The centerpiece of the city’s emerging Vulkan neighborhood, Oslo’s very first food hall is a culinary utopia. Let your nose guide you to one (or five!) of 27 eateries peddling everything from cupcakes to tapas to bento boxes. Can’t decide? Stop at the Torget stall and order the Taste of Mathallen menu to sample mind-altering dishes from the hall’s best restaurants. The communal wooden benches in the center of the hall encourage sharing, so you and your friends can divide and conquer. Finish your visit with a craft beer in the basement pub Smelteverket, which features Norway’s longest bar.
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A Center for Norwegian Food Culture
Mathallen is modeled on European food markets and offers a wide variety of delis, cafés, and eateries. Most of the produce on offer is rather unique or locally sourced, be it meat, fish, veggies, baked goods, or coffee. Mathallen claims to be a place for everyone, from sous chefs to regular joes—a center for Norwegian food culture and food enjoyment. If nothing else, you can always try the Smalahove (sheep’s head). Located between fashionble area St. Hanshaugen and über trendy Grünerløkka, this is a good area to explore anyway, so why not stop for a bite to eat at Mathallen?
Gourmet Lunch
Oslo has all you could want from a great European capital, but one thing that was long missing was a classic food market, like Vienna’s Naschmarkt or Madrid’s Mercado San Miguel. At the end of 2012, that absence was addressed with the opening of Mathallen. The gourmet food hall is located just fifteen minutes north of the center of Oslo on the banks of the Akerselva, the park-lined river that winds its way through the city center. In the converted brick factory you can snack on cured meats at Anni’s Pølsemakeri, cheese and yogurt at Melkerampa, and other specialties from some 30 restaurants and stalls—just don’t forget to leave room for dessert at Hello Good Pie. If you decide you want to splurge on a fancier meal, Oslo is also home to four Michelin-starred restaurants, from the casual Fauna to the formal Maaemo, the first restaurant in Scandinavia to receive two stars. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/InnovationNorwayOslo
Mathallen Oslo
Overlooking the Aker River, the impressive market hall Mathallen Oslo is both a scenic lunch spot and a source of edible souvenirs. Try Anni’s Pølsemakeri for sausages and cured meats and Bondens Butikk Vulkan for organic fruit and vegetables. Nordic cheeses are on display at Den Blinde Ku (The Blind Cow).