” pizza features the winner. My beloved chose this one and was delighted.
In short, Norway is full of flavors from around the world, and it knows how to serve the most iconic dishes—like pizza and ramen—in its own unique, local way. There certainly wasn’t enough time to explore the beer and fish scene, but I’ll leave that for next time!
Not just a foodie, but also a self-taught chef who cooks and tests recipes from around the globe. A traveler and connoisseur of great dishes across countries and cultures. Certified beer sensory specialist. Owner of a contract craft brewery renowned for wild, experimental brews. A former homebrewer with deep know-how in brewing techniques and beer styles. Loves pushing flavor boundaries—both on the plate and in the glass. His motto: “Go big or go home.”