Oslo Restaurants

You can find nearly every type of cuisine from around the world here in Oslo. The influx of foreigners over recent years has helped to boost the number of ethnic restaurants, so that you can now enjoy everything from Mexican to Moroccan food. Naturally, there are plenty of traditional Norwegian restaurants as well and the best place to experience the local cuisine is at the waterfront area of Aker Brygge.

Local cuisine

Traditional Norwegian cuisine has been given a facelift recently in the form of New Scandinavian style, which combines seafood and game from the country with the spices and sauces from other European regions. The old classics can still be found in abundance, such as lutefisk (cod prepared in a translucent sauce), pinnekjott (smoked, dried lamb ribs served with potatoes and mashed swede) and slices of dried meat like cured leg of lamb. Oslo is also one of the few places you can try cloudberries, which appear in many of their desserts.

Another classic Oslo dining experience is to head down to the harbourside at Aker Brygge and indulge in a bag of freshly steamed shrimp, which were pulled out of the sea the night before. Floating restaurants serve up bowls of shrimp with baguettes and mayonnaise. Whatever style of cuisine you choose, you’ll find that seafood makes a strong showing on every menu, followed closely by lamb, which is one of the most popular meats in Norway.

Where to eat

Without question, the best area in Oslo for dining out is the wharf area of Aker Brygge. This recently restored and re-designed shipbuilding yard is home to the largest concentration of restaurants, cafés and bars in the city. Norwegian food is served alongside a plethora of ethnic restaurants and half the fun is strolling around the massive outdoor plaza deciding on a place to stop and eat. The outdoor tables overlooking the harbour are worth a visit alone. The Albertine Café and Bar has one of the best views in the complex and is famous for their fresh oysters. You can walk to the harbour from the city centre or take bus number 27.

The other parts of Oslo have their fair share of restaurants as well. For a traditional Norwegian meal, check out Maud, Engebret or House of Norway, which are all well-known for the authenticity of their dishes. The Grand Café is another interesting place to dine at, as it was once the stomping ground for the likes of Edvard Munch and Henrik Ibsen.

Nearly every sit-down restaurant in the city includes a 15 per cent service charge and 20 per cent value-added tax, so you can expect to pay a healthy amount for any meal. Thankfully, the tip is included in the bill, but customers often leave some small change if the service has been good. Some restaurants close for a week around Easter, during the Christmas holidays and for part of July.