Mathallen is Oslo’s indoor food market. It can be slightly disappointing if you have recently just returned from France or Spain, but it nevertheless hides quite some treasures for food lovers. It gathers close to 30 cafes, eateries and specialty shops under its roof and regularly hosts food-related courses, workshops and events (check the calendar on their website).

You want to get high fives from your dinner guests? Have you just done a round of vintage shopping in Grünerløkka and browsing through those crazy ’90s patterns got you really hungry? Brunch with friends coming up and you are really fed up with waffles and brown cheese? Well, Mathallen is an easy solution for all that.

This is where I often go to pick up bread and cheese before the weekend, to be all set for long and lazy breakfasts. When people say “treat yourself”, they usually have a hairdresser, an extra-expensive pair of shoes, or a rare bottle of wine in mind. But for me, there exists no better treat than a block of stinky old cheese and freshly baked warm bread – those are the simple pleasures in life.