So you are visiting Oslo for the first time?
A guide for airbnb guests
It´s always useful with some local insider knowledge to all those questions you can have when visiting Oslo for the first time. This is an attempt at providing useful practical information for the area as well as some general tips about making the best out of your stay in Oslo.
And it includes a bunch of restaurant recommendations.
How to get to the flat from the airport
Taxis from the airport are notoriously expensive, the bus is the cheapest, but the airport train is by far the most convenient. Take the Airport express train (Flytoget) to Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) You can also take the local train the same route, that is cheaper but more infrequent. Just ask at the station or look it up at NSB (Norwegian Rail)
From the central station; When you get off the train, exit the central station and find the tramstop for 17, 18 and 11, westbound. It is across the road and to the right from the main entrance at the station. Take 17 or 18 to tramstop Dalsbergstien. Or Tram 11 to stop Homansbyen. From both stops you have approx 2–300 meters to the flat.
NB. you need tickets so sort that our before you hop on the tram. Use the Ruter app You can also buy tickets in most kiosks, or go to the ticket office down the steps from the central station entrance; Trafikanten-
NB: If you plan to use a bike in Oslo, which is a very good idea, this main ticket office is also where you can get the bike cards for the stands with free “Oslo bikes” that you will see all over town.
Supermarkets
Best local supermarket: Coop, Dalsbergstien
Closest, but not as good selection: Kiwi, Hegdehaugsveien
Best supermarket, cheap. These are the ones I prefer for everyday shopping Rema 1000, sporveisgata / Rema 1000 parkveien
These supermarkets are closed on Sundays, however smaller supermarkets stay open. Closest to the flat are Joker and Bunnpris in Theresesgate. 5min walk.
Kiosks like 7–11 and Deli deLuca are open 24 hours
Best local delicatessen: Gutta på Haugen. Local ingredients, hams, cheeses, breads, jams and other quality products. Open on Sundays. Pricy. Cheese tip: they normally stock the best norwegian blue cheese ever made; Kraftkar.
Alcohol
In Norway you can only buy wine/spirits at the shops called Vinmonopolet. (Yes it literally means The wine monopoly) Closest one is Theresegate branch
Opening hours:
Mon — Thur: 1000–1800
Fri: 0900–1800
Sat: 0900–1500
You can buy regular strength beer in supermarkets, but only until 8 pm. Beers with a higher alcohol content you have to get at the ”vinmonopolet”.
If you want wine during your stay and want to save on the ridiculously expensive prices it is in general a good idea to use your wine/spirit duty free quota when you land at gardemoen airport, it is normally always open, or even bring from home.
Food!
Eating out everyday can be pricy, but there are cheaper options. Feel free to make dinners at home, or buy takeaway meals from the many places in the area if you want to save a bit on your food budget.
Recommended restaurants in this area, Homansbyen, Bislett, StHanshaugen
Brand new and well-received neighbourhood restaurant from a sommelier that was part of the team that started the Michelin-starred restaurant Maaemo (Good luck getting a table there…)
I would go for this one!
Good quality barbecue in a rustic bistro.
Plah /thai food
One of Oslos better thai restaurants. Plah is a bit pricy so a lot cheaper but still good option for a thai meal is Tasty Thai, which also does takeaway. None of these have outdoor seating so if you want to eat outside, the best option is Lille Asia at the end of the street, as it has evening sun on their large outdoor patio. They also have sushi.
Classic french dining.
Well-liked neighbourhood restaurant with a dish of the day between 1600 and 1800, tasting menus in the evening, focus on shared plates. The food is excellent. They are also open for lunch
Olivia /pizzas
Olivia har less evening sun but still good for outdoor seating. Italian, they have good pizza, and are open for lunch. The image above is from there. They have takeaway pizza too, but a cheaper and tastier option is Arte Pazza in Parkveien. That one is takeaway only but the same company also have a nice neighbourhood restaurant close to St.Hanshaugen park (Ullevålsvn 61)
Loving hut Good vegan food, good value for money
Sushi from Namnams on the corner of Oscarsgate/Pilestredet is good option for cheap takeaway. They also have tasty fresh spring rolls. For warm dishes I would prefer Tasty Thai.
Recommended restaurants not necessarily in the area.
Oslo is small enough to make it easy to visit other areas for a meal, especially of you hop on a tram, bus or use a bike. Note that some might be closed for summer. Solli plass (10–15 minutes) and Frogner is walking distance from the flat. For most of these you should book a table in advance. The prices vary quite a bit so check in advance if you´re not in the mood for splashing out.
Arakataka Close to Torggata. Seasonal modern and consistently good.
Astral Brand new, hear good things about this one. A bit further out, take the nr 20 bus or the nr 17 tram. Located close to Akerselva river between boroughs Torshov and Sagene, north of Grunerløkka.
Trattoria Popolare Popular italian restaurant with good food. Grunerløkka
Pjoltergeist Informal atmosphere, asian fusion kitchen.
Kamai Good asian restaurant in Grunerløkka
Palace Grill A tiny, but excellent Oslo gourmet institution close to Solli Plass. Expensive, for special occasions.
Lokk Torggata. Small restaurant, good food, good prices.
Alex Sushi Best sushi in Oslo. The original one is close to Solli plass and one is at Tjuvholmen.
Urban eatery Asian street food, but in a restaurant, at Solli plass
Aymara One of Oslos few restaurants with latin food. Close to Solli Plass
Teatro Excellent pizza & close to Karl Johans gate/City Hall.
Bokbacka Frogner area, behind the palace park. Modern nordic kitchen
Izakaya Japanese bar with good food
Le Benjamin French bistro food. Grunerløkka
Bass Modern Grunerløkka restaurant. Nordic cuisine. Newly opened, good reviews.
Sentralen Brasserie-type restaurant with modern dishes. Kvadraturen. not to far from Akershus fortress/Karl Johans gate.
Statholdergaarden An oldie, but a goodie. Classic gourmet dining. A bit pricy but excellent food. Kvadraturen.
Kontrast Modern scandinavian cuisine, has a Michelin star
Mathallen Visit Oslo´s newish food hall for a bit of everything, many small restaurants.
Cheaper options
Punjab Tandoori
Cheap indian food/centre east (Grønland) An oslo institution. full of locals, cantine-like.
If you crave a burger, there are many more basic restaurants that are not too expensive, but still serve excellent burgers. Try one at Munchies, Bernt Ankers Gate. (the best in Oslo). Located off Torggata. Another good burger option in the same area is Illegal burger. Tommies burger joint, close to the central station is a hole-in-the-wall place with really good burgers and fries.
Fiskeriet (Torggata, by the square) has tasty and good value fish&chips. Eat in or takeaway.
Cheap, but good vietnamese restaurant.
Good dim sum on this secondfloor restaurant in Torggata. Don´t let the unimpressive decor deter you.
Parks
There are three parks in the immediate area:
StHanshaugen park Small park with excellent views, and one of the best places in Oslo for a drink in the sun with a view. Go almost to the top of the park. The place is not known for good food, only good views.
Stensparken: Also hilly, small and has some nice views.
Slottsparken (The Royal Palace Park): Oslos poshest park, it surrounds the Royal palace and is a nice route to take to Karl Johans Gate and other downtown areas.
A bit further:
Vigeland Park, one of Oslo´s main attractions (local name Frognerparken) is a 15–20 minute walk up the shopping street Bogstadveien, and then turn left at Kirkeveien to get to the park main entrance. Bogstadveien is the continuation of Hegdehaugsveien, the road at the end of this street (where the 11 tram stops)
Exercise
The local stadium (Bislet stadium) is open for running all year, entrance at the back.
Mon-Fri: 08:00–17:00 og 19:00–21:00
Saturday: 10:00–18:00
Sunday: 12:00–18:00
Basket and Soccer. Communal courts next to the stadium.
Bislet Bad
Local swimming pool, indoor pool with saunas and hot tubs etc. A quiet and relaxing place.
Some general tips for Oslo visitors
These are the ten most popular attractions in Oslo
Some museums have free admission on Sundays ; The National Gallery (which has a room with the most famous Munch paintings), The museum of contemporary art. See link for the rest.
Avoid a visit to Holmenkollen ski jump if it is foggy. You go there partially for the views.
Visit Oslos new food hall: Mathallen
specialty shops, cafés and small restaurants.
Drink what some claim are the worlds best coffees at Java coffee bar (Next to StHanshaugen) or at Tim Wendelboes
Oslos most exotic museum experience is possibly this mausoleum only open on Sundays.
Stay clear of Karl Johans gate for food and drink. Mostly overpriced and bland.
If you plan to do many museums like Munch, Vikingships, National Gallery, Museum of modern Art etc etc — The Oslo Pass is a good deal. It also inlcudes public transportation for the same period.
For Munch fans: you can visit his house and studio, Ekely — just outside Oslo
Summer only:
Take a boat-trip out to the islands for a day out
Just follow the crowds off the boats and explore. Hovedøya and Gressholmen are most popular and are most accessible to the public. Swim where you like. Bring you own food, there are no restaurants and few kiosks. You can use a regular public transport tickets for all the boats.
Warm and sunny? Go swimming or just hang out at Sørenga, excellent new swimming area in the center of oslo, close to the opera house.
Tjuvholmen, by Aker Brygge also has good city center swimming
Go for a long or short walk in the forests surrounding Oslo, you can take the tram, bus or local trains and walk straight from there. The signposts for the paths are useful (red signs for skiing in the winter, blue signs for summer paths/roads) but if you venture far, bring a map.
The tour of The Royal Palace is not always full in advance, they sell any extra tickets for that day at the door to whoever turns up at the entrance.
Winter only
Go sledging in korketrekkeren, an old bobsleigh run from the 50s now open to the public. You can rent sledges at the top and you take the tram from the bottom to the top — so no walking required, only sledging.
Recommeded walks
Akerselva separates the east side of oslo from the west side — and it can be walked in its entirety. You will pass Oslo boroughs Sagene, Grunerløkka (good to stop for lunch) and it ends at Grønland, the east side of central Oslo. You will also pass Mathallen, Oslos new food hall
You can also walk a long distance along the waterfront/harbour. A good place to start is Aker bygge/city hall. Info is provided on huge orange markers along the way. You will pass The Opera House and Oslo´s brand new boroughs Bjørvika and Sørenga.
Getting around/Transportation/taxi
Some advice about getting around from the flat:
You can basically walk everywhere in central Oslo, but if you want to save time or not feeling like a walk, the public transportation is quite good.
To go to Karl Johan or the seafront by the Town Hall and Aker Brygge I recommend you walk thorugh the palace park. To Grunerløkka you can take bus 21 from the bus stop next to the stadium, close to the roundabout. Get off at Sannergata bus stop and walk downwards. Tram 17 also takes you to Grunerløkka, passing by the centre of town before heading east.
To go to the restaurant area of Torggata, you also take tram 17, but get off at tramstop Brugata.
If you take the 21 bus the other way, the last stop is Aker brygge/Tjuvholmen. That is ia good starting point for a walk along the seafront all the way to beyond the opera house. Although the Aker Brygge area is very touristy I would recommend it on a nice day. There is a new modern art museum at Tjuvholmen, loads of restaurants, shops and a public swimming area. Sørenga is better for a whole day out at the “beach” on a hot day, but be warned, both can get really busy.
Trams/tube/buses normally run to around midnight.
The closest subway/tube station is Nationaltheatret or Majorstuen, both at least a 10 minute walk. You can also connect with the subway via tram 17 and 18 in the city centre.
You can use an app to buy tickets for trams etc. The app is called Ruter
Local train, subway, bus, trams and the boats serving the small islands use the same ticket system
You can also buy tickets at kiosks like 7–11 and Deli de Luca.
You can use Uber, that will be cheaper than a taxi, which are expensive
Quickest solution to book taxis is via the app Taxifix from Oslo Taxi
Via phone:
Oslo taxi: 02323
Norgestaxi: 08000
Enjoy your stay in Oslo!
