Oslo Restaurants and Dining

(Oslo, Ostlandet, Norway)

The choice of restaurants in Norway's capital city is huge and dining out offers the chance to enjoy some traditional Norwegian and Scandinavian dishes. However, plenty of international restaurants and eateries are also well represented all over Oslo, serving up Mediterranean flavours, Italian pasta and spicy Mexican fare.

For something light and simple, Oslo contains a plethora of cafes, coffee shops and bakeries, where it is possible to enjoy a hot drink and a pastry for very little. At breakfast time, most of the hotels in Oslo feature their very own onsite restaurants, which prepare an extensive breakfast buffet for both their guests and non-residents.

What to Eat

Most of the main restaurants in Oslo cater well for tourists, since they make up a sizable portion of their trade. Menus are usually clearly displayed on the doors, along with any seasonal specials. Typical of Norway as a whole, seafood and all kinds of fish are a definite speciality that you will encounter again and again when dining out in Oslo.

Local favourites include smoked and steam salmon, trout, cod, halibut and mackerel, used in dishes such as rakfisk (salted, fermented trout) and lutefisk (soaked dried cod with lye). Also popular at many eateries are various Nordic game meats, including reindeer and moose.

Where to Eat

Central Oslo is where the highest number of restaurants are situated, and in particular around the Karl Johans Gate area. Many are clustered in small groups around Bryggetorget, Drammensveien, Haakon VII's Gate, Munkedamsveien, Ovre Slottsgate, Rosenkrantzgate and Stortingsgaten. Also lookout for restaurants around Oslo Town Hall and Dronning Maudsgate, where on a sunny day, there are often appealing waterfront views of the Aker Brygge.

Gourmet brasseries are also to be found close to the Old Bazaar and Oslo Cathedral, on Dronningensgate, and also in the heart very of the Old Town and close to many bars and galleries, on Radhusgaten. However, for the best seafood restaurants in Oslo, head to the Stranden. Tables can be found both inside and out, overlooking Oslo harbour and even the Akershus Slott (fortress), so sit back, enjoy the breathtaking scenery and tuck into your freshly prepared cod, monkfish or salmon.