Oslo
The best wine bars in Oslo
Oslo's wine bars sit in back courtyards in Grünerløkka, in cellars in the centre and in a former hardware shop in Sagene. These are the places worth the trip, by neighbourhood.
13 November 20266 min read
Picolo Editorial
In short: Oslo wine bars
Grünerløkka, the former working-class district north of the centre, has the most wine bars, with Territoriet and Radegast the best known. The centre has the classic lists, at Grand Café and Arakataka. For natural wine and small plates, head to Nektar or Fat City. Stay at the Grand Hotel and you have a cellar of around 16,000 bottles under the same roof, which makes it our first choice.
Last checked: November 2026.
Grünerløkka, Torshov and Sagene
Territoriet
Territoriet on Markveien opened in 2014 and has the widest by-the-glass selection in the city, according to the wine guide Star Wine List. The list leans towards classic regions, so you can taste Burgundy and the Mosel side by side.
Radegast
Radegast on Nordre gate, in the Nedre Foss Gård complex, has one of the most varied lists in town, from traditional producers to low-intervention wines. Cheese and charcuterie come alongside, and in winter the fire is lit.
Fat City
Fat City on Thorvald Meyers gate opened in 2023 and pours mostly natural wine with small dishes. It opens at lunchtime, which is rare among Oslo's wine bars.
Lasarett Vinbar
Lasarett on Torshovgata is about 30 square metres, with cheese, cured meat and a strong list by the glass. The newspaper Aftenposten named it the city's best wine bar in 2023. Come to sit close and talk to whoever is pouring.
Mysterud Bar
Mysterud on Arendalsgata in Sagene was a hardware shop from 1946. When the family retired, locals turned it into a bar and kept the name. The interior is wooden, like a mountain cabin, and the short wine list covers much of the world.
The centre and St. Hanshaugen
Grand Café and the cellar
Grand Café, inside the Grand Hotel on Karl Johans gate, keeps about 16,000 bottles and 1,500 labels in its cellar, with a selection by the glass that changes daily. The playwright Henrik Ibsen lunched here every day, and the mural of him and the other regulars still hangs in the room.
Arakataka
Arakataka on Mariboes gate has been open since 2001. The list is French, from the Jura, the Loire, Champagne and Burgundy, and the kitchen serves an affordable menu. For just a glass, sit at the bar.
Bukken Vinbar
Bukken on Hallings gate in St. Hanshaugen is small and intimate, with a list that starts in France and moves on to Italy, the United States and orange wine.
Grotten Vinbar
Grotten, on the lower ground floor of the Thon Hotel Slottsparken on Wergelandsveien, has French owners. A good stop before or after a show at the National Theatre.
Frogner, Bjørvika and Aker Brygge
Nektar Vinbar
Nektar on Fredensborgveien opened in 2019 and specialises in natural wine and grower champagne, with small plates of local produce. Book, especially at weekends.
Cru Vin & Kjøkken
Cru moved from Majorstuen to the Barcode district in Bjørvika, by the Opera House, in spring 2025 and is now a full restaurant with an open kitchen.
Oh Dear
Oh Dear on Holmens gate at Aker Brygge has a wine list of more than 30 pages, strongest on California, with cheese and charcuterie.
Frances Vinbar
Frances on Henrik Ibsens gate occupies the former United States embassy. A coffee bar in the morning and a wine bar at night, with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean small plates, its by-the-glass list won a national award in 2025.
Before you go
Book a table. The smallest bars have only a handful of tables, and on Fridays and Saturdays they fill early.
Expect Norwegian prices. Alcohol is heavily taxed, so a glass often costs as much as a bottle in a French supermarket.
Combine two neighbourhoods. Grünerløkka and the centre are a short tram ride apart.
For dinner, see our cosy restaurants in Oslo.
Picolo picks the hotel for you
Picolo is the hotel guest's best friend. We take on the role of guide and do the work before you book: we look at the hotels in the area, where they stand, what guests say and what is actually there. Then we choose the one hotel that suits this particular trip best. For a wine weekend in Oslo the choice fell on the Grand Hotel, because one of the city's largest cellars is under the same roof and the bars of the centre are a walk away.
Our first choice in Oslo
Grand Hotel Oslo
The Grand Hotel has stood on Karl Johans gate since 1874, and beneath Grand Café lies a cellar of around 16,000 bottles. Grand Café, where Ibsen took lunch, pours a selection by the glass that changes every day. The wine bars of the centre are a few minutes' walk away, and Grünerløkka is a short tram ride. After a long evening, bed is a few floors up.
Frequently asked questions about wine bars in Oslo
Where are the best wine bars in Oslo?
Most are in Grünerløkka and the city centre. In Grünerløkka, Territoriet and Radegast are among the best known, with wide selections by the glass. In the centre, Grand Café and Arakataka have classic lists. For natural wine and small plates, try Nektar on Fredensborgveien or Fat City in Grünerløkka.
How much does a glass of wine cost in Oslo?
Expect to pay considerably more than in Britain, because Norway taxes alcohol heavily. A glass in a wine bar typically costs about the same as a full bottle in a French supermarket. Bars with wide by-the-glass lists, such as Territoriet, let you taste several wines without committing to a bottle.
Where can you drink natural wine in Oslo?
Nektar Vinbar on Fredensborgveien and Fat City on Thorvald Meyers gate pour the most natural wine, and Radegast mixes it with classic producers. Nektar also lists grower champagne. Book at weekends, as these bars are small and fill early in the evening.
Where should you stay in Oslo for wine bars?
Stay in the centre, near Karl Johans gate, to walk to the bars there and take the tram to Grünerløkka. The Grand Hotel has its own cellar of around 16,000 bottles beneath Grand Café. Our guide to the ten best luxury hotels in Oslo has more options.
Sources
Details of the bars, awards and the Grand Café cellar come from the wine guide Star Wine List and the venues' own websites. The photograph of Grünerløkka at blue hour is by Toreau and the one of Olaf Ryes plass by Helge Høifødt, both via Wikimedia Commons. Hotel photographs are from Hotels.com (Expedia Group). Last checked November 2026.
Skål from Oslo
Picolo Editorial