Dinner in Oslo

[cruznoob57]

Our Oslo excursion ends at 4:30 pm and we'd like to have dinner there a little later. I assume the excursion drops us off at the ship, so is there anything within walking distance? Or if not, best way to get there? Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thank you!

[kaisatsu]

Do you know where you will be docked? You can find quay assignments here, listed by date and ship.

 

If you're at one of the traditional piers Akershuskai (SAK) or Vippetangen (VIP), there are several restaurants nearby at the Aker Brygge and Tjuvholment waterfronts and around the historic Kvadraturen district. From Revierkaia (REV), you're not too far from the Bar Code and new Oslobukta waterfront neighborhoods. But if you're at Filipstad (FIL), it's a bit farther. Your best bet would probably be to walk back to Tjuvholmen, which takes ~25 minutes (or check the cost of an Uber at the time, since prices vary a lot depending on availability of drivers).

 

Is there any cuisine, price range, or ambience you're interested in?

[cruznoob57]

Kaisatsu, thanks for the chart - it looks like we will be docked at FIL (Aug 2 - Apex). 

 

So Uber is a reliable safe way to get around? (We're both seniors and have never used it before.) 

 

We're interested in trying local cuisine in an unpretentious, friendly, casual atmosphere that's not too pricey. Is tipping a big thing in Norway? Do we need to carry much cash or can we get by with credit card?

Edited March 6, 2023 by cruznoob57

[kaisatsu]

Since it has been allowed to operate again (the taxi union protested for a while), Uber is safe and convenient, but you need to have access to cellular data on your phone. The easiest option is to just walk, and it's around 10 minutes on a flat pedestrian path along the highway to the edge of the closest area of interest. Then you'd have a bit further to go depending on your destination.

 

The closest area with restaurants would Tjuvholmen and Aker Brygge (the end point on the map I linked). Built along the waterfront (originally in warehouses and now expanding to reclaimed land), it's a nice area to wander around with several restaurants and bars. One option might be The Salmon, a restaurant showcasing one of Norway's famous exports. Also, I see that Rorbua has finally reopened. It's styled like a coastal fishing hut and serves a variety of Norwegian dishes, but it's a bit on the pricier side. Branching out from Norwegian fare, Olivia offers mid-range Italian, and Asia has excellent Asian fusion.

 

Most locals don't carry cash, so you should be able to pay with card just about everywhere if you have a chip-and-pin card that can be used internationally. At restaurants, any Visa or Mastercard should be fine.

 

Tipping is not a huge thing, but there are a lot of differing opinions. Some people don't tip at all (wait staff are legally supposed to be paid a livable wage), but many round up a bit. 5-10% is probably most common with 10% acknowledging excellent service.

[cruznoob57]

Thank you, kaisatsu! That is great information, plus the linked map! Yes, in Canada we use the chip/pin cards (I don't think the US does). 

 

Really looking forward to visiting the land of my peeps! (My mother's side is from Norway/Sweden.)

[oakridger]

17 hours ago, cruznoob57 said:

Yes, in Canada we use the chip/pin cards (I don't think the US does). 

 

@cruznoob57Just an FYI, we do use chip and tap and pay cards here in the USA!  Have a wonderful trip to the land of my peeps also!

 

~Nancy

[cruznoob57]

6 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

@cruznoob57Just an FYI, we do use chip and tap and pay cards here in the USA!  Have a wonderful trip to the land of my peeps also!

 

~Nancy

Good to know! Thanks, Nancy.

[kaisatsu]

On 3/8/2023 at 10:04 AM, oakridger said:

 

@cruznoob57Just an FYI, we do use chip and tap and pay cards here in the USA!  Have a wonderful trip to the land of my peeps also!

 

~Nancy

Have they started issuing PIN-based cards now? That’s great! They used to be chip-and-sign, so I’d see lots of merchants struggling to find a pen when we had US visitors.

[oakridger]

@kaisatsu that's a good question!  I found out that our cards still don't have PIN but we have Tap and Pay which is contactless.  I'm going to contact Mastercard and Visa and see if they offer the PIN cards.  Thanks for mentioning this!

 

~Nancy

[kaisatsu]

8 hours ago, oakridger said:

@kaisatsu that's a good question!  I found out that our cards still don't have PIN but we have Tap and Pay which is contactless.  I'm going to contact Mastercard and Visa and see if they offer the PIN cards.  Thanks for mentioning this!

 

~Nancy

Since the contactless tap-to-pay cards don’t have a secondary authentication factor, Norwegian payment terminals require the user to enter their PIN for purchases beyond a small amount (~300 NOK) or after a set number of contactless purchases. So I’d expect you would need to sign in those cases.