Food at Alex Sushi, Oslo, Norway

Alex Sushi

With a discreet storefront, small dining room with minimal furnishings and a quiet atmosphere, Alex Sushi’s demure ambiance belies the restaurant’s stratospheric reputation. After the three-Michelin-stared Maaemo, Alex Sushi is often named Oslo’s best restaurant—but it comes with a price tag. The sophisticated interior features a boat-shaped sushi bar and just two small tables, where patrons can either order à la carte, or opt for the splurge-worthy omakase menu. The cuisine is simple—think spicy salmon and tuna rolls—but it is of the highest quality. The tempura salad starter—a toppling concoction with asparagus, radishes, cucumber, seaweed salad, spicy shrimp and several sauces—is one of the most popular dishes. There is a second outpost in the trendy Tjuvholmen neighborhood, but the original location is the place to go for the real experience.

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Åpent Bakeri

An Oslo institution, this local chain has its most charming (albeit slightly off-the-beaten-path) outpost on a small street behind the Royal Palace. Mornings here are filled with locals stocking up on mueslibrød (a loaf studded with apples, raisins, sunflower seeds and more), students fueling up before class and neighborhood families enjoy the freshly baked goods on the al fresco patio. Don’t miss the rundstykke, a huge savory baked good that goes best with a heavy helping of jam from the help-yourself bar.

Engebret Café

Since opening in 1857, Engebret Café has been a gathering place for creatives including Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Munch. The iconic restaurant is located in a two-story building on a bucolic square near the entrance to the Akershus Fortress. The classic but entirely unstuffy establishment has a lovely terrace, but the dining rooms, each of which is individually appointed, are so beautiful that it’s worth eating inside to soak up the Old World atmosphere. Featuring dark wood furnishings, hunter green walls and intricate molding, Engebret is a favorite for Norwegian classics like reindeer with celeriac puree, fresh vegetables and a game sauce with berries, or a warm bowl of creamy fish and seafood soup.

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Exterior View -  Festningen Restaurant, Oslo, Norway

Festningen Restaurant

Boasting the best views of any restaurant in Oslo, Festningen is perched on the old ramparts of the Akershus Fortress and offers stunning views of Aker Brygge, the harbor and the Oslo fjords. A crowd of beautiful locals arrives in late afternoon for the extensive raw bar and rosé, when the setting sun projects a dazzling array of colors onto the waterfront (note, however, that cruise ships occasionally park in front of the fortress and can mar the views). The contemporary brasserie implements seasonal ingredients from all around Norway in its dishes, which might include asparagus with ramson mayonnaise, grilled pollock from Norway’s Møre coast and the Festningens cheeseburger (which comes in a miniaturized size for children).

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Fuglen Café

There are few spots in the world that are as buzzing at 7am as they are at 1am, but Fuglen Café keeps patrons fueled around the clock with some of the city’s best coffee in the morning and expertly crafted cocktails in the evening. Meaning ‘the bird’ and opened in 1963, Fuglen is one of Norway’s most unique concept restaurants, but it also offers a slice of what Norwegian life was like in the 1950s-60s: the entire store is furnished with antique Scandinavian pieces, all of which are available for sale. Cocktail aficionados can enroll in one of their bartending classes.

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Dinning Area at Hanami, Oslo, Norway

Hanami

Oslo locals often debate whether Alex Sushi or Hanami serves better Japanese cuisine, but the thing to consider when picking between the two is whether you would like a simple culinary experience or a hip, stylish scene. Hanami provides the latter, with a sleek waterfront location in the trendy Tjuvholmen area, modern interior décor and a scene that includes some of Oslo’s most beautiful citizens lazily sipping wine on the alfresco terrace (the best spot to dine). Billed as a modern Japanese restaurant, Hanami offers the standard menu one might expect at a Nobu (with such items as miso black cod, et al.) alongside a series of more elevated choices including roasted sweet potatoes with yuzu-tofu dressing and lobster with sea urchin and foie gras butter. The safest bet is to ask your waiter to take the reins—while it is not listed, the tasting menu is the way to go at Hanami.

HIMKOK

HIMKOK in Oslo is a cocktail bar and craft distillery serves signature cocktails using its own micro-distilled aquavit, gin and vodka.
Dinning Area at Illegal Burger, Oslo, Norway

Illegal Burger

Opened in 2010 with the hopes of serving Oslo’s best burger, this fast-casual spot has had much success and now has several locations. The most convenient location for visitors is the outpost set on the main street in Grünerløkka, which features retro, cafeteria-style booth seating and an open kitchen. The lengthy menu boasts many varieties of burgers (all of which can be made with veggie, fish or beef patties) with statement-making names like the Hot Mama Deluxe, which comes topped with bacon, cheddar, BBQ sauce, guacamole and jalapenos. And while it is not on the menu, the foie gras burger is worth asking for.

Food at Java Espresso Bar, Oslo, Norway

Java Espresso Bar

Adored by locals, Java Espresso Bar is the perfect spot to grab a quick coffee or breakfast while meandering around the St. Hanshaugen neighborhood. Go for a latte and classic Norwegian breakfast of brown cheese on toast and relax like a local in the quiet café with light green–tiled walls.

Food at Kontrast, Oslo, Norway - Courtesy Marius Fiskum, Norwegian Seafood Council

Kontrast

One of just three Michelin-starred restaurants in Oslo, Kontrast was awarded a star in 2016, only a year after moving locations to the up-and-coming Vulcan neighborhood. Helmed by Swedish chef Mikael Svensson, Kontrast is an epicurean delight with a seasonal menu that might include grilled white asparagus glazed in juniper vinaigrette and King Crab from Finnmark with beer and flowering dill (most products are sourced from Norway). The cuisine can be enjoyed à la carte or as part of a six- or ten-course tasting menu, and is served in the sleek, minimalist dining room, featuring a concrete floor, exposed pipes and an open kitchen.

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Dinning Area at Le Benjamin, Oslo, Norway

Le Benjamin

A perfect Parisian bistro in Oslo’s Grünerløkka neighborhood, Le Benjamin is the type of neighborhood spot worth visiting when you’ve tired of Norwegian cuisine. The atmospheric dining room, featuring a dark wood bar, lots of tables à duex and wine bottle–lined walls, invites patrons to relax and unwind with French classics like onion soup, tarte flambée and entrecôte steak.

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Maaemo

Oslo’s most lauded restaurant, Maaemo is one of only two three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the Nordic countries (along with Copenhagen’s Geranuim), and an absolute must-visit for foodies. The tasting menu–only restaurant is a study in minimalism, with stark white walls, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, pastel ceramic plates and dishes that are simple, but innovative: think grilled spring onions served with a warm cream of pullet eggs or langoustines sautéed in pine butter and brushed with rapeseed oil. Of course, nearly all the produce is sourced from Norway, and all the ingredients are either organic, biodynamic or wild. Reservations should be made months ahead of time.

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Mathallen

Modeled after great European food markets, Olso’s Mathallen opened in 2012 in the up-and-coming Vulkan, a small enclave that was built up in the mid-2010s along the Akerselva river and today is home to a few hotels and restaurants. But the development’s most enticing tenant is Mathallen, a soaring, two-story food hall with vendors hawking gourmet treats from small-scale Norwegian producers, casual restaurants serving everything from Spanish tapas to crêpes and a cooking school on the upper level. Visitors shopping in the nearby Grunneløkka should stop in for some culinary souvenirs or a meal at Hitchhiker (Vulkan 5; 47-954-51-466), the second-floor restaurant with a themed menu (Asian fusion, Jamaican) that changes weekly.

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Mesh Food & Drink Bar

Part of Mesh, a members-only society that calls itself The Nordic Creaters’ Community, this café is the perfect spot to grab a bite or coffee—and observe the city’s hipster set. The café, which opened in 2015 and welcomes non members, is located in a two-story atrium that features a retractable roof (always open in nice weather), living wall in the shape of the letter M, industrial hanging lights and ample seating, which is often filled with chic locals, who make use of the free WiFi and abundant outlets. The small café sells a plethora of coffee drinks alongside freshly baked pastries, prepared sandwiches (think coppa ham and pesto on ciabatta), entrées like a chicken confit salad and an arctic char dish with bulger and capers, as well as cocktails in the evening.

Food at Olivia Tjuvholmen, Oslo, Norway

Olivia Tjuvholmen

The Norwegian capital is a culinary melting pot, and pizza is one of the most popular international dishes. Just down the street from the Thief Hotel, this outpost of the popular Olivia chain boasts al fresco seating that overlooks a charming canal. The spacious, relaxed dining room is perfect for families or weary travelers looking for an easy night out. The large menu offers something for everyone, with sections devoted to antipasti, pasta and risotto, grilled meats and pizza. There is an additional location a few blocks away in Aker Brygge, but this Tjuvholmen outpost is much more idyllic.

Oslo Street Food

Oslo Street Food comprises four bars and 16 international culinary vendors, showcasing flavors from Greece, Mexico, Hungary, Peru, Hawaii and more.
Interiors at Sentralen Kafeteria, Oslo, Norway - Photo Courtesy : Lars Petter Pettersen

Sentralen Kafeteria

The casual counterpart to Sentralen restaurant, this café is a gathering places for locals that work nearby, and the perfect spot for an easy meal when you’ve tired of fine dining. The all-day eatery offers breakfast in the morning, midday lunch, one entrée between 4-6pm and an evening menu of delicious sourdough pizzas. Diners waiting for a table at the café’s hot spot sister restaurant can idle here with a glass of wine or cocktail.

Food at Sentralen Kafeteria, Oslo, Norway - Photo Courtesy : Lars Petter Pettersen

Sentralen Restaurant

It’s not often that a restaurant opens and immediately hits its stride. But Sentralen Restaurant (part of the Sentralen complex, a multipurpose space that is housed in two former bank buildings and home to concert halls and food and beverage outlets), was an Oslo hot spot—and an instant classic—upon opening in early 2016. If Maaemo put Oslo on the culinary map, Sentralen is responsible for popularizing it as a real foodie city, and one that is as much about both high quality cuisine as it is informal, social dining environments. The spacious, high-ceilinged dining room features exposed brick walls, graffiti-inspired drawings, an open-kitchen and an atmosphere that feels like a gathering place for friends to enjoy some of the best food in the city (all of which is meant to be shared). The restaurant is buzzing at both lunch and dinner, when diners can enjoy such flavor-packed dishes as 24-month-old Comté shaved into elegant curls and generously sprinkled over a sourdough crisp with sherry honey, or duck confit with pickled cabbage, brown butter, dill and fried shallots, served on a roll-it-yourself wrap.

Editors' Picks
Food at Smalhans, Oslo, Norway

Smalhans

The unassuming Smalhans is one of Oslo’s most beloved restaurants. With a casual, brick-walled dining room, rustic wood bar and upbeat music wafting throughout, the local favorite is the favored spot to dine in the St. Hanshaugen neighborhood. The lunch menu stars the Smalhans burger (which in a miniaturized version is offered to kids), while the dinner menu changes every two weeks. Patrons at dinner can choose between two family-style set menus, both of which are very well-priced and casual (think panzanella and gnocchi with Jerusalem artichoke) and comes served on trays or in pots and pans. Seatings are either between 6-6:45 or after 8:30. (Bonus: there is one daily dish offered from 4-6pm each afternoon.)

Solsiden

When the days begin to get long and the sun is shining on the harbor, locals flock to this seasonal, waterfront restaurant for the extensive raw bar and wine list. Located on the quayside just below the Akershus Fortress, Solsiden is a favorite for post-touring drinks, which can be enjoyed in the nautical-themed dining room or on the alfresco terrace, both of which offer stunning views of the fjord. The menu rotates, but one staple is the seafood platter, which includes oysters, coquille St. Jacques, crab, mussels, prawns, Norwegian crayfish, lobster and red king crab.

Dinning Area at Statholdergaarden, Oslo, Norway

Statholdergaarden

Housed in a charming red building that was the residence of Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve (the illegitimate son of the Danish king when Norway was a part of the Danish Union) in the 1600s, the one-Michelin-starred Statholdergaarden still attracts a well-heeled, stately clientele. The two-story restaurant offers a more casual menu in the cellar-like lower level, while the upper dining rooms are elegantly done with intricate ceiling designs in light blue and white, crystal chandeliers and yellow draped curtains. In both venues, the menu is developed by Bocuse d'Or–winning chef Bent Stiansen, and offers French-inspired Norwegian dishes like Arctic char with hollandaise and Swedish caviar or duck breast with dumplings, spicy chicken bullion and bok choy.

Kitchen at Stockfleths, Oslo, Norway

Stockfleths

The breeding ground for some of Oslo’s best baristas (including Tim Wendleboe), the highly acclaimed Stockfleths opened in 1895 and now boasts several locations throughout the city. The two-story café on Prinsens Gate features old school décor and barista trophies lining the walls on its upper level, and 1970s-inspired furnishings on its lower. The coffee is outstanding, and goes well with their premade sandwiches and snacks.

Theatercaféen

A gathering place for artists and intellectuals since opening in 1900, this Vienna-style café is an Oslo institution that has been owned by the same family for four generations. The Art Nouveau café, located on the ground floor of the Hotel Continental, was modernized in 1949, but architects were able to return it to its original style in 1971 using photographs of the old space, and the Old World atmosphere remains. The menu offers Norwegian specialties (reindeer, lutefisk) as well as classic brasserie fare like spicy moules frites and afternoon tea with open-face sandwiches.

Entrance - Tim Wendelboe, Oslo, Norway

Tim Wendelboe

An icon in the coffee industry since beginning his career in the 1990s, Tim Wendelboe is an integral part of Nordic coffee culture. The celebrated barista opened this self-titled café (which is also home to his training center) in 2007 in Grünerløkka, ushering in a renaissance for the now–uber hip neighborhood.

Tjuvholmen Sjømagasin

Tjuvholmen Sjømagasin, near the Astrup Fearnley Museum, serves an array of fresh seafood dishes, including delicious langoustines.

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