Restaurants to try in Oslo

Oslo's restaurant scene reflects the depth and ambition you would expect from a Scandinavian capital. Drawing on the principles of the New Nordic Food Movement, many of the city's best kitchens build their menus around wild, organic and locally sourced Norwegian ingredients, turning traditional flavours into something genuinely contemporary. But the range here is wide, from long-established institutions to casual neighbourhood spots that reveal a different side of the city altogether.

Norwegian cuisine in its traditional form is rooted in the raw materials available across the country's mountains, wilderness and coast. It differs from its continental counterparts in its stronger focus on game and fish, and many of the classic dishes reflect a long tradition of preservation, shaped by the demands of long winters.

Here are a few of our favourites in Oslo's wide variety of restaurants

• Lofoten Fiskerestaurant: a long-established seafood restaurant at Aker Brygge, with a maritime menu built around the freshest Norwegian fish and shellfish, and harbour views to match.

• Kontrast: near Mathallen, in Oslo's former industrial Vulkan district. Now holding two Michelin stars and a Green Star for sustainability, this is one of Norway's most celebrated kitchens. Chef Mikael Svensson's menu is rooted in wild, organic Norwegian produce, and the experience is firmly in the fine dining category.

• Maaemo: Oslo's only three-Michelin-star restaurant, and one of the most acclaimed in Scandinavia. A seasonal tasting menu built entirely on organic, biodynamic and wild Norwegian ingredients, served in a dramatic dining room near Oslo Central Station.

• Nedre Foss Gård: a beautifully restored historic farm complex beside the Akerselva river in Grünerløkka. The building was gutted by fire in December 2015 and reopened in 2017, and today it is one of the most atmospheric places to eat in Oslo, with a seasonal menu focused on local producers and an outdoor courtyard that comes into its own in summer.

• Theatercafeen: a piece of Oslo cultural history, located in the Hotel Continental opposite the National Theatre. In operation since 1900 and beloved by the city's arts and literary world, it remains one of the most characterful places for a long lunch or dinner.

• Solsiden Restaurant — a celebrated seasonal seafood restaurant in a former harbour warehouse, directly below Akershus Fortress, with views across the Oslo Fjord. Open from May to September only, so plan accordingly.

• De Fem Stuer — set in the historic 1894 Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel, high on the hill above the city. The views over Oslo and the fjord are exceptional, and the menu draws on Norwegian ingredients with a modern Nordic sensibility.

• Ekebergrestauranten — perched on the Ekeberg hillside with sweeping panoramic views over the city and the Oslo Fjord, housed in a beautifully restored functionalist building from 1929.

• Engebret Café — one of Oslo's oldest restaurants, in a 17th-century building in the heart of the old town. Traditional Norwegian food in a setting that has changed little over the centuries.

• Frognerseteren Restaurant: Finstua — at the top of the Holmenkollen metro line, with a rustic lodge interior and one of the finest views in the city. A good stop after a walk in the Nordmarka forest.

For more affordable dining, head to the Grünerløkka district. This once working-class area on the east side of the city is now one of Oslo's most vibrant neighbourhoods, with a strong concentration of independent restaurants, cafés and bars grouped around the streets Markveien and Thorvald Meyers Gate. The food here ranges from casual Nordic to international, and the atmosphere on a busy weekend evening is hard to beat.

When in Oslo, try these local dishes:

• Røkt laks — smoked salmon, often served simply with bread, cream cheese and a squeeze of lemon
• Kjøttboller — Norwegian meatballs, similar in spirit to the Swedish version but with their own distinct character, typically served with gravy, potatoes and lingonberries
• Krumkake — a thin, crisp wafer, rolled into a cone shape while still warm from the iron, and sometimes filled with whipped cream. A delicate and distinctly Norwegian treat