Restaurants and nightlife in Oslo

Restaurants

Many of Oslo’s restaurants offer Norwegian specialities such as salmon, moose or reindeer. At certain times of year you might also get a chance to try "lutefisk", the famous dish made from stockfish softened in water and lye, then cooked and sometimes grilled. Norwegian food is easiest to find in the city centre, but neighbourhood restaurants on both sides of town also serve local specialities. 

Norway is famous for fresh fish and shellfish, and the Oslo harbour area is home to many of the best seafood restaurants in the country. Some of the world's finest chefs can be found working in restaurants kitchens in the city centre and Frogner, and all five of Norway's Michelin rated restaurants are situated in or near Oslo.

If the gourmet restaurants are a little out of your price range, Oslo has plenty of other options. If you know where to look, you can find any type of food to suit any wallet. Areas like Youngstorget, Grønland and Grünerløkka are home to lots of informal restaurants with great food at a reasonable price. Or if the weather is nice, why not have a picnic or barbeque in the nearest park?

Search here for your type of restaurant in Oslo.

Nightlife

There are countless bars, cafés and nightclubs to choose from in Oslo, and the atmosphere is friendly and inviting. Oslo's party animals quickly pick up new trends or make their own, and the places to see and be seen change from one week to the next. Popular areas to go out include the city centre, Solli plass, Youngstorget, Grønland and Grünerløkka. 

Many cafés stay open late, changing from family-friendly coffee places during the day to trendy bars with DJs and fancy cocktails at night. Oslo is a great city for clubbing, and top DJs from Norway and abroad always draw masses of people to the dance floors. The downtown bars and nightclubs are open until around 3 am – the ones outside the city centre close earlier.

Oslo has a vibrant live music scene; the city actually hosts more concerts than any other Nordic capital. You can catch up-and-coming bands at clubs all over the city, and Grensen has a reputable jazz scene. Oslo also hosts national and international music stars every week at venues like Rockefeller, Sentrum Scene, Oslo Concert Hall, the Opera House and Oslo Spektrum.

A guide to Oslo's nightlife.