Settling into Oslo - Norway - page 108

on well-prepared cuisine. The ambitious menu includes such delights as roast
suckling pig with a mushroom risotto and baked tomato. Everything's flavored
with a sauce made of fresh herbs, including a tasty monkfish with boiled new
potatoes and a saffron risotto. For something more truly Norwegian, try the
reindeer in a green peppercorn sauce, with bacon and Brussels sprouts.
Torvbakkgate 12. & 22-37-22-97. Reservations recommended. Main courses 210NOK-265NOK ($30-$38).
AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 5-11pm. Closed July 15-Aug 7. Tram: 12.
Sult NORWEGIAN The bar here is called Tørst, meaning thirst, and
the restaurant's name, Sult, means hunger in Norwegian. True to these names,
both thirst and hunger can be sated by stopping off here. In trendy Grünerløkka
the restaurant attracts lots of young people as well as artists, writers, and what
one member of the staff called “dreamers.” No reservations are taken but you
can hang out at the bar next door until one of the small tables becomes avail-
able. With its stone floors, pale gray walls, and somewhat rickety wooden chairs,
it might remind you more of a cafe than a restaurant, but a glance at its culinary
ambitions will quickly dispel any thoughts that this is just a place for drinks. The
menu changes every day depending on what looked good at that day's market.
But dishes are well prepared, and everything is made fresh. We've enjoyed beau-
tifully grilled, fresh-tasting scampi, and a tender entrecôte with a savory Gor-
gonzola sauce. Endangered species or not, the menu sometimes features whale
steak with red beets. Desserts are always a temptation: Our party ordered pas-
sion-fruit cream, chocolate cake, and caramel pudding (all shared, of course),
finishing off with an Irish coffee, and were delighted with everything.
Thorvald Meyers Gate 26. & 22-87-04-67. Reservations not accepted. Main courses 169NOK-215NOK
($24-$31). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 4-10pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 1-11pm; Sun 1-10pm. Tram: 11, 12, or 13.
INEXPENSIVE
Café Fru Hagen CONTINENTAL Convivial and hip, with an aura that
resembles a coffeehouse more than a full-fledged restaurant, this cafe and restau-
rant expands onto the sidewalks of the not-so-busy main boulevard of the Grün-
erløkka district. Inside, you'll find a cozy interior lined with antique sofas and
wooden chairs, a chattering group of clients who seem to know one another, and
a disc jockey who spins records every Thursday to Saturday beginning at 10pm.
Regardless of where you sit, the conversational babble will rise like Surround
Sound to greet you. The food is competent and filling, although most cafe
patrons flock here for the good times and the atmosphere. The establishment's
name, incidentally, translates as “Miss Garden” or “Maiden of the Garden.”
Thorvald Meyers Gate 40. & 22-35-67-87. Reservations not necessary. Burgers, salads, and sandwiches
85NOK-100NOK ($12-$14); platters 160NOK-170NOK ($23-$24). MC, V. Sun-Wed 11am-2am; Thurs-Sat
11am-3:30am. Tram: 11 or 12.

Finds