A maze of connected buildings in the newly developed Aker Brygge area, this shopping complex offers a range of high-end boutiques interspersed with coffee shops and unique interior design stores. The mall weaves toward the Thief Hotel, so guests can meander its boutiques on the way back to their hotel. Standout shops include the fashion-forward Mardou & Dean (Holmensgate 4) and Mark & Brandy (Holmensgate 2), and home store Milla.

An hour-and-a-half by car from Oslo, the village of Baerums Verk rose to distinction in the 1600s, when iron ore was discovered there. In 1997, the foundry and surrounding area was turned into a commercial center, and is now home to shops, galleries, workshops and a large sculpture park. Some of the charming handicrafts on offer are quilts, glass and furniture. The charming town is also home to Norway’s oldest tavern, Værtshuset (Vertshusveien 10; 47-67-80-02-00).

If any boutique in Grünerløkka channels Brooklyn, this is it. Dapper is a menswear concept store that is split into three parts, with areas for shaving, biking and clothing products. Each section is thoroughly dedicated to its contents, with mustached salesmen in the barbershop, leather bike seats pinned to the walls in the cycling boutique and sleek sweatshirts and leisure apparel lining the racks of the apparel store. The bike accessories are some of the best, and most unique finds to be had, with gorgeously sculpted seats in olive green, chocolate brown and oil black as well as wicker bike carts.

Located on the bottom floor of Norway’s oldest department store, GlasMagasinet, Den Norske Husfliden has been selling traditional Norwegian fashions since opening in 1891. The now-iconic brand is known for Scandinavian pieces including bunads (folk costumes), floral paintings, wrought iron and wood products and needlepoint accessories.

The most elegant womenswear in Grünerløkka can be found at Ensemble, a boutique located between Kaibosh and Dapper. The store’s simple décor, with exposed brick walls and cement floors, allows the clothes, from designers like Carven and Frame, to take center stage.

Stuffed to the brim with bright and shiny furnishings, the off-the-beaten-path Eske is a bit of a hike to get to (it’s located in St. Hanshaugen), but worth the trek for some of the city’s best interior design finds. With a black-and-white checked floor, oblong dangling chrome light fixtures and elegant side tables loaded with stylish coffee table books, the home décor mecca feels more like a posh home—one that can be yours with the assistance of their interior design team. After browsing, pop over to the attached café, or continue exploring the neighborhood with lunch at Smalhans and stockpiling gourmet souvenirs from Gutta på Haugen.

Oslo’s best concept store was opened by three brothers and their friend, who, dismayed by the lack of boutiques devoted to local designers, created f5, to exclusively stock Norwegian labels. With a store, showroom and studio, f5 also has two fashion lines: ARCT and GRAA. Other designers featured include Mardou & Dean and Avenue. The overall collection is chock-full of sleek shirt dresses, menswear-inspired basics and leather bags and sneakers.

Stuffed to the gills with dried meats, racks of lamb and wooden crates overflowing with cheese and salami, this specialty food store is an Oslo institution and one of its most unique shops. Open since 1996, Fenaknoken is a culinary melting pot of Norwegian cultures, represented by the traditional products on sale including reindeer, salmon and perhaps Norway’s most famous export: brunost. Commonly referred to as brown cheese, the delicacy is made from the whey of goat’s milk, which is boiled until it caramelizes, resulting in a cheese that is soft, salty and distinctly brown. Brunost is best served atop buttered toast or warm waffles.

Owned by two French expats, Nina Banggren and her husband Didier Descarpentries, this vintage boutique is a Francophile’s dream—roughly 90% of its products come from France, some of which date back to the early 1800s. The storeowners travel back to France about one a month to source their bounty, which includes photographs from the Tour de France (luckily, I scooped up a black-and-white print of cyclist Jean Robic from his 1947 tour win the day after Didier put it on display), movie posters from the 1920s, neon signs and antique furniture. The findings can vary depending on your visit, and some may find them peculiar—on my visit there were many prints of human anatomy from the 1850s, which were nevertheless artlike in their precision—but the hodgepodge of knick-knacks is a trove worth exploring.

Founded in 1889, Freia is Norway’s largest chocolate manufacturer. Originally specializing in dark chocolate, the brand did not become popular until years later, when a new owner introduced milk chocolate—the Freia melkesjokolade is now the company’s best-selling product. Freia’s headquarters (Freialand) is located in Grünerløkka, where they offer factory tours—a must for families, foodies or anyone who’s ever dreamed of making Willy Wonka a reality (reservations are essential; contact Indagare’s Bookings Team for assistance).

This charming gourmet store in St. Hanshaugen provides visitors with a glimpse of Oslo life outside the city center. Stocked with culinary delights including fresh bread and produce, salami, cheese and traditional Norweigan goods like apple juice, Gutta på Haugen is frequented by locals and is a good spot to pick up groceries for a picnic.

The tastemakers behind renowned design studio Kråkvik and D’Orazio handpick all the merchandise offered by this beautiful interior design store in Grünerløkka. Just a few blocks away from the main shopping street, Kollekted By is worth seeking out for unique lighting fixtures, pretty ceramics and minimalist furnishings. Indagare Tip: Check the store’s hours before visiting as they are often closed.

Milla is Oslo’s best concept store. A sprawling, two-story warehouse dedicated to uber-chic interior décor, the black-walled boutique stocks familiar names (Missoni Home, Jonathan Adler), but also unique furnishings including taxidermied animals. Candles, stationary, coffee table books and more are among the giftable finds. The Gløgg extract, a pre-spiced syrup for making the mulled drink, is a fun souvenir that allows you to experience a taste of a Norwegian winter without withstanding its freezing temperatures.

A bit like a Norwegian take on Anthropologie, Mitt Lille Hjem opened in 2010 and is one of the best shops in Grünerløkka. Meaning “My Little Home,” the boutique offers a cohesive selection of fashion, home décor, accessories and jewelry, as well as furniture, all of which is made by the owner’s father.

Just around the corner from Oslo’s National Theater and the Hotel Continental, the decades-old Norway Designs is a two-story emporium filled with Scandinavian-style, sleek furnishings and all things design-focused. Whimsical children’s clothes and toys are stocked on first floor, while the vast, basement-level space has sections dedicated to stationary and prints, home accessories like pillows and ikat blankets and furnishings and kitchenware, including Marimekko plateware, Kahler ceramics and blown glass pieces.

After much success at its first store in Bergen, Røst opened an Oslo outpost along a main shopping street in the city center. The store interior features common Scandinavian design elements (clean lines, geometric shelving) and hanging racks hold small accessories like candles, notebooks and paper goods. The rest of the store is filled out with pastel ceramic plates, cushy pillows and a small selection of kid’s clothes.

One of the first shops on Grünerløkka’s main drag of Markveien, this hippie boutique is filled with fun knick-knacks, paper goods and gag gifts.

With delightfully colorful store windows, Småting entices passing shoppers with its cute displays. Shoppers will find an array of items that make great gifts for new parents (clothing, games, toys). Some of the best finds include whimsical lunchboxes, jigsaw puzzles and tricycles.

Norway’s largest department store (with over 50 locations in the Scandinavian countries), Steen & Strøm has a five-floor outpost in downtown Oslo. The luxury store offers a range of products—from fashion to jewelry and perfume—and includes a dining level that is home to gourmet food vendors and several quick lunch spots.

The oldest bookstore in the city, Tanum has spawned several offshoots but its original location is located in downtown Oslo. The sprawling store carries everything textbooks and calendars to children’s books and novels. Located in the Paleet shopping center, the flagship store was designed to resemble the interior of a book.

Inspired by Paris’ Colette, YME opened in 2014 in a strikingly modern storefront on Karl Johans gate in central Oslo. A joint design project by YME Studios and Snøhetta architects, the concept store spans three floors and includes a top-floor café and bookstore. With rotating art exhibitions and wearable art in the form of pieces by internationally renowned designers like Maison Margiela, Rick Owens, Lanvin and Marni, YME is perhaps the most fashion-forward shop in the city.