Archives for “Snacks” tag

As a self proclaimed cafe aficionado, I like to distinguish between what I call “coffee-cafes” and “treats-cafes.” While a coffee-cafe may make the best americano, if you’d like a fresh pastry with a great cappuccino as a bonus, you need to head to a treats-cafe.

United Bakeries is my treats-cafe of choice. Though admittedly a chain with several locations around the city (if that sort of thing matters to you), United Bakeries is widely regarded as one of the best bakeries in Oslo. I prefer the Majorstua location because of the ample seating. Few weeks go by in which I don’t stop in for a least one triple chocolate scone and a black coffee. The hot chocolate, in both light and dark, is also highly regarded by certain friends of mine.

At 32 kroner for a black coffee, this is one of the more expensive cups in town. However, free refills, free wifi, and triple chocolate scones provide plenty of motivation to lose track of an hour with a friend or a book.

Of course there’s no actual risk of being sent off to prison, this little burger joint is perfectly legit – and the burgers are delicious! The small and colorful room makes me feel like I’m sitting in some kind of a hipster doll house, but it puts me in a good mood. And that’s how I know I’m not hipster material (from what I understand, true hipsters are never in a good mood. Not really.). 

Back to the burgers! I like mine spicy, so I go for #6: Greenchilisalsa. Yum! Or the one with blue cheese and bacon. Or the one with jalapenos. Or… The burger comes wrapped in paper, but is served at your table. It’s the perfect mix of fast food joint and restaurant.

They serve smoothies, soft drinks, beer and wine, and if you’re in the mood for cocktails, just tilt your head back (the cocktail menu is written on the ceiling, I’m not just trying to make you look like an idiot).

Perhaps it’s not worth going to jail for, but I’ll take a couple of hours of community service…

Fiasco means failure, and that’s just one of the words that comes to mind when observing the regulars seated outside. But try not to judge this book by its cover – you might be pleasantly surprised.

To be honest, this is no particular favorite of mine, but my boyfriend is overly enthusiastic about this place. For one thing, its location, right between the train and the bus station, makes it an excellent place to stop by if you’re traveling and need to kill some time. Second: they have a surprisingly good selection of beer, both on tap and bottle, at a reasonable price. I have yet to try the food here, but the Jack Daniels burger sounds intriguing. On the weekends they have free concerts, and my wild guess is that the music is of the rock and roll persuasion.

And then there is the pinball machine and the boxing machine. In the words of my boyfriend: How can you not love a place that has a boxing machine?

Married couple Serge and Karina stands behind the counter at this lovely, little shop in Birkelunden, a counter bulging with French cheeses and cold cuts. The shelves are full of marmelades and mustard, all the things a Frenchman living in Oslo would miss.

If you don’t know what you want, or find it hard to choose, the owners are more than happy to give you a few pointers and let you taste their goods. You can either buy the cheese by the pound to take home, or enjoy an espresso and a croissant or a crêpe outside, overlooking the park. It almost feels like you’re in Paris! Just watch your toes, so they don’t get run over by a stroller.

Some nights of the month, Serge and Karina open the shop at night to host wine tastings, a very intimate affair in the back room.

Drug addicts have dominated Fredensborgveien for a long time, buying and selling out in the open. But recently the neighborhood is starting to flourish. At the center of this development lies Den Gode Café.

If the bright orange chairs don’t get you in a good mood, the staff will. A French, a Norwegian and a Swedish guy – it sounds like the beginning of some bad joke. But they make you feel like you’re all just hanging out together, they just happen to own the place.

The coffee is pretty bad, but everything else is pretty damn nice about this place. Great burgers, brunch on the weekends, concerts in the basement, art on the walls. Sometimes (during the summer months) the guys from the DJ academy down the street set up their equipment and do a spontaneous DJ session in front of the café.

Den Gode Café has recently started up a concept called Sunday Roast, in collaboration with club Jaeger. For those of you that cherish a nice Sunday dinner, but for obvious reasons can’t visit your mother, Den Gode Café is your savior! Delicious Sunday roast followed by an all-nighter at the club. At the end of the night you might end up considering these guys a part of your family.