Norwegian Traditional Food: Four Places to Eat Traditional Cuisine in Oslo

Are you wondering where to find authentic Norwegian home cooking in Oslo? We've discovered four places where you can enjoy delicious traditional Norwegian cuisine with all the hearty potato-based meals in traditional Norwegian style!

Are you longing for grandmother's stew, want to take your family out for dinner, or show off Norwegian flavors to curious friends from other parts of the globe?

Here we've gathered four wonderful places to experience genuine Norwegian traditional food in Oslo.

Each restaurant brings its own character to Oslo's traditional food scene:

• Den Glade Gris: Tender pork dishes and craft beer selection
• Restaurant Schrøder: Historic venue with classic Norwegian dishes
• Kaffistova: Generous portions and daily specials
• Sofies Mat & Vinhus: Modern setting with authentic flavors

Den Glade Gris: Tender and Flavorful

Den Glade Gris (The Happy Pig) offers large portions, tender pork, and exciting beer recommendations. This place is a dream destination for hardcore meat and beer enthusiasts.

We came here to explore the dinner menu. We browsed past the fish dishes, and although they had plenty to offer, we were most excited about the pork dishes. The meals, portions, and flavors did not disappoint. And the beer we had with our food made it a truly magnificent feast!

We chose the recommended dish, Slow-grilled pork knuckle (396 kr). The meat is grilled for at least five hours and served with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and the house mustard sauce. Our group also tried the Slow-roasted pork neck (369 kr) and Pulled pork with bacon on coarse mashed potatoes (312 kr).

Den Glade Gris offers a lunch menu featuring tempting options like traditional Norwegian stew (lapskaus) (235 kr), shrimp sandwich (248 kr), and eggs with bacon and potatoes (236 kr).

Here, the pig theme isn't just about the food – it's evident throughout the restaurant. Servers wear t-shirts with pig snouts, there are porcelain figurines, pictures, a large wall mural, and of course, a stuffed wild boar head on the wall. In addition to plenty of space inside, they also offer nice outdoor seating with checkered tablecloths.

St. Olavs Gate 33 V

Restaurant Schrøder: Good Old-Fashioned

Restaurant Schrøder has a menu packed with Norwegian traditional dishes, including the famous "Flesk og Duppe" (Pork and Sauce) (249 kr), historic reindeer patties (259 kr), and the classic meatballs in brown sauce (259 kr).

They also serve "The Taste of Norway" – a dish consisting of reindeer cake, beef patty, and a meatball accompanied by pea stew, sauerkraut, lingonberry jam, sauce, and potatoes (279 kr). Their extensive fish menu includes plaice (249 kr), steamed cod (299 kr), and fried mackerel (199 kr).

This is a brown restaurant with history dating back to 1923! Since then, it has been in operation and has been mentioned in Jo Nesbø's fiction, including stories about Harry Hole and in several books by Bjørg Vik. Jo Nesbø's book "The Snowman" was also filmed at Schrøder in 2016. The walls are adorned with old paintings and pictures, along with Jo Nesbø's crime novels and proud newspaper clippings.

This is the place with the most noise and atmosphere. No music is needed, as the loud hum of conversations and laughter fills the space. We lowered the average age considerably when we visited, as the clientele is mostly older, though there are also larger groups of adults.

Waldemar Thranes gate 8

Kaffistova: Good Portions

Kaffistova is located in the middle of the city on the corner by Eilefs Landhandleri. They serve genuine traditional food all week, from elk patties and meatballs to arctic char and halibut. Four days a week they offer daily specials: Mondays feature smoked haddock with carrot stew, Tuesdays offer pork and sauce with rutabaga mash, Wednesdays bring fish au gratin, and Thursdays feature potato dumplings served with salt meat and Vossa sausage. Three traditional favorites worth trying!

Norwegian traditional food isn't always a feast for the eyes, but it offers delicious flavors and large filling portions that make you happy. We had to try their elk patties in mushroom sauce, which came as a generous portion. We received two elk patties with plenty of mushroom sauce, three potatoes, sweet lingonberry jam, and delicious fried vegetables including carrot, onion, mushroom, and squash (275 kr). The flavors were impeccable and the portion was more than filling!

If you have room for dessert, they also offer delicious cakes and Norwegian lefse (flatbread) at the counter (87-90 kr). When we visited, they had cheesecake, Oreo cake, and success tart that were truly tempting, but which we couldn't manage this time.

Kaffistova's interior has a modern style with dark walls, simple dark brown tables, and black wooden chairs. The innermost wall features black and white images of women working, traditional Norwegian bunad costumes, and some quotes. Otherwise, the space is well-lit by tall windows and round lamps. The venue is quite large but is usually well filled. The majority of the patrons are older, but there are also many from younger generations who appreciate a traditional meal with potatoes and sauce.

Kristian IVs gate 2

Sofies Mat & Vinhus: A Taste of Norway

Sofies Mat & Vinhus is located right by the royal castle. The restaurant promotes "the taste of Norway" on their menu. Every day they serve a fish special alongside rotating Norwegian classics like meatballs, reindeer stew, potato dumplings, whale steak, or venison stew.

We visited on a Wednesday when the daily specials were meatballs (259 kr) and venison stew (279 kr). We chose these and were not at all disappointed when the food we were served looked quite delicious, even though it was swimming in brown sauce (which we certainly appreciate!).

The meatballs were served with pea stew, stirred lingonberries, and potatoes. The venison stew came with mushrooms and delicious chunky mashed potatoes. Both dishes tasted almost like home, and we were well satisfied with the portions.

The venue on Hegdehaugsveien is quite an elegant space with beautiful and colorful paintings on the walls, dark details, and warm lighting. There's little inspiration taken from traditional Norwegian style here. The place doesn't feel entirely homey, but rather a blend of modern restaurant and small gallery.

Hegdehaugsveien 22