DECEMBER 15, 2017

The Best of Oslo

PHOTO JOURNAL

When you're invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to Oslo, it's hard to say no. When the trip is in light of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Award, it's a no-brainer. I spent four days in Norway's capital at the beginning of December thanks to VisitOSLO. While our programme was packed with Nobel Peace Prize-related events (including a private viewing of the new exhibition at the Nobel Peace Prize Centre, a tour of Oslo's impressive city hall, a short evening boat ride on the fjord and a reception at the Fram Museum, and VIP tickets to the Nobel Peace Prize Concert) we had time to visit a few of the city's best sights, restaurants, museums, and of course, coffee places. 

We stayed at the First Hotels Grims Grenka in the city centre, just around the corner from the central station, the impressive Oslo Opera House and the main shopping area (you'll find Acne, Aesop, Isabel Marant and Ganni in the same stretch on Prinsens gate). We were spoiled with delicious Nordic dishes at Mathallen Oslo (Vulkan 5), Vaaghals, (Dronning Eufemias gate 8), Pila ( Østre Elvebakke 7) and Brutus (Eiriks gate 2). We warmed up at coffee shop/cocktail bar Fuglen (Universitetsgata 2) - they're also in Tokyo and New York! I sampled cinnamon rolls at Handwerk (Maridalsveien 15 E), visited the oldest street in town Damstredet, and saw Edvard Munch's famous 'The Scream' painting at the National Museum (Universitetsgata 13). 

The Oslo Opera House (Kirsten Flagstads Plass 1) is a sight to be seen, as is Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art (Strandpromenaden 2), designed by famous architect Renzo Piano - the 3pm sunsets on the water were beautiful. I can also recommend lunch at neighbouring Vingen Cafe (Strandpromenadene 2) where I had the most delicious cauliflower soup with homemade rye bread. I also loved the quirkier neighbourhood of Grünerløkka. There you'll find Oslo's famous coffee joint Tim Wendelboe (Grüners gate 1) as well as Supreme Roastworks (Thorvald Meyers gate 18), bakery W.B. Samson (Thorvald Meyers gate 27A) which is said to have the best cinnamon buns in town, and concept store Granit (Thorvald Meyersgate 63-67), interior shop Futura Classics AS (Olaf Ryes plass 1), and stationary shop Lush Dive (Thorvald Meyers gate 19).

On my list for next time: cocktail bars HIMKOK (Storgata 27; they make their own spirits) and Torggata Botaniske (Torggata 17B; a botanical-themed bar, yes please!), restaurant Pjoltergeist (Rosteds gate 15 b), hotel The Thief (Landgangen 1) and The University Botanical Garden (Sars' gate/Monrads gate). Special thanks to VisitOSLO for making this trip possible, I'm looking forward to that summer party!