There’s an alluring act of small sample size theater that can happen when you visit a new place for the first time. Touching down in Oslo on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in August, I quickly convinced myself of a few hard truths. Like, everyone here is obsessed with exercise. Not since the Lance Armstrong Tour de France years in Austin have I seen a place so flooded with very fit people running, biking, or walking to pilates, all decked out in higher-end athletic wear. Or that every single person here is well-dressed, quiet, considerate.
Some of the day-to-day experience took an inevitable bend toward the banality of life in any other major city. On colder days, there were fewer runners. The fashion was consistently pretty good, though not impeccable. But I never felt the magic of Oslo subside. I’m glad I took my time.
I spent most of August there, which spurred plenty of “Why Norway?” questions from friends. The real answer was instinct. The same way I make most big decisions. It just kind of felt right. But for those who required specifics, I divulged:
With a one-month break in between jobs, I wanted something new but easy. Preferably English-speaking or at least English accommodating.
I didn’t have the energy for a food mecca with 25 restaurants I’d feel obligated to hit before leaving. Something about the calendar-circling reservation just … wasn’t attractive, and still isn’t. But I did want a place that allowed for some great food discoveries, which Oslo certainly delivered on.
Access to and prioritization of good seafood also help.
A little nature, but not too much. Warm-ish.
And, yes, I’m a 33-year-old bicoastal man who loves the work of Joachim Trier, so that swayed me some.
I don’t know if I’d recommend Oslo for a five-day trip, at least not to everyone. It’s quite quiet and small. I’d go on long jogs from one end of the city to the other. There seemed to be one great version of everything — pizza, ramen, yoga — where you’d run into the same set of locals. Conversations with strangers seemed to always include:
A kind of self-flagellation: “You’re American? And you’re here for a month? … Why?”
“Just know it’s not always like this.” Referencing the idyllic August weather. Followed by: “We’re also not usually this happy and outgoing.”
“Please let me send you my list of recs so you have a great time.”
But I loved it. In New York for the past week, I’ve found myself called over and over again to meals that leave me feeling good. The booking is easy, the food isn’t too heavy, the service has all the right touches. After a few days in Norway, experiences and entire days that made me feel good became something of a default. So if you feel called, somehow end up there, or are seeking a similar leisurely intermediary escape, here’s my hit list, following the standard Bangers & Jams City Guide structure. And here’s what I was listening to:
Bangers
Palace Grill: My last meal of the trip, and I couldn’t have picked a better spot. Immediately joins my canon of perfect restaurants. They do one seating at 6:30 p.m., with a set menu of about 10 courses in a high-ceilinged but tight room. One of the courses is a slushie. It’s all vaguely Nordic. The wine pairing is essential. It’s not so much a course-by-course pairing as a never-ending parade of stunning glasses that keep getting topped off. They admit to being a little too rambunctious for the Michelin ethos, and happily don’t have a star, which is kind of my ideal tasting menu. I went to so many places I loved in Norway, but this is the one where I’d say, yeah, it’s a destination.
The entire Credo experience: The other thing that comes really close to destination-worthy is Heidi Bjerkan’s whole operation inside the National Library. There’s a traditional tasting menu, an elevated snack bar, a rotisserie chicken and outdoor veranda thing, a cafeteria and bakery. There’s a precision but boldness all across this little compound. You can sense attempts at this approach popping up across America: an amazing restaurant group doing all kinds of concepts inside a single museum or hotel. But it either becomes unsustainable to run or the quality slips. Every visit to any part of Credo made me think these people could not have a better sense of what they’re doing.
Solsiden: All I ever really want to eat is fresh seafood prepared well. And while this place technically has a menu, the thing to do is the $150-per-person raw bar tower of whatever’s good that day. The big pile of shrimp comes with free refills. It’s a seasonal spot in a converted warehouse by the water and feels celebratory even if you didn’t have anything specific to celebrate.
Lorry: Kind of like a Norwegian Odeon. I always find myself at this kind of place, one that’s been around a long time and feels like a forever meeting point. Good for a light lunch or a bunch of fried food at 11 p.m.
This whole city fucking loves aioli. Oh my god. It’s everywhere. Seafood, vegetables, dessert … they get me.
Eff Eff Oyster & Wine Bar: I have such a high bar for a good oyster bar and this place more than cleared it.
The Sommerro Hotel for the gym and rooftop sauna.
Emanuel Vigeland Museum: This dark, barrel-vaulted mausoleum is my favorite fucked-up surprise museum experience … maybe ever?
The Little Pickle’s Sunday roast, a wonderful British surprise on a dreary day before catching Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.
OSLOSLO: I’m so rarely impressed by a natural wine and small plates set menu with a narrative and theme like this … but man, these dudes can cook. Their carrot gnocchi was my favorite bite all month.
Duken Bar & Pizza: Just stellar pizza and great vibes. I only went once but craved it over and over.
Ekebergrestauranten: I posted this on IG and it couldn’t be more true. Hang outside at the bar and enjoy the view above the city.
Jams
Rikkes Hage: Another perfect restaurant. These former fine-dining chefs running a little outdoor beer garden with a few rotating dishes give no fucks at all yet care about all the right things. They close randomly. They shrug at most questions. And they’re incredibly charming while serving nothing but hits.
The Well: A large spa outside Oslo with multiple pools and saunas. Everyone recommended this spot and they were right. (Don’t eat here.)
Villbrygg: I wasn’t drinking for most of this trip and threw back these Norwegian N/A drinks at nearly every dinner. They’re the only great N/A wine out there.
Dapper, Hunting Lodge, Livid and Solitude Vintage for excellent shopping.
Café Rouleur Oslo, for a bar to return to over and over.
Just walking around. Maybe there are other European cities where this is also common, but I was struck by how rarely I saw anyone walking around with headphones in their ears or eyes on their phone. The few times I walked with my face deep in email and music blaring through my AirPods, I felt intrusive and out of place.
Gutta på Haugen and Fenaknoken: You’ll always catch me in a city’s gourmet grocery stores, and these two were outstanding.
Sagene Folkebad: So many good sauna options, but this is the one I kept coming back to.
Klingenberg Kino: The main auditorium is almost exclusively love seats, and there’s a candy bar on your way in. Two details other theaters should copy.
Becco and Kafeteria August: Neighboring wine-forward spots, and Norway’s answers to where hot, well-dressed people eat and drink well.
The Twist, more for the architecture than the art.
Of all the very good coffee options, I’d go with Fuglen.
Gressholmen Kro as part of a fjord day trip.
Grotto: Kind of like if St. John were Norwegian and 15% less special (non-derogatory).
Render Burger as an easy to-go order the night before a flight home.