Oslo
A local’s guide
For detailed information on all restaurants, places and visitits please see visitoslo.no or visitnorway.no
The point of this guide is to give you tips from my standpoint as a local, to be critical, and to give you tips on how to best access places. Make sure you read the descriptions!
Oslo
Groceries near the apartment
This is the closest big supermarked. This is as big as the supermarkeds get in Norway.
28 locals recommend
Coop Mega Alexander Kiellands Plass
72 Waldemar Thranes gateThis is the closest big supermarked. This is as big as the supermarkeds get in Norway.
The small deli right accross the street from the apartment. They don’t have everything, and prices are higher.
Diriksgate Kolonial
7 Diriks gateThe small deli right accross the street from the apartment. They don’t have everything, and prices are higher.
Open sundays! More expensive than normal supermarkeds, and smaller. 5 minute walk from the appartment.
16 locals recommend
Joker Geitmyrsveien
54 GeitmyrsveienOpen sundays! More expensive than normal supermarkeds, and smaller. 5 minute walk from the appartment.
This one is the same as the first Joker, and is right next to it (50 meters), don’t ask me why… if they are sold out for something at the first one, check here.
Joker Fayes Gate
4 Fayes gateThis one is the same as the first Joker, and is right next to it (50 meters), don’t ask me why… if they are sold out for something at the first one, check here.
Fine products deli, mostly italian and french but it has some Norwegian artisanal foods and fine Norwegian cheese!
78 locals recommend
Gutta på Haugen
45 UllevålsveienFine products deli, mostly italian and french but it has some Norwegian artisanal foods and fine Norwegian cheese!
Cheaper and good meals
The food scene in Oslo is not among the greatest in European capitals, but there are some good restaurants out there. The thing you will quickly notice are high prices, and it is indeed mostly high, but not necessarily compared to say Paris and London which are expensive cities. In Oslo what is hard to find is a nice, warm and reasonably priced meal in a small restaurant, say for lunch. But we have some solutions.
One of the only nice, warm and reasonably priced meals in Oslo which I can vouch for, it is indian food and indian friends have agreed with me that for the price it is nice. You can sit. Best for lunch. Have the day’s dish, often it is the chicken, if you want vegetarian, they have nice lentils and pea stews.
99 locals recommend
Punjab Tandoori
24 GrønlandOne of the only nice, warm and reasonably priced meals in Oslo which I can vouch for, it is indian food and indian friends have agreed with me that for the price it is nice. You can sit. Best for lunch. Have the day’s dish, often it is the chicken, if you want vegetarian, they have nice lentils and pea stews.
Duck confit sandwich for a little over 100kr! Not too expensive, a nice baguette with pulled duck confit and ruccula salad, dijon mustard.
Galopin Mathallen
5 VulkanDuck confit sandwich for a little over 100kr! Not too expensive, a nice baguette with pulled duck confit and ruccula salad, dijon mustard.
This is a fast food, but if you do consider going to mcdonald’s or burger king at some point, please stop and consider Max burger at Karl Johan, it is Swedish, and higher quality than the american competition, especially the bread, they have a good cheeseburger with a nice sauce called «creole».
Max
2 TøyengataThis is a fast food, but if you do consider going to mcdonald’s or burger king at some point, please stop and consider Max burger at Karl Johan, it is Swedish, and higher quality than the american competition, especially the bread, they have a good cheeseburger with a nice sauce called «creole».
The main foodcourt in Oslo, but this is a gourmet court. Do go and have a look, you’ll find seafood, tapas, chinede dumplings specialist, asia, and markets too.
780 locals recommend
Mathallen Oslo
5 VulkanThe main foodcourt in Oslo, but this is a gourmet court. Do go and have a look, you’ll find seafood, tapas, chinede dumplings specialist, asia, and markets too.
Dining, medium to high prices
One of the best French restaurants in town. Great, creative deserts. Menu is not always so exciting through the year, in that sometimes they only make big French classics. Count 1000kr for two people.
19 locals recommend
L'ardoise
20B Thereses gateOne of the best French restaurants in town. Great, creative deserts. Menu is not always so exciting through the year, in that sometimes they only make big French classics. Count 1000kr for two people.
South-eat Asian crossover. Very good food, but on the more expensive end. Count 1000kr for two people.
71 locals recommend
Dinner Restaurant
22 StortingsgataSouth-eat Asian crossover. Very good food, but on the more expensive end. Count 1000kr for two people.
Best Italian place in town. It is owned by a Italian family, and they have been there a long time. They have an impressive wines menu. I recommend the pheasant with blue cheese and pancetta. Count at least 700kr for two people.
10 locals recommend
Ruffino
1 Arbins gateBest Italian place in town. It is owned by a Italian family, and they have been there a long time. They have an impressive wines menu. I recommend the pheasant with blue cheese and pancetta. Count at least 700kr for two people.
Burgers
(2 locations)
This one you will see or hear about if you google pr ask about burger places. A fun little burger, concept it cool and dishes interesting, but the cooking is not great, it can be a bit dry. It is a nice burger. Not so cheap.
157 locals recommend
Illegal Burger
23 Møllergata(2 locations)
This one you will see or hear about if you google pr ask about burger places. A fun little burger, concept it cool and dishes interesting, but the cooking is not great, it can be a bit dry. It is a nice burger. Not so cheap.
(3 locations)
This one you will see or hear about if you google pr ask about burger places. A fun little burger, concept it cool and dishes interesting, but the cooking is not great, it can be a bit dry. It is a nice burger. Not so cheap.
82 locals recommend
Munchies Grünerløkka
36A Thorvald Meyers gate(3 locations)
This one you will see or hear about if you google pr ask about burger places. A fun little burger, concept it cool and dishes interesting, but the cooking is not great, it can be a bit dry. It is a nice burger. Not so cheap.
(3 locations)
Best burger in town, this is a restaurant, it is not fast food style. You get really juicy burgers and nice fries, it is really good. Great millshakes! Restaurant prices, so for a full meal count up to 350kr per head.
7 locals recommend
Døgnvill Burger Bjørvika
6 Operagata(3 locations)
Best burger in town, this is a restaurant, it is not fast food style. You get really juicy burgers and nice fries, it is really good. Great millshakes! Restaurant prices, so for a full meal count up to 350kr per head.
Pizza?
If you come from countries where the pizza is great, like Italy or France, and you know where to find great pizza at home, you will most likely not be impressed in Oslo, there are some good doughs, overall the best ones are good but not mind-blowing.
CASBAR
2 Olav Vs gateMost expensive pizza option (210-250kr). Best dough, creative toppings
You get a lot for your money here: a pretty restaurant, italian staff, great dough, quality toppings, authentic pizza, overall quite good. Under 200kr for a pizza.
16 locals recommend
Vineria Ventidue
22 GimleveienYou get a lot for your money here: a pretty restaurant, italian staff, great dough, quality toppings, authentic pizza, overall quite good. Under 200kr for a pizza.
Cheaper than Vineria because pizzas are bigger, but takeaway only, and unfortunately, the staff is not always professional cooks, so the quality varies. Overall fine.
8 locals recommend
Jungel Pizza
6a DalsbergstienCheaper than Vineria because pizzas are bigger, but takeaway only, and unfortunately, the staff is not always professional cooks, so the quality varies. Overall fine.
Coffee and cafés
Norway is actually famous for its coffee. We obviously don’t plant it, but we do everything else ourselves! Norwegians are the biggest coffee drinkers in the world. But don’t go into any café, just choose one of these, trust us, we care about coffee ;)
Objectively the best coffee in town, not so cozy to sit, but very cool area! Nice parks around, this is a hip area, and you can wall there from home! Go on a stroll there and grab a coffee at Supreme. No baking.
121 locals recommend
Supreme Roastworks
18A Thorvald Meyers gateObjectively the best coffee in town, not so cozy to sit, but very cool area! Nice parks around, this is a hip area, and you can wall there from home! Go on a stroll there and grab a coffee at Supreme. No baking.
Great coffee, and cocktails. This café/bar is very classy, witj only retro interior, and super comfy sofas. It is a by a big, busy road, but you won’t care when you are inside. No baking.
144 locals recommend
Fuglen
2 UniversitetsgataGreat coffee, and cocktails. This café/bar is very classy, witj only retro interior, and super comfy sofas. It is a by a big, busy road, but you won’t care when you are inside. No baking.
Best french bakery in Oslo, it is at mathallen, it is not the coziest place to sit in. Coffee is nice. Cinnamon buns will, although it is not a French pastry, be better there, because the bakers are more skilled.
Le Pain Mathallen
5 VulkanBest french bakery in Oslo, it is at mathallen, it is not the coziest place to sit in. Coffee is nice. Cinnamon buns will, although it is not a French pastry, be better there, because the bakers are more skilled.
French café. Coffee is not great, baking is ok but nothing special. What is good here is that the one at majorstuen (Valkyriegata 21) is really nice to sit at, also outside, really cozy. Their french crepes and galettes (soury crepes) are not bad.
Grains Bakeri (Majorstuen)
21 ValkyriegataFrench café. Coffee is not great, baking is ok but nothing special. What is good here is that the one at majorstuen (Valkyriegata 21) is really nice to sit at, also outside, really cozy. Their french crepes and galettes (soury crepes) are not bad.
(2 locations)
Vegan café. Best vegan place in town, very interesting chocolate cakes, intense chocolate flavour, ask first if the cake is soft and creamy, so that you don’t get a weird diet cake. Coffee is nice, but only vegan milk. Interesting vegan bowls and yoghurts, I like the yellow yoghurt. The one in Ullevålsveien is within walking distance of the apartment.
9 locals recommend
Oslo Raw Frogner
16 Skovveien(2 locations)
Vegan café. Best vegan place in town, very interesting chocolate cakes, intense chocolate flavour, ask first if the cake is soft and creamy, so that you don’t get a weird diet cake. Coffee is nice, but only vegan milk. Interesting vegan bowls and yoghurts, I like the yellow yoghurt. The one in Ullevålsveien is within walking distance of the apartment.
Stockfleths
2 MunkegataThese are all over town. Nice coffee and ok cinnamon buns.
W.B. Samson - Gimle
46 Frederik Stangs gateThese are all over town. Nice coffee and ok cinnamon buns.