10 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in Oslo

Mathallen is the cornerstone in the relatively newly renovated area Vulkan, which is located along the Akerselva river at the bottom of Grünerløkka. Inside the converted industrial hall, you will find delicacies from all corners of the world, side by side. Everything surrounds a central seating area, so that you and your travel companion can enjoy your food together - even if you have chosen food from completely different outlets.

And what a selection! Whether you want meat, fish or vegetarian; Italian, German or Japanese or any other world dish, Mathallen is a must on your list of places to eat.

If you've been to Aker Brygge, you'll have seen Olivia. It's that simple. The restaurant is right in the heart of the action on Oslo's most important "strip", and also serves some of the best and most authentic Italian food this side of the city centre. Pasta and pizza are the order of the day, washed down with a nice Chianti or Barolo.

And prices are reasonable enough for you to eat here on a normal Tuesday night and leave with both a full tummy and a full wallet.

For anyone who loves Friday tacos, a visit to Taqueria in Paleet can be a mouth-watering and surprising experience. The restaurant takes the best of Mexican street food, which has become a kind of Norwegian national dish, and makes it a culinary experience of the very finest.

The chefs at Taqueria's kitchen get to play with lots of delicious ingredients in a room that complements the style of the dishes they make. Wash your food down with a good Mexican beer, a wide range of alcohol-free and slightly more local drinks, or just the house mineral water. The food speaks for itself.

Over time, Villa Paradiso has expanded to several other locations in Oslo, but it's this restaurant here, based at the north end of Olaf Rye's square, that is the original.

This is where queues have, at times, reached as far as several blocks down the street, all to get a taste of what was once the most genuine Italian pizza you could get in Norway. Forget the chains with their deep-dish pizzas and coke on tap: Villa Paradiso gives you the real thing, with beef mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil and divine San Marzano tomatoes. It's almost like being in Naples!

Many companies have tried to make a go of this corner location in the past, now occupied by Habsak. Few have succeeded as well as this café. Their recipe for success appears to be genuine service and a real closeness to customers, not to mention great food. The food draws its inspiration from the Middle East, with Meze being a firm favourite.

This way of serving a selection of small dishes is popular throughout the Arabian Peninsula, north of the Balkans and west to North Africa. Prepare your taste buds for some spicy and delicious treats, particularly the vegetarian dishes.

Mr. India used to be the Indian restaurant that challenged tradition, serving dishes such as reindeer in Indian spices.

Today it has reinvented itself as a Mantra, taking experimentation to new heights. The menu is one you would expect to see in any back street in New Dehli, yet with a completely unique Norwegian twist. Favourites like palak panir, tandoori lamb tikka and a whole range of classics leave the kitchen in quick succession.

Oslo Street Food is a popular place with the locals, a melting pot of enthusiastic chefs cooking up dishes from all over the world, morning, noon and night. This place is full of cosy nooks and corners to hide in. You can also sit at the counter of most of the stalls or head out to Torggata to enjoy your food, the weather and an ice cold beer.

Whether you like traditional street food from Asia, new twists on old favourites from Southern Europe or something new and unknown - Oslo Street Food is for serious food fanatics.

The popular Ullevålsveien offers plenty of places you can pop into for a bite to eat and a beer, but few have as much local pride and cosy atmosphere as Smalhans.

With a "fine dining" approach, this place is more than good enough for a date, and yet equally great for a Friday night beer after work or a cosy early dinner with the family. People travel from far and wide for the five or ten-course menus - and it's easy to see why.

Opinions are mixed about Kaffistova. Whether positive or negative, genuine or superficial opinions - it is not possible to go to Kaffistova and come out unaffected. Traditional Norwegian food served with a genuine smile in the heart of Oslogryta. Even the opening hours reflect a time when people went home at nine o' clock.

Whatever you may think of swallows, rakfisk, ribs and meatballs with stirred lingonberries, there are many similar eateries that have come and gone, while Kaffistova has survived.

Kafé Oslo is located in the House of Literature, which has proven to be a building that Oslo really values. Here is your chance to sample some great literature in all manner of genres, and the building also houses one of the city's more pleasant places to sit down with a cup of coffee and a good book. But Kafé Oslo is more than just a book café.

Even though lunches are fantastic, dinners are every bit as sumptuous as all the other dishes served here. And once the clock strikes 17.00, you can order a glass of wine and some snacks or opt for the full menu of tasty dishes.