Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cart is wheeled around, loaded with such temptations as crème brûlée or a delec-
table chocolate-and-almond cake.
Øvre Slottsgate 16.
&
23-10-01-60.
Reservations required. Main courses 185NOK-220NOK ($26-$31). AE,
DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-11:30pm. Bus: 27, 29, 30, 41, or 61.
INEXPENSIVE
Brasserie 45
CONTINENTAL Airy and stylish, this second-story bistro
overlooks the biggest fountain along downtown Oslo's showplace promenade.
The uniformed staff bears steaming platters of ambitious, imaginative cuisine,
including especially flavorful versions of fried catfish with lemon-garlic sauce;
fried chicken in spicy, tomato-based sweet-and-sour sauce; pork schnitzels with
béarnaise sauce and shrimp; and tartare of salmon with dill-enriched boiled
potatoes. For dessert, try the chocolate terrine with cloudberry sorbet.
Karl Johans Gate 45.
&
22-41-34-00.
Reservations recommended. Main courses 92NOK-195NOK
($13-$28). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs noon-midnight; Fri-Sat noon-1am; Sun 2:30-11pm. T-banen: Centrum.
Kristiania Bar & Café
CONTINENTAL Set within the oldest part of Oslo's
railway (the Østbanehallen, or East Wing) this late-19th-century cafe has one of
the grandest decors of any cafe in Oslo. You'll dine and drink beneath a soaring
ceiling dotted with cavorting cherubs and elaborate plaster reliefs, at a dark-
stained Victorian-era bar that's an antique in its own right. Even this café's toi-
lets are historically important, and consequently, ferociously protected against
architectural changes.
Note:
A staff member will tell you the numeric combina-
tions to punch onto a keypad to enter the bathrooms.
Surprisingly for such a lavish setting, the food is relatively simple, and much
less expensive than, say, at equally historic cafes such as the Grand Café. Menu
items focus on burgers, salads, club sandwiches, pastas, milkshakes, and specials
of the day. We urge you, if the weather is fine, to opt for a table on this cafe's
very large outdoor terrace. It's sunnier and brighter than that of more expensive
cafes on nearby narrower, darker streets, and it enjoys a close-up view over one
of Oslo's most stunning and monumental fountains.
Østbanehallen, Jernbanetorget 1.
&
22-17-50-30.
Reservations not necessary. Main courses
89NOK-150NOK ($13-$21). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 11am-midnight; Fri 11am-3am; Sat 11am-1pm; Sun
2-11pm. Food service is until 9pm Mon-Sat and 7pm on Sun. T-banen: Jernbanetorget.
Santino's Spaghetteria
PIZZA/PASTA This is an overlooked, inexpen-
sive Italian restaurant smack in the center of one of the most expensive neigh-
borhoods in Europe. The decor is postmodern and whimsical—a hallucinogenic,
rainbow-hued interpretation of a carnival setting in Venice, with warm-colored
tones of polished stone, a big circular bar, and a tutti-frutti color scheme of ice
cream colors run amok. Its menu sports prices that attract clients who don't want
to spend a fortune on dinner. It lists mainly pastas and pizzas. Launch yourself
with an antipasti, perhaps the mussels steamed in white wine laced with garlic or
else melon and Parma ham, always a winner. A fresh minestrone is made daily.
The pastas are among Oslo's best with a wide range of tagliatelle, spaghetti,
lasagna, penne, and tortellini, along with fusilli and ravioli. We recently were
delighted with our penne with prawns, salmon, and a cream sauce. The pizzas
emerge piping hot from the oven topped with virtually anything. A special treat
is the alla Romana pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, smoked baby pork, and
arugula. For dessert, tiramisu and zabaglione are the clear winners.
Tordensskiolds 8.
&
22-41-16-22.
Reservations recommended. Main course pizza and pasta
96NOK-146NOK ($14-$21). No credit cards. Mon-Fri 11am-11pm; Sat 1-11:30pm; Sun 3-10:30pm.
T-banen: Stortinget.
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