Before visiting Oslo, Norway, we were told that it wasn’t particularly vegan-friendly. Having now visited however, we can confidently say that it is.
While Oslo might not be the most vegan-friendly city in the world, there are still plenty of high-quality options to choose from (see below).
In short, vegans will not be in danger of going hungry during a visit to Oslo.
In this post, which is based on our personal experiences visiting Oslo, we offer some tips for surviving as a vegan in Oslo. We then uncover some of the best vegan-friendly cafes and restaurants (plus a cocktail bar) that we were able to find.
If you’re vegan and planning to visit Oslo, this post is for you.
This post contains affiliate links. Find out more in our Privacy Policy.
How to survive as a vegan in Oslo, Norway
Here are a few tips we picked up on how we survived as vegans in Oslo.
Vegan Norway App
The Vegan Norway app (iOS & Android) is surprisingly good. Free to download, it contains extensive and seemingly up to date information on cafes, restaurants, bars and shops that provide vegan options. As the name suggests, the app’s focus is on all of Norway’s major cities, not just Oslo.
During our visit to Oslo, we found it a really useful tool for planning our days.
Happy Cow App
Happy Cow should need no introduction, but there are still vegans out there that don’t know about it, so here’s a quick mention.
Happy Cow is, without question, the world’s best tool for finding vegan and vegetarian-friendly businesses. With a highly active community encouraged to share reviews and photos through built-in gamification, it’s a completely invaluable app for all vegans.
We’ve been using it for years and it’s helped us out countless times.
Don’t expect Norwegian vegan cuisine
Vegans won’t struggle in Oslo to find something to eat - there are loads of options. What we did find though was that there was a distinct lack of vegan Norwegian dishes.
Instead, you’ll find lots of dishes inspired by international cuisines. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a little disappointing that we weren’t able to try something Norwegian while we were in Norway.
If you know somewhere that serves vegan Norwegian food, do get in touch.
Save money and visit the bakeries
By most standards, Oslo is an expensive city. We live in the UK and we’ve travelled all over Europe and we personally found Oslo to be one of the most expensive places we’ve been to. Generally speaking, food was ~50% more expensive than we’re used to.
If you’re looking to save money, head to the bakeries. Backstube in particular, who have branches all over Oslo, have a lot of clearly marked savoury and sweet vegan options and the prices are surprisingly low.
Oat milk is quite common
We found that Oat milk (particularly Oatly) is the default plant-based options in cafes in Oslo. In most cases, it was also the only option. As usual, expect to pay a surcharge for it (we’re not happy about it either).
Tea and coffee is often self-service
Curiously, many places in Oslo serving tea and coffee provide it on self-service basis, with coffees in particular coming out of automatic machines where cow’s milk has been pre-loaded. In all of these cases, plant-based milk was not provided.
That’s not to say it’s difficult to find barista-made coffee. We’re just bringing your attention to this so that it’s not a surprise during your visit.
Read more: Oslo In Winter: 9 Top Things To Do in Norway’s Capital
Oslo’s Best Vegan-Friendly Cafes & Restaurants
The following is a list of the best vegan-friendly cafes and restaurants in Oslo, Norway. All of the places mentioned in our list have been tried and tested by ourselves.
King Falafel
Address: Brugata 3A, 0186 Oslo, Norway
100% Vegan
The interior gives late-night eatery vibes, but no one comes here to admire their surroundings. They’re here for the food, which is made fresh to order by friendly and helpful staff.
The falafel at King Falafel is exactly as it should be - crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. Portion sizes are very generous and prices are, for Oslo at least, very reasonable.
There are a variety of wraps available, so don’t be surprised if you end up visiting more than once.
Oslo Raw
Address: Skovveien 16, 0257 Oslo, Norway
100% Vegan
Tasty, fresh and flavoursome raw foods served at Oslo Raw’s fancy, Parisian-style cafe. If there’s two of you sharing, the Brunch plate is the best value dish on the menu and gives you an opportunity to try lots of things. We highly recommend the hot chocolates too - rich and creamy.
Beware the sandwiches - they are tasty but they’re also tiny and expensive.
The cafe’s popularity combined with the small size of the place does mean there’s quite a buzz. Additionally, with table service not provided, it means there’s always quite a lot of movement going on. This may or may not be your thing.
Dirty Vegan at Barcode Street Food
Address: Dronning Eufemias gate 14, 0191 Oslo, Norway
100% Vegan
What’s a European city without a 100% vegan burger place?!
Dirty Vegan one of the good ones, with a wide variety of flavour-packed burgers loaded with toppings and sauces. We tried the Clucker burger (Chick’n patty) and a portion of Garlucky loaded fries.
Dirty Vegan is just one of many stalls inside the food hall of Barcode Street Food. While Dirty Vegan is 100% vegan, all the other stalls are not. That said, Barcode is a cool and fun spot to spend an evening.
Nordvegan
Address: Kristian IVs gate 15B, 0164 Oslo, Norway
100% Vegan
Buffet-style restaurants where you order food from a hot counter seem to be quite popular in Norway. This one’s 100% vegan.
Since it’s a buffet, food options at Nordvegan change every day, with around 3-4 main dishes available. During our visit, we had Enchildada with a selection of salads and a mild but fragrant Thai-style curry with rice. Portions were large and the food itself had a comforting homemade style.
Cultivate
Address: Helgesens gate 18a, 0553 Oslo, Norway
100% Vegan
Similarly to Nordvegan (above), Cultivate another buffet-style restaurant where you can choose from a number of hot specials at the counter. We chose a lentil and tofu stew and a hearty slice of lasagne which came with side salads of our choice. Portions were large.
The food was tasty and comforting and the ambiance was smart and welcoming. In all, a good experience.
Torggata Botaniske
Address: Torggata 17B, 0183 Oslo, Norway
100% Vegan
It’s not often you come across a fully vegan cocktail bar, so we had to pop in for a couple of drinks.
True to its name, Torggata Botaniske is filled with leafy plants that help to create an organic and natural atmosphere. The drinks menu has both recognisable drinks and house specials, all made to order at the bar. As you would expect, prices are rather high, but sometimes, you just have to treat yourself.
Veggie De Luca
Address: Thorvald Meyers gate 34, 0555 Oslo, Norway
Part of the Deli De Luca chain, this cafe/shop specialises in strictly vegetarian and vegan products.
The shop section has a range of confectionery and snacks, whilst the cafe has hot drinks, sandwiches and pastries. Our visit was late at night, so the range was smaller than perhaps earlier in the day. We were pleased however to leave with a couple of vegan cronuts (which were great).
Prices are on the more reasonable end of the spectrum.
Silk Road at Oslo Street Food
Address: Torggata 16, 0181 Oslo, Norway
Silk Road used to be 100% vegan but now serves meat (one would argue that means they were never truly vegan). Whilst disappointing, there are still vegan options available and they are really good.
We can certainly couch for the Thai curry which was flavoursome and filling.
Silk Road is just one of several food vendors inside Oslo Street Food, a fun and lively food hall right in the centre of town. Definitely worth a visit.
Backstube
Address: Multiple branches all over the city
We mentioned it earlier in this post, but it’s worth mentioning again. Backstube is a chain bakery with branches all over the city. We were delighted to find that they not only clearly mark their vegan options, but that there are also a lot to choose from.
We made a few visits during our visit to Oslo and tried the filled baguettes, the potato and spinach boreks, the vegetable focaccia and a few of the sweet pastries. Prices are very reasonable.
Read more: Oslo In Winter: 9 Top Things To Do in Norway’s Capital
