Bacalao from Fiskeriet, the best fish restaurant in Oslo.

In what used to be an old fishmonger there is a kitchen no bigger than a toilet. This is where you get the best fish meals in Oslo.

Fiskeriet is the name of the combined restaurant and fishmonger. It was established in 2010 in what used to be one of the city’s oldest fishmongers that closed its doors after 75 years of business. People grieved. Although Norway is a nation of fishing, fishmongers in Oslo are as rare as the sea horses in the ocean. On the same premises as the old fishmonger there arose a modern fishmonger inspired by the food halls of Southern Europe. Sit in the bar and have a glass of wine while you wait for your mussels marinara to finish or ponder on what seafood to buy.

From a kitchen the size of a small toilet, the loveliest dishes appear. The menu is short with Nordic dishes such as bacalao, shrimps with mayonnaise and fish soup. In addition there is always mussels and probably the best fish and chips in town. If you love smoked fish Fiskeriet has their own smokery. This is one of the best value restaurants in Oslo, and if you choose the take-away it is simply a bargain.

Fiskeriet is a fishmonger with a sustainable profile: Their slogan is “Game from the sea!” Hence they focus on wild fish, not farmed and preferably line-caught, not caught by trawling. However on their facebook site they advertise bluefin tuna, one of the most endangered species in the world, and they also sell rose fish (uer), a species on the red list. How is this possible?

I send them an e-mail and they explain they only sell bluefin tuna twice a year from a Friends of the sea-certified fish farm in Spain. The rose fish, they point out, is bycatch. I get a thorough answer as to why line-cought fish is more ethical than trawling. This is because it causes less bycatch and does not destroy the seabed. Also, the quality of the fish is better. I am told, and this was a great surprise to me, that the ocean is filled with ”ghost nets” from prior fishing that catches fish years after.

The kitchen at Fiskeriet is no bigger than a toilet, still it churns out the loveliest dishes.

View to Youngstorget, the political square in Oslo.

A glass of wine and or shrimps to bring home?

Salmon burger while gazing at people passing by? The building that used to seat the Norwegian Prime Minister (the tallest building in the picture), is also visible from here. It was the main target of the terrorist attack in July 2011, and is just an empty shell today.

Fiskeriet is centrally located in downtown Oslo at the Youngstorget square in the Folk Theatre building. Youngstorget is the political square of Oslo, home to rallies and the Labour movement. The Folk Theatre building (Folketeatret) from 1935 also housed the Opera before it moved into its present location.

At the Fiskeriet there is a window seat, as if it was a coffee shop. Gaze at life at Youngstorget while you munch on the freshest of fish to catch. Maybe bacalao? Bacalao is a unique Nordic stew with sturdy Nordic ingredients such as potatoes and dried and salted cod. Add to that tomatoes, black olives, red chillies and garlic and the result is the most foreign Norwegian dish you will ever find on our table.

Fiskeriet

Address: Youngstorget 2b
fiskeriet.com

What else is nearby?

Several nice restaurants in the adjoining “Operapassasjen”
The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet

More eating Oslo?

The best organic bakery in Oslo
Cheap and classy at Restaurant Olympen

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Olympen restaurant in Oslo

Oslo may be one of the world’s most expensive cities, but restaurant Olympen is both classy and cheap.

Olympen is one of the oldest establishments in Oslo dating back to 1892. It is situated on the East side at Grønland, one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Oslo. After many years in business the restaurant turned into a decrepit beer hall with a rather tipsy clientele, but that changed when it was reopened in 2007. Today people from all walks of life flock to the restaurant sitting down at both private and communal tables.

There are many reasons to visit Olympen. One reason is the wide selection of beer, this is after all a restaurant and a beer hall serving more than 150 types of beer. Another reason is the interior with amazing chandeliers and several giant paintings from 1928 showing the area as it was before. And another is of course the food.

Olympen serves seasonal Nordic food with a modern touch. Try classics such as skagentoast, cold herring with sour cream and onions or the traditional Christmas dessert, rice pudding with almonds and berries. If there is one place you should try traditional Norwegian food, it does not come any better than this. Moreover, this is also one of the best-value eats in Oslo. Their today’s lunch is always a bargain.

The interior at Olympen is one of a kind

Salmon with potatoes, horseradish cream, crunchy bits of bread and of course dill

In the summer their lovely backyard is open

Olympen mat og vinhus

Address: Grønlandsleiret 15
www.olympen.no

What else is nearby?

Maaemo is just a 5 minute walk away
Punjab Tandoori, one of the cheapest curry houses in Oslo
Asylet, a sort of pub, in an old building from 1740

More Eating Oslo?

The best organic bakery in Oslo
The cheapest fish restaurant in Oslo

The post Olympen restaurant appeared first on Nordic Diner.

Godt Brød, the best organic bakery in Oslo.

Godt Brød is an organic bakery in Oslo, serving the best buns and sandwiches in the city. It is a must to try the Norwegian classic bun, skolebolle.

Norway still lags behind when it comes to organic food though much has changed the last years, especially with the rise of the organic restaurant, Maaemo, to the culinary Michelin stars. If you want a cheaper option, the organic bakery “Godt Brød” serves the best Norwegian buns and sandwiches in Oslo.

Cheap food still goes for many Norwegians despite the fact that we have never spent less of our income on food than now. Even Christmas is no exception where people go mad in search of pork belly cheap as a two bottles of milk. But there are exceptions.

“Godt Brød” is a Norwegian bakery chain serving organic bread since its opening in 1995. At that time organic products were mostly found in health food stores. They serve the finest skoleboller (school buns), a quintessentially Norwegian bun with custard in the middle and icing topped with desiccated coconut. It resembles the English Manchester tart, though the jam and bananas are omitted.

School bun (skolebolle), best of Norwegian bakery.

Visit their store in Grünerløkka where you can sit in the backyard in the summer. The building and backyard was once a stable for “tram horses”. The first trams in Oslo were drawn by horses until the trams turned electric in 1900.

Godt Brød bakery is situated in Grünerløkka, one of the most urban, historic and green neighbourhoods in Oslo with many parks and buildings from the 19th. century. In 2013 Grünerløkka was, along with the likes of Shoreditch in London and Williamsburg in New York chosen by Lonely Planet as one of 10 neighbourhoods in the world with an incredible makeover. Moreover, Grünerløkka is also neighbour to a long stretch of the Akerselva River, an 8 kilometer long city river offering one of the best strolls in Oslo.  In fact so much New York Times named it one of 12 favourite city streets in Europe.

Note! If you want a feinschmecker coffee to go with the bun, Norway’s best barista and supplier to the restaurant Noma, Tim Wendelbo, is just a block away, address Grüners gate 1.

Godt brød at Grünerløkka

Address: Thorvald Meyers gate 49
godtbrod.no

What is nearby?

Tim Wendelboe, best but (expensive) coffee in Oslo
The Aker River, perfect for a stroll
The Food hall of Oslo (Mathallen)

More Eating Oslo?

Classy and cheap at Olympen restaurant
The cheapest fish restaurant in Oslo

The post The best organic bakery in Oslo appeared first on Nordic Diner.