3 x good lunch and dinner in Oslo, Norway
Oslo is packed with nice tents to food, lunch, dinner or places to snack during a pit stop. We will fish out the pearls for you, because these three all have that little bit extra, whether it is the view, the wine cellar or the interior. But it is a fact that you walk out the door happy and happy.
Festningen Restaurant is a spacious, elegant and unpretentious brasserie. Just how we like it. Very good wine list with a lot of choice, a very nice (read; not sweet) non-alcoholic cider and good food with flair. The prices here are also really reasonable (always worth mentioning when in Oslo). So you can have a board full of charcuterie for less than two euros or share a SKALDYRPLATÅ: a seafood platter for less than 80 euros. The interior is stunning and the same goes for the view. In the summer (from around May) you prefer to sit outside on the terrace. Also nice: Festningen is located in a slightly older part of Oslo and on the hill. More red brick stone, no mega-tall buildings and a little more of that village feeling. And then with a view of all the modern architecture downtown.
Where many restaurants and lunch places are a bit sleek with modern design and little frills, is Engebret on the Plasbanken (yes, that's really the name of the street) the other end. Oslo's oldest restaurant and they have managed to maintain that atmosphere. Red velvet is literally the common thread with family crests on the wall and opulence all over. From the outside it's like walking into a Hansel and Gretel fairy tale (too sweet terrace too), while inside it's more back to the Middle Ages, but the way the Lords and Ladies did it.
You can also have dinner at Engebret, but you actually want to do the lunch buffet. It is busy from Monday to Friday (11:30 AM - 14:00 PM) and it is advisable to book in advance, although they always try to make a spot for you. On these days, don't think that you can just come and have a coffee at 12:00: it's a sandwich buffet-o'clock and you have to stick to that.
Dinner with a view is with Ekebergrestauranten in the Ekebergpark is still an understatement. You look out over the harbor and islands, the entire city itself and the mountains surrounding it. From the Opera House you can walk there in just under an hour, with the last part following a path through the park and the view getting better every time (just wait until the last minute for photos). You can also come from the other side. Then you walk through the Ekeberg Park, which is a mix of nature, history and lots of (crazy and cool) sculptures. Oh yes, and of course the Ekebergrestauranten itself. They have a modern Scandinavian menu, which translates into classics like the Skagen toast (with shrimp, crayfish and dill in style), but also a fantastic fish soup and very good deserts (go for the caramel pudding). If you go for lunch you can get a three-course menu and a priceless view for just 50 euros.
