A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Oslo

  The Local Catch

Oslo, like Norway in general, is not the cheapest travel destination for eating and drinking. But although tales of the prices of a night out in the city are legendary, there are still some places where you can pick up a reasonable bite to eat.

And should you be able to afford it, dining out in Oslo is outstanding. In addition to all the usual smart international restaurants that line Hegdehaugsveien and Bogstadveien, there are also plenty of places where traditional Norwegian cuisine is served.

With the nearby North Sea to trawl, there’s rarely any shortage of fresh fish on offer in the city’s restaurants. The best place to go for seafood is the district of Aker Brygge, a lively area down by Akershus Fortress to the south of the city.

The harbor (built on the old shipyard) is also a great place to go for a stroll, have a drink and watch the ships bobbing out on the water on warm summer evenings, even if the prices seem a little intimidating.

There are also plenty of places to choose from on the side streets that run off the main thoroughfares of Stortingsgaten and Karl Johans gate. However, these also tend to be towards the higher end of the price scale.

What cheap dining there is in the city almost exclusively revolves around restaurants opened by the large immigrant populations. Out to the east of the city, areas like Gronland, Brugata, Grunerløkka and Storgata offer a dizzying variety of cuisines.

Torgatta, and on and around Hausmanns gate (to the northeast of the city), has its fair share of cheap Asian restaurants and the odd kebab shop. A little to the south, Gronlandsleiret with its cheap curry places is another good budget option.

Even so, self-catering will probably be a fairly central part of the average budget traveler’s stay in the city. Supermarkets like Kiwi or Rema 1000 can be found across town, while the open-air market on Youngstorget is a great place to pick up fresh produce.

Buying alcohol in Oslo can be a bit tricky, too, as the country has some unusual laws relating to its purchase in shops. Although you can buy beer in supermarkets, anything stronger must be bought from a state liquor store, or ‘Vinmonopolet’.

But perhaps the best way to eat and drink in Oslo (in summer, at least) is to make like the locals; buy a disposable barbecue and head out to one of the nearby islands of the Oslofjord. Few restaurants, after all, can beat lying on the sand and eating freshly-cooked fish.

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