Guide to Grünerløkka: Oslo's Best Neighbourhood for Food and Coffee

Along the Akerselva

The Akerselva river runs along Grünerløkka's western edge. The brick factories that lined it during Oslo's industrial boom have been turned into cultural venues, bars and workspaces, and the river itself has recovered enough that you'll see anglers casting for trout in summer. A hundred years ago this was one of the most polluted waterways in Norway.

The stretch from southern Grünerløkka (around Anker Hotel / Schous Plass) to north of Nedre Foss Waterfall is the one to walk. If coming from the city centre, walk up Torggata, over Eventybrua (Adventure Bridge), so called due to its several statues inspired by Norwegian Fairly Tales. This is where you start walking upstream. You'll pass the artsy area around Blå, the trendy Vulkan redevelopment, where you will find Mathallen, Nedre Foss waterfall, and just past Nedre Foss you will find the best coffee shop in Oslo, Tim Wendelboe. 

RECOMMENDED: Read our insiders guide to Mathallen

Blå is a concert venue and bar in a former factory right on the riverbank. Most nights it hosts live music, but every Sunday from noon to 5 PM the Sunday market takes over with handmade jewellery, ceramics, knitwear, vintage clothing and local art. It runs year-round.

Coffee

Tim Wendelboe 

Tim Wendelboe on Grüners gate is the coffee shop that put Oslo on the global coffee map. Tim won the World Barista Championship in 2004, opened this tiny espresso bar and micro-roastery, and became one of the main figures behind the Nordic light roast approach: beans roasted lighter to bring out the character of where they were grown rather than the roast itself. The espresso is bright and clean, with flavour notes that shift through the year as the bean selection changes. They also run an aeropress menu for filter fans, a good way to taste single-origin coffees side by side. Tim also owns a coffee farm in Colombia, and when beans from Finca el Suelo are in stock they're worth trying.

One thing to know: if you're used to dark Italian-style espresso, Nordic light roast can be a shock. It's more acidic, lighter in body, closer to tea than to what most people think of as espresso. Give it a chance. Once you adjust, dark roast starts tasting like burnt toast. The espressos here are consistently great.

The space is small and focused entirely on coffee. No pastries, no food. The staff know what they're pouring and will talk you through the options without making you feel like you're taking an exam

Also, you will get no fruit-bomb natural coffees or funky anaerobic fermented coffees here. Only clean, washed coffees here. Tim has been vocal about his dislike for natural coffees. If that is your preference, Supreme Roastworks, a bit further up Grünerløkka is a better choice. 

Supreme Roastworks 

Supreme Roastworks on Thorvald Meyers gate has a bigger space and a more relaxed mood. The menu typically runs to eight or nine coffees, roasted in-house, with a lean toward naturally processed beans that tend to produce fruitier, more complex cups. Naturally processed means the coffee cherry is dried whole around the bean, which gives the coffee a heavier, sometimes wine-like character. Try whatever they have from Ethiopia if it's on the menu.

These are two of the best coffee shops in Oslo, however, Grünerløkka has many more. 

Read more in our guide to the best coffee shops in Oslo

Shopping

Markveien runs parallel to Thorvald Meyers gate one block east and is the main shopping street. Grünerløkka has held onto its independent shops in a way that most European city districts haven't, and most of them are clustered along this one stretch.

Frøken Dianas salonger

Frøken Dianas salonger at Markveien 56 sells antique homewares, vintage evening dresses, jewellery and assorted oddities. The space feels more like someone's attic than a shop. They offer tax-free shopping for international visitors.

Kollekted By

Kollekted By, near Schous plass, stocks Scandinavian furniture, textiles and lighting from smaller Norwegian and Nordic makers, selected by the stylist duo Kråkvik & D'Orazio. The selection is small and considered, and it's expensive, but the quality is obvious.

Brudd

Brudd is an artist cooperative staffed by the makers themselves, about 20 of them working in rotation. The ceramics, jewellery and textiles on the shelves are handmade by whoever is behind the counter that day, so you can ask exactly how something was made and why.

For vintage clothing, Velouria Vintage and Robot are both on or near Markveien, and both go for carefully selected retro fashion over the charity-shop jumble. 

Where to Eat

Kontrast

Kontrast holds two Michelin stars and a Green Star for sustainability. Chef Mikael Svensson builds the tasting menu around organic and wild Norwegian ingredients, and nothing from the kitchen goes to waste. Book well in advance.

Hot Shop

Hot Shop has one Michelin star and a canteen-style atmosphere in a former sex shop on Københavngata. The surprise tasting menu changes with the season, and the natural wine list leans heavily on Jura producers. Book ahead.

RECOMMENDED: For more on both, read our Oslo restaurant guide

Le Benjamin 

Le Benjamin on Søndre gate is a small, family-run French bistro. Book ahead: it's one of the hardest reservations in the neighbourhood, and the langoustines are the reason. The tarte flambée rivals what you'd find in Alsace, and the cheese board is sourced from French producers you're unlikely to encounter anywhere else in Oslo. They run a set menu alongside à la carte. Reserve a few days out, more for weekends. There are sometimes bar seats for walk-ins, but don't count on it.

Apostrophe

Apostrophe sits on Rathkes plass, a quiet square on the eastern edge of the neighbourhood that most visitors walk right past. It's part of the Lofthus Samvirkelag group, serving good pizza and small plates alongside cocktails. The pizzas follow the Lofthus standard, which is high, and the cocktail menu changes with the seasons. The outdoor terrace catches the sun most of the day, making it one of the better lunch spots in the area when the weather cooperates.

Haralds Vaffel

Haralds Vaffel on Olaf Ryes plass does one thing. The waffles are traditional Norwegian: thin, soft and heart-shaped, not the thick Belgian kind. Order the classic with brunost (brown cheese), sour cream and raspberry jam. Brunost is a caramelised whey cheese with a fudge-like sweetness that Norwegians eat at breakfast, on hikes, and apparently on everything. The sweet-salty combination on a warm waffle is a better introduction to it than anything you'll get from a supermarket packet. The space is tiny, so expect to eat standing or take your waffle out to the square.

Drinks

Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri

Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri on Trondheimsveien occupies the original 1842 cellars underneath the old Schous brewery. The entrance is easy to miss: look for the archway into the courtyard at Trondheimsveien 2, then head down the stairs. Vaulted brick ceilings, candlelight, a wood-burning fireplace. They brew on-site and pour their own beers alongside guest taps and a long list of bottles from around the world. No food, but you're welcome to bring your own. On colder evenings, grab a seat near the fireplace and order one of the stronger brews. If you only have time for one beer in the neighbourhood, have it down here.

Grünerløkka Brygghus

Grünerløkka Brygghus on Thorvald Meyers gate brews its own beer and pours 15 to 20 of them on tap alongside guest beers and a large bottle selection. The interior is dark panelling and chalkboard menus, and the kitchen does pub food: fish and chips, burgers, bangers and mash. The beer is the reason to come, but the fish and chips are better than they need to be. They also run brewery tours with tastings if you want to see where it's all made. The actual brewery is on Københavngata, a few minutes' walk away.

Fat City

Fat City, also on Thorvald Meyers gate, is a natural wine bar with a short list of interesting small producers. The food is simple and designed around the wine: bread with good butter, charcuterie, seasonal small plates that change often. They open for lunch, which is unusual for Oslo wine bars, and the bar seating by the window is a good spot for a solo afternoon glass. Bar Boca next door is under the same ownership and does cocktails. Together they cover most of what you'd want from a night out without moving more than a few metres.

Timing Your Visit

A half-day covers Grünerløkka well. Start mid-morning with coffee at Tim Wendelboe (weekday if you can swing it), then walk south down Markveien and browse the shops. From the southern end, cut west to the Akerselva and follow the river north toward Vulkan, where Mathallen makes a natural lunch stop.

If you're visiting on a Sunday, start with a coffee at Tim Wendelboe first to beat the biggest crowds, then head to the Sunday Market at Blå from noon. 

For dinner, Le Benjamin and Apostrophe both fill up, so book at least a few days ahead. Kontrast and Hot Shop need more lead time, sometimes weeks or even months. If you haven't booked and want to eat well without a reservation, Grünerløkka Brygghus and the vendors inside Mathallen are reliable walk-in options.

For evening drinks, everything works as a walk-in on most nights. Schouskjelleren gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings but rarely has a long wait. Fat City and Bar Boca are small enough that you may need to hover for a seat, but the turnover is quick.