Forget Michelin stars - we have found Oslo's tastiest surprise

Eating out in the Norwegian capital needn't break the bank.

Mathallen. Picture: Sarah Reid

By Sarah Reid

June 13, 2025

I was a bit nervous about travelling to Oslo. As much as I was looking forward to exploring Norway's fjord-side capital during the blissfully long days of the northern European summer, I expected my travel budget to blow out in this notoriously expensive country.

But I find an affordable, central hotel in Citybox Oslo, and my Oslo Pass (from $84 for 24 hours) includes entry to all the museums I want to visit. But while Maaemo, Oslo's three-Michelin-starred temple to New Nordic cuisine, is out of my budget, I'm delighted to discover that eating out in Oslo isn't only easier on the digital wallet (I didn't visit an ATM once during my trip) due to the weakened Norwegian krone. A proliferation of street-food halls has made dining in Oslo much more accessible - and more fun.

"Oslo's street-food scene has really bloomed in the last few years," says longtime Oslo local Nina Prestegard, who guides a walking tour I book with local operator byK to learn more about local food and culture. Opened in 2022 in the newly developed Bjorvika neighbourhood, Barcode Street Food is one of our first stops. Everything from loaded vegan burgers to aromatic plates of pad Thai are being served up to the lunch crowd from a dozen food truck-style stalls in this funky street-level food hall, complete with one of Oslo's longest bars. But we beeline for Bacalao Til Folket (Salted Cod for the People) to sample some Norwegian fusion specialties.

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Vippa Food Hall's colourful facade. Picture: Visit Oslo

"Norway has the second longest coastline after Canada, so seafood is very important for us," Nina tells me. Norwegian cod is just as popular on the dinner table today as it was during the Viking Age. As I tuck into a sample of the stall's signature Tustna cod stew (also called bacalao), I can understand why. The bolinhos (cod fishcakes) are similarly delicious.

Afterwards, we take a stroll along the winding Akerselva River to Mathallen Oslo. Opened in a former iron foundry just north of the city centre in 2012, Mathallen was Oslo's first attempt at emulating the great food halls of Europe. With artisan delis, butchers and patisseries rubbing shoulders with gourmet food bars serving Asian tapas, handmade pasta and Norwegian fish soup, it's a smart spot for a casual feed. It's here I get my first taste of brunost. Biting into the soft brown cheese beloved by Norwegians, the sweet, caramel-y flavour throws me. It's not for me, but it's far from Norway's most controversial dish - I give whale meat a hard pass. Left to my own devices on a weekday evening, I find the alfresco picnic tables at Oslo Street Food packed with merrymaking locals when I arrive at this central food hall opened in 2019 by the same folks behind Barcode. Inside the former indoor pool complex are four bars and 15 colourful food stalls slinging an array of mostly international dishes with an average price of about $24. The vibe is pretty relaxed as I start work on a bread bowl filled with Norwegian lapskaus (beef stew), but I can picture this place pumping on Friday and Saturday nights, when the tables are removed and the cavernous space morphs into a nightclub.

Cinnaman bun. Picture: Sarah Reid

A gaggle of locals appear to be starting the weekend early at Vippa, opened in 2017, when I stop by the harbourside street-food hall on a Friday lunchtime. Here, eight stalls occupying a former warehouse showcase recipes from Morocco to Myanmar, but, craving more Norwegian seafood, I opt instead for fish and chips with Oslo Opera House views at nearby Salt. Opened the same year as Vippa, this "cultural village" houses a couple of food trucks and an alfresco harbourside dining area.

Even Oslo's Central Station has had a food-hall-style makeover, with a 2013 renovation of Ostbanehallen, the original 1854 train station building, making way for a cluster of casual cafes and restaurants - any of which I'd happily linger in. With airport trains leaving every 10 minutes, however, there's no need for me to idle. But I can't resist grabbing a kanelsnurr (Norwegian cinnamon roll) to go from the Kanelsnurren bakery cafe to nibble on my journey.

Add to your eat-hitlist

Hot dogs

Once ubiquitous in Oslo, polse (hot dog) stands are now harder to find. Syverkiosken (pictured), the city's last traditional wooden hot dog kiosk, is worth the 2.5-kilometre trek north of the centre for a traditional hot dog (the sausages are boiled in secret-recipe stock and served in flatbread made from potatoes) and a bottle of Toyen-Cola (Norwegian soda). instagram.com/syverkiosken

Norwegian waffles

Have you even been to Norway if you haven't devoured a Norwegian waffle? At the Vaffelvogna waffle cart parked on Karl Johans Gate, Oslo's main thoroughfare, you can sample the traditional heart-shaped dessert with fresh Norwegian strawberries and cream for $13. Or try a modern take such as the bacon and blue cheese waffle with Norwegian honey ($13) at Haralds Vaffel, which also serves up a "superclassic" waffle with brown cheese, sour cream and raspberry jam ($10.50). instagram.com/vaffelvogna; haraldsvaffel.no

Cafes

Nine out of 10 Norwegian adults drink coffee, according to a local study, and you don't need to venture far for a caffeine hit in Oslo. I paid just under $7 for an Australian-standard latte at Stockfleths, a well-regarded coffee chain. Paired with a pastry (most coffee shops and cafes have a pastry counter), it's an easy breakfast. For a relaxed Norwegian-style cafe lunch, try centrally located Spor av Nord, where you'll get change from $40 for mains including oven-baked fish with butter sauce. stockfleths.as; sporavnord.no

Casual fine dining

An increasing number of casual fine-dining restaurants in Oslo serve high-quality set menus for surprisingly good value. Enjoy a multi-course contemporary meal to remember at the likes of Arakataka, Betong, Hyde, Katla or Madonna for about $100. For a smidge more, Hot Shop, Panu and Varemottaket are also recommended. Note: drinks can be pricey. visitoslo.com

The writer travelled with assistance from Aurora Expeditions, Citybox Oslo and Visit Oslo