Where to eat traditional Norwegian food
Norwegian tastes, ingredients and culinary traditions are important components at many of Oslo's restaurants. The selection ranges from simple traditional everyday food ("Husmannskost" in Norwegian) to groundbreaking Norwegian gourmet.
What even is Norwegian food, you might be thinking? Whether you are a visitor yourself, or you are a local planning to host foreign visitors, it might be difficult to define the ultimate Norwegian food experience, and how to get it in Oslo.
The country stretches across a thousand miles from north to south, and Norwegian food culture is still relatively unknown in the rest of the world. And have you ever tried asking a Norwegian about their favourite dish? Odds are, the answer will be pizza or tacos!
Waffles and sausages
Pølse i lompe (a sausage in a soft potato flat bread). Sausages are well known throughout the world, but here in Norway, we typically eat them topped with ketchup and mustard, and wrapped in a soft potato-based flat bread (lompe). While you can get "pølse i lompe" at any convenience store (Deli de luca, Narvesen, 7-Eleven) or petrol station, there is widespread consensus about the fact that Syverkiosken serves the most legendary one. And if you visit on Norway's Consitution day, 17 May, you'll notice it is an essential part of the celebration.
Waffles topped with brown goat cheese or jam and sour cream, are an absolute must during your stay in Oslo. Harald's Vaffel in Grünerløkka serves freshly made waffles topped with Nutella, ice cream, bacon or even brown cheese (might prove a tad exotic for some?).
Traditional dishes
Game meat, such as moose, reindeer, deer, stag and grouse, are served at several of Oslo's restaurant year round. During Christmas time, it is even more easy to find on Christmas menus all over the city.
Christmas food. Norwegians usually eat a great celebratory meal on Christmas eve, and everyone has their favourite main course. The two most common dishes are "ribbe" and "pinnekjøtt". "Ribbe" is pork belly served with "surkål" (sour cabbage), potatoes and brown sauce. "Pinnekjøtt" is salted and dried lamb ribs, served with potatoes and pureed rutabaga. "Lutefisk", dried fish cured in lye, is also popular during the Christmas month. Several of Oslo's restaurants offer special Christmas menus in November and December, allowing you to order several of the mentionned Christmas dishes, as well as reindeer and Christmas desserts.
The following restaurants serve traditional Norwegian food in Oslo:
Sandwiches
Did you know that the average Norwegian eats about 75 kilograms of bread each year? Thus, open faced sandwiches (smørbrød) garnished with toppings (pålegg) such as meatloaf (karbonade), eggs and smoked salmon or prawns are to be found on the lunch menus of some of Oslo's most prestigious restaurants.
Seafood
Norway is famous for its amazing seafood, and several of Oslo's restaurants specialise in freshly caught fish and shellfish.
Gourmet
You will find the latest and greatest within Norwegian culinary art at restaurants such as Maaemo, Kontrast, Statholdergaarden, Hyde and Hot Shop – all of which have one or more stars in the Michelin guide. What characterises these restaurants is clean, Nordic flavours and creative uses of ingredients.
More suggestions for typical Norwegian food
- Marzipan cake. This plain cake with whipped cream and jam, topped with a marzipan cover, has long been a favourite among Norwegians. In Oslo, you might find this type of cake at Halvorsens Conditori, W.B. Samson, Baker Hansen and Hotel Bristol.
- Rømmegrøt (Sour cream porridge) Porridge made from sour cream? Yes, this is actually a traditional Norwegian dish. This porridge is often garnished with butter, sugar and cinnamon, and eaten with a side of cured meat. Rømmegrøt is one of the signature dishes at Maaemo, a famous restaurant with three stars in the Michelin guide. There, it is served with grated reindeer heart.
- Brown cheese. The brown cheese is something of a Norwegian treasure. Its history stretches all the way back to 1863, and is made from a mix of cow's and goat milk. The brown cheese, or brunost, has a sweet and almost caramel-like taste. You can purchase this cheese in any grocery store.
- Buns (Boller). Boller are sweet wheat buns, a popular treat among Norwegians. They may be plain, or filled with raisins or chocolate. There are also variants such as cinnamon buns and skolebrød (buns filled with custard and topped with grated coconut. You can find boller at most of the bakeries in Oslo, but Bollebar, close to the National Museum, really offers the ultimate bolle experience. They serve large buns beautifully decorated, in a variety of flavours.
- Strawberries with cream. The taste of Norwegian strawberries with cream is, for many Norwegians, deeply associated with summer and childhood memories. During the summer season, you may find this dessert at several restaurants in Oslo, or you may purchase the berries at grocery stores, at farmer's markets or at strawberry stands.