Hey!
My name’s Álvaro and I am a 23y.o student (and full time explorer) from Spain who’s right now finishing his bachelor’s degree in Translation and Modern Languages in Oslo, Norway. Besides studying in college and exploring this beautiful country, I love to find cheap places (while still keeping the quality standards high) in any city I go to. This is what I use Google Maps and Local Guides Connect for the most since it helps visitors of my city discover fantastic places to eat more easily than online guides or locals, who might not have gone out there to explore these underrated corners as much and deeply I have. I do not only find new spots but try to connect them with the surroundings and nearby sightseeing places and making a plan out of both, I feel like it is the best way to truly enjoy what a new place has to offer. I feel like the culinary side of this whole system is what attracts me the most because it feels good to connect people with my favorite places in town. It is extremely important to save a tourist’s time when they are visiting and I welcome them to where I go by sharing my gastronomical experiences with them and hoping they can save money while having amazing food. It is something I have found to be very helpful when traveling myself, but some places are not properly reviewed and analyzed, some of them do not even have pictures! I am here to solve that wherever I live, and so far I think I’m doing well. Posting pictures of places that have not been uploaded yet, adding new foodie spots, correcting the information of the restaurants… It is the best way I can contribute to make tourists’ and local’s lives better because, after all, a sated person is a happy one!
Oslo is no exception. During the almost a year I have spent in this modern city I have found what I like to call the “underdogs” of the local cuisine and, while they are not traditional norwegian food, they still are the best “bang for your buck”! These places will not break the bank and will for sure be something that you will remember when you look back at your stay in Oslo.
This list has taken months to curate and I have tried dozens of restaurants that are not even found online, so I hope it can help some of you find a nice lunch or dinner place if you ever visit the city!. Have in mind this is a very expensive country and everything is probably pricey compared to your standards, no matter where you come from. The cheapest, average sized dish is not going to be less than 10 US$ and a meal could cost as much as you would like to pay. It is still considered cheap in norwegian standards and that is why I will mention as many places as possible, to make any budget work! I will be as concise as possible with the descriptions since it is better to try for yourself, but I can assure these places are all worth it. The places I have chosen for the post are:
IZAKAYA (St. Olavs Gate 7, 0165 Oslo) (15$ - 75$)
My favorite spot from the list. A local favorite, still extremely unknown (no natives I have met knew of it) and yet in the middle of the city. It is a little japanese style tavern with an amazing atmosphere, alright prices but definitely the best japanese food I have found so far. It is no Ramen or Sushi place, but instead youll find traditional northern spinach and cheese pancakes, tea marinated eggs or cold sesame shredded chicken. I go here once every month with my student budget and it is a highlight of my week. I specially recommend the Udon cold salad, the marinated egg and the sesame chicken, but every plate must be shared! That is the true spirit of the japanese Izakaya culture: a balanced and social mix of drinks and food. Perfect place to have something fresh and food after a long day walking, but better be there when it opens at 5pm since it is not the biggest place around and gets full easily, usually before 5:30pm.
SAPPORO RAMEN BAR (Mathallen Oslo, Maridalsveien 17, 0175 Oslo) (15$ - 25$)
Amazing ramen owned by an amazing old japanese ramen master who speaks halfways between what we call the foreigner’s norwegian and traditional japanese. They make the food in-house with nothing being frozen for too long. Everything I have had here is amazing, from the broth, to the japanese style chicken and the wagyu. Take anything from the 6-7 Ramen choices they offer, it wont be short of awesome. The spicy broth is good for both spice lovers and mild eaters, so there is a little bit for everyone. (Get an extra egg, they are worth it!)
SUSHI & DINNER (Hegdehaugsveien 1, 0352 Oslo) (12$ - 25$)
“The Students Sushi”. Cheap and good. Concise is the way to describe this place! Three tables and kind staff. Cheapest sushi around and still really good quality. I have gone there so much I have almost gotten tired of it!. I have never tried the warm dishes but none of the sushi plates have disappointed for the price (no more than 10-12$ for a meal that will sate you). Take the chicken sushi, its one of the best ones I have tried and shows how extense their menu is. Vegans and vegetarians are welcome.
DANA BAKERI (Niels Henrik Abels vei, 0371 Oslo) (10$ - 20$)
The kindest owners I have found in Oslo. They are a turkish family who came as immigrants and opened a bakery/restaurant right under a subway stop (Forskningsparken) near the Blindern campus of the university here in Oslo. Super easy to get to from virtually anywhere in town since it is connected by 3 different public transportation lines. There are over 50 dishes to choose between and you can take everything to go. Everything I have tried here has been amazing and they make you feel at home, it is truly heartwarming food. If you can only come to one place from the list, come either here or Izakaya, it is that good. The cheese börek and the potato köfte with chutney are always my go-to lunch after a long morning on campus. No matter if you’re a meat eater, vegan or vegetarian, you will never run out of new plates to try here.
JAIPUR (Karl Johans gate 18C, 0159 Oslo) (12$ - 40$)
This indian restaurant in the city center offers the best deal I have found in the whole country. An all-you-can-eat curry buffet for 12$. It is unheard of here in the country and the quality is extremely good for the price too. It is only available until 3:30pm so be ready to walk after stuffing yourself with some dense, tasty curry! I come here once a week and that shows how good both in price and quality it is, since I have to prioritize the best places in town for my student budget! The garlic Naan with mango chutney is a pretty popular thing to order. They usually have vegetarian, vegan and meat dishes at the same time at the buffet for everyone to feel welcome.
OLIVIA (Stranden 3, 0250 Oslo) (20$ - 50$)
One of the best know chains in the city, a classic Italian restaurant. While it has quite the amount of restaurants spreaded all over the map, this one is my favorite because of where it is located: one of two most influential and expensive neighborhoods in Oslo, where the city looks like has transcended the “European Capital” status and is living a few years in the future. I can assure you will feel different eating here than in any other establishment of the chain. The food is also really good, probably one of the most reliable restaurants in Norway for Italian food. If you are feeling like some good pasta, you cannot go wrong with this one. The price reflects that and is probably the most expensive place from the list, but there is probably no cheaper pasta in Oslo that tastes as good as it is worth mentioning.
LOFTHUS SAMVIRKELAG DAMMPLASEN (Damplassen 2, 0852 Oslo) (15$ - 25$)
The pizza entry of the post. One of the best ones I have found so far (Italian style of course, if you want American go to either Pepe’s Pizza or Egon). It is located in a beautiful neighborhood where some of the most known celebrities and rich families of the city live in. Every house is worth seeing and a walk is an amazing plan for a clear sky day. The pizzas are of great quality and they have some interesting ingredients, like the one I always order, with reindeer carpaccio, pomegranate seeds and onion on a white sauce pie! The views and atmosphere are as good as the food and this is a spot for a relaxing day rather than a sightseeing one, which happens to be close to Dana Bakeri, the national stadium and full of amazing walks after stuffing yourself with a light crust pizza.
I have uploaded pictures of all these places to Google Maps (in higher resolution than allowed here) so you all can check them out more easily. I am sure you will find the places quite easily with the address and the dishes better than I made them sound like. After all, I have visited over 50 restaurants to find my top 5-10, and this is what I ended up with. I will keep updating this post with more examples of places to go (as said, both for locals and visitors!) as I keep exploring this beautiful city and spending my money so you don’t have to. I strive to make this the ultimate (and fast) food guide for Oslo for people who do not want to spend time looking for a place or money on not so good food, so let me know if you come to any of these places and tell me if you liked them!
And damn, thats so cool! Have you traveled much? Im really sure you have a lot of interesting stories to share, why not make some posts about them and the places youve been to? Im sure wed all enjoy reading them. 
