By: Chris ⎜ Last updated
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Mathallen Oslo
Located in the Vulkan eco-district (an old industrial area turned hipster hub), Mathallen ("The Food Hall") is a large indoor food hall and market concentrated on high-quality, casual eating and regional food producers. Expect a mix of independent stalls and small restaurants serving everything from traditional Norwegian dishes to international street food, plus a selection of wine, beer and specialty groceries. The hall is filled with specialty butchers, cheese counters, and small eateries.
What to do nearby
Watch classic Norwegian drama (such as Ibsen with English subtitles) in the 125-year-old gilded auditorium, or tour the Golden Hall and backstage areas where Norwegian cultural history has been performed for over a century.
The working residence of Norway's King and Queen through lavish 19th-century state chambers during summer, or year-round you can watch the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony.
A functioning municipal seat that doubles as a concentrated gallery of postwar Norwegian civic art and the annual host venue for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
Hotels nearby
125 years old. Rooms are individually decorated with hand-picked art, and the lobby bar, Bar Boman, houses one of the country's largest private collections of Edvard Munch prints. But the real draw is Theatercaféen, the grand Viennese-style restaurant on the ground floor, with its high ceilings and mirrored walls. It's been the place in Oslo where actors, politicians, and locals meet for over a century. Nationaltheateret station is 100 metres from the front door.
A restored 1930s power station with original Art Deco tilework, a rooftop pool overlooking the city, and seven restaurants under one roof. There's nothing else in Oslo like this. If you want a hotel that makes you cancel your afternoon plans because you'd rather stay in, this is it.
Built around an art collection that most galleries would envy. Every room has original work, there's a dedicated curator, and the spa has a 12-metre pool and a proper Turkish hamam. Your room key gets you into the Astrup Fearnley Museum next door for free. The rooftop terrace on a clear evening is hard to beat. The price tag is matching.