Holmboe Bang says that “there is so much progress in Oslo now, and when you combine that with the closeness to the sea and to nature, it’s the perfect place to run a restaurant.” At Maaemo, they use only Norwegian ingredients and because lemons are not grown in Norway, ants are an exciting replacement, as they also add acid. “Our concept is that we want the customers to get a sense of Norway”, Holmboe Bang explains. Maaemo has also been voted as one of the world’s absolute best places to eat by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
There are also more budget-friendly options for a taste of Norway, as recently talented chefs have opened more low-key joints – where they also often hang out themselves.
Oslo is also a city of world food of high ambitions, like the Thai based Plah, Italian Baltazar, Japanese Alex Sushi and Omakase by Alex Cabiao, the French-oriented À l’aise, and the pintxos place TXOTX.
Social eating and concepts like food stalls with shared tables are found at Mathallen and by the fjord at Vippa. There is also a growing culture of food trucks in Oslo. And why not combine eating and shopping at markets like Mat & mer, Maschmanns, Mathallen, Fiskeriet, and Fisketorget, or go for the many new, independent cafés and bakeries?
In the evening, you should make sure to mingle on the new scene of funky bars, where they serve drinks based on local brew and from Norwegian distilleries. Some of the world’s most renowned coffee baristas and coffee brewers like Tim Wendelboe are based right here in Oslo. Oh yes, in Oslo you will find most of what Norway has to offer of local food and drink.