NORWAY - Scandinavia - page 463

Kaffistova is where my thrifty Norwegian grandparents always took me.
After remaining unchanged for30years, it gotafacelift in2007.This alcohol-
free cafeteria still serves simple, hearty, and typically Norwegian (read: bland)
meals for a good price (Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-19:00; Rosen-
krantz Gate 8, tel. [phone]).
Brasserie 45, overlooking Stortingsgata and the National Theater from its
second-floor perch, is a modern eatery offering decent Continental cuisine
with energetic service. While larger entrées go for about 200 kr, their “wok
chicken” goes for 140 kr. It's worth calling ahead to reserve a window seat
with a view of Karl Johans Gate (Mon-Thu 15:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 14:00-24:00,
Sun 14:00-22:00, always a veggie option, Stortingsgata 20, tel. [phone]).
YaYa's Thai Beach Bungalow is a welcome change from Norwegian
bland. The tiki-bar decor is infectious, and the food is surprisingly authen-
tic—I slurped up every morsel of my green curry pork. Don't be surprised
if your dinner is accompanied by the sounds and lights of an hourly tropical
thunderstorm (starters-80 kr, main dishes-150 kr, vegetarian options, daily
16:00-22:00, Fri-Sat until 23:00, between the Parliament building and City
Hall at Øvre Vollgate 13, tel. [phone]).
City Hall workers' cafeteria, just steps off the harborfront, welcomes the
public with the cheapest lunch I've found in Oslo. It has soup, an inexpensive
salad bar measured by weight (35 kr for a meal-sized bowl), and a daily hot
dish for around 50 kr (Mon-Fri 12:30-13:30 only). While City Hall workers
get access to the place before 12:30 and the food can be pretty picked over,
it's still a fine, handy value. From the grand harbor entrance, it's up one flight
of stairs above the city info desk and WC. From the tour entrance on its inland
courtyard, it's just downstairs.