Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In the Radisson SAS Hotel Scandinavia, Holbergsgate 30.
&
23-29-30-00.
Reservations recommended.
Main courses 186NOK-255NOK ($26-$36). AE, DC, MC, V. Dinner only daily 5-11:30pm. T-banen: Nation-
altheatret.
Terra Bar & Restaurant
MEDITERRANEAN We come here for the wine
list as much as for the food, which is excellent. Against the backdrop of a mini-
malist decor, this restaurant and bar attracts many Norwegian politicians at
lunch, thanks to its location across the street from the Parliament building. Dur-
ing the evening, a younger crowd predominates. Nearly 250 different wines are
on the menu. You can eat and drink entirely in the bar area or enjoy more for-
mal seating in the dining room.
About a third of the menu here is devoted to seafood, and there are enough
vegetarian dishes to satisfy the hungriest of nonmeat eaters as well. Menu items
change, sometimes radically, with the season. Winter dishes focus on hearty
beefs, hot soups, stews, and generous cuts of beef, lamb, poultry, and game.
Summer fare is lighter, with such dishes as mussels in white-wine sauce; fish that
includes tuna and catfish, sometimes in a fresh dill-weed sauce; tenderloin of
beef with fresh asparagus; and chicken breasts with risotto and red-wine sauce.
The pastry chef is justifiably proud of the house dessert special, which is home-
made vanilla ice cream in a hot brandy sauce laced with hot and very concen-
trated espresso.
Stortingsgaten 2.
&
22-40-55-20.
Reservations recommended. Lunch salads, sandwiches, and platters
85NOK-175NOK ($12-$25); dinner main courses 200NOK-270NOK ($28-$38). AE, DC, MC, V. Sept-May
Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat noon-11pm, Sun 4:30-10pm; June-Aug Mon-Sat 4:30-10pm. T-banen: Stortinget.
Theatercafeen
INTERNATIONAL The last of the grand Viennese cafes in
the north of Europe, this long-standing favorite was founded a century ago to rival
the Grand Café. Each has its devotees, although we like this one better because of
its Viennese
schmaltz.
Serenaded by piano and a duet of violins, the style might
have pleased the Habsburg emperor Franz-Josef had he ever ventured this far
north. It attracts present-day
boulevardiers
and businesspeople. With soft lighting,
antique bronzes, cut-glass lighting fixtures, and Art Nouveau mirrors, it's the type
of place that encourages lingering. Menu items are well prepared and traditional,
and are adjusted accordingly to get the best flavors out of each season. That might
mean fresh asparagus and spring lamb, or in the autumn, breast of wild goose and
other game dishes. The fish dishes, including a recently sampled casserole of mus-
sels, are particularly good. You can also enjoy such traditional Norwegian fare as
reindeer with wild mushrooms or Norwegian fjord salmon.
In the Hotel Continental, Stortingsgaten 24.
&
22-82-40-50.
Reservations recommended. Main courses
190NOK-365NOK ($27-$52); 4-course menu 510NOK ($72); 5-course menu 605NOK ($86); open-faced
sandwiches 85NOK-95NOK ($12-$13) at lunch. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 3-11pm. T-banen:
Stortinget.
A Touch of France
FRENCH This aptly named place is one of Oslo's best
French bistros. When residents dine here, it puts them in the mood to travel to
the real thing, France itself. The decor is that of a typical French brasserie, the
kind you'd find alongside the road in Alsace, complete with tables spilling out
onto the sidewalk during the summer months. A Touch of France is known for
serving the freshest oysters in town. Bouillabaisse is also a specialty here, but that
grand dish loses something in translation this far north. On our most recent
visit, we opted for the traditional salt-baked leg of duck, which was served in a
beautifully made garlic sauce. On other occasions we've enjoyed a classic calves'
liver with mushrooms, spinach, and bacon. After your main course, a dessert
