Copenhagen’s avant-garde culinary scene tends to dominate articles about Scandinavian food, but Norway’s equally wonderful capital has its own set of superb restaurants. I regret that we had time for only two dinners during our brief stay in Oslo, but we made the most of them, trying two contrasting establishments: a fine-dining option with a panoramic view and a casual hot spot for superlative seafood.

Tak Oslo

On the rooftop of the Sommerro hotel, Tak Oslo affords magnificent views of the city and its bay from an oval-shaped dining room. Chef Frida Ronge presents a delicious fusion of Nordic and Japanese cuisines. We were pleased to be seated at a window table, where we could both enjoy the view and observe the patrons, who ranged from couples to groups of businesspeople. Servers were quite friendly, and busy tuxedo-clad bartenders mixed delicious cocktails. The menu featured an assortment of creative small plates, like venison tataki with mushroom mayonnaise and lingonberries and Frøya scallops with yuzu-beet purée. Our substantial main courses — delicate Norwegian halibut topped with tobiko and beef tenderloin yakiniku with red wine sauce — were both exceptional. The side dishes were generous, but the roasted potatoes with togarashi and thyme salt were overseasoned, and the crispy salad with Norwegian mushrooms, truffle ponzu and pumpkin seeds was overdressed. Our favorite dish, a special that was highly recommended by our server, was the crème brûlée. Its “secret ingredient,” soy sauce, gave the dessert a salted caramel flavor. We liked it so much that we ordered a second. We’ll have to visit Tak’s sister restaurant in Stockholm next time we’re there. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Tak Oslo
Sommerrogata 1. Tel. (47) 21-40-49-30