Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
there for those wanting to see Oslo the way it used to be, who won't mind that
the innovative fires died a long time ago. You'll dine within a network of baro-
nial- or manorial-inspired rooms with dark wooden panels and Flemish, 16th-
century-style wooden chairs. In the spacious dining room, a full array of
open-faced sandwiches is served on weekdays only. A la carte dinner selections
can be made from a varied menu that includes fresh fish, game, and Norwegian
specialties. If you want to sample a dish that Ibsen might have enjoyed, check
out the house specialty, lutefisk; although it sounds like a culinary turnoff, it's
quite delectable. This Scandinavian dish is made from dried fish that has been
soaked in lye and then poached in broth. More to your liking might be smoked
salmon (it's smoked right on the premises), a parfait of chicken livers, freshwa-
ter pikeperch from nearby streams sautéed in a lime sauce, filet of reindeer with
lingonberry sauce, or Norwegian lamb coated with herbs and baked with a glaze.
Nedre Slottsgate 1.
&
22-42-01-07.
Reservations recommended. Main courses 200NOK-275NOK
($28-$39); open-faced sandwiches 85NOK-115NOK ($12-$16); 3-course set dinner 398NOK ($57). AE, DC,
MC, V. Mon-Fri 11am-3pm; Mon-Sat 4-11pm. Kroen Bar Mon-Sat 4pm-midnight. Closed last 3 weeks in
July. Bus: 27, 29, 30, 41, or 61.
MODERATE
Stortorvets Gjæstgiveri
NORWEGIAN This is the oldest restaurant in
Oslo, and one of only three buildings to have escaped complete destruction dur-
ing the many fires that roared through the city during the late 19th century. The
present restaurant is composed of a trio of wood-framed buildings, the oldest
dating from the 1700s. Originally an inn stood on this spot with stables out
back. The inn's upstairs bedchambers with their wood-burning stoves are virtu-
ally unchanged since their original construction, although they're now used as
private dining rooms. This revered vestige of Oslo's past is one of the principal
performance sites during the annual midsummer jazz festival.
This restaurant changes radically throughout the course of an Oslovian day:
Expect a cafe near the entrance; an old-fashioned, charming, and usually packed
restaurant in back; and outside dining in good weather. Menu items are tradi-
tional, well prepared, and flavorful, and include grilled halibut with beurre blanc
sauce; veal with smoked ham and sausage; chicken breast stuffed with spinach
and creamed porcini mushrooms; filet of reindeer with a compote of onions and
apples; and freshwater trout with arugula and balsamic vinegar. One of the
trademark offerings is lutefisk, a cod dish so complicated (and with such a high
possibility of spoilage) that many lesser restaurants don't even try to prepare it.
Here, thanks to automated high-tech kitchen equipment, they sell thousands of
portions of it a year, mostly in autumn, when it's at its aromatic best.
Grensen 1.
&
23-35-63-60.
Small platters and snacks 75NOK-190NOK ($11-$27); main courses
70NOK-245NOK ($9.95-$35). AE, DC, MC, V. Cafe and restaurant daily 3-11pm. Tram: 12 or 17.
3 Brødre
MEXICAN “Three Brothers” is named after the glove manufac-
turers who once occupied this building. In their heyday in the 19th century, the
brothers were said to have kept more fingers from freezing off than any other
manufacturers in Norway. The Mexican food here may have lost a bit of its
punch traveling so far to the icy north, but this is a longtime favorite with locals.
The fare is zesty, well prepared, and you'll get hearty portions at reasonable
prices. Here you can pig out on all those fajitas you've been hungering for,
including one version made with prawns; or say to hell with your waistline as
you dig into double-cheese enchiladas and burritos. The entire street level
houses the bustling bar, while a piano bar rests upstairs. Lighter meals, such as
