Where to eat and drink with 48 hours in Oslo
I am used to London prices, so dinner didn’t feel like that large a jump. Until you want a bottle of wine. I’d heard alcohol was expensive, but I wasn’t expecting the cheapest bottle of wine to be over £60, or a single gin and tonic to be £15. Not quite what my northern friend, who’s birthday it was, was used to.
I asked Osloite Harald why the prices were so steep, he told me: “Alcohol tax was introduced due to Lutheran beliefs and the social problems that came from alcohol abuse. Nowadays, the high tax on alcohol and cigarettes is thought to keep people healthier.”
After mooching around Oslo’s answer to East London – Grünerløkka – in the chill we opted for a warm sandwich at the charming six-table cafe, Løkka Deli. Mine arrived with layers of pastrami, dribbling cheddar and the traditional kraut, giving it a salty twist.
As I regained circulation in my fingers and the condensation from my breath on the window dissipated, I noticed we were next door to the raved about Haralds Vaffel (another Harald!) and kicked myself that I was so full.
Nicknamed the King of waffles in Oslo, Harald initially started selling waffles from his bedroom window in the old town. Word quickly spread, and people travelled across Oslo to his hole in the wall. Rivalling the Belgian waffle, toppings include local brown cheese and ham, as well as saffron, falafel or coconut. I had a nosey at the people eating them and they looked delicious.