Photo Credit: Helge Høifødt
Oslo, the relatively small capital of Norway, has suddenly captured the attention of food enthusiasts from around the world.
Historically known for its cutting edge architecture, amazing skiing opportunities and unique coffee shops, Oslo can now proudly add “established foodie destination” to its resume after recently placing high in two major culinary best-of lists. The city even managed to bypass several more well-known locations including Madrid, Barcelona, Copenhagen and London.
Caterwings, a British catering company, positioned Oslo 16th on their extensive list of the world’s greatest food destinations—making it the second best Nordic city on the list behind Stockholm. This outstanding accomplishment is due in part to Oslo’s new food hall, Mathallen, which landed an impressive third place out 100 in the American real estate company Cushman & Wakefield’s list of Europe’s best food halls.
Since opening a little over five years ago, Mathallen has grown to more than 30 specialty shops, cafes and eateries, and has had over six million visitors to date. Making sure to capture the food trends from at home and abroad, the popular food experience offers products from small-scale Norwegian producers and foreign imports. In addition to its abundance of tasty cuisine, Mathallen also hosts spectacular cooking classes and competitions, events, festivals and a TV series. Check out Mathallen on Instagram or Facebook to feast your eyes on some of the world’s greatest cuisine.