After living for five months in Oslo in 2019 as part of an exchange program, I discovered some great (and pretty cheap) places to eat as a vegan. All places that I mention in this post have very delicious vegan food options which I tasted myself 😉
Trying to find vegan-friendly places while travelling isn’t always easy. If you are planning to visit Oslo in the near future, you can take this list with you to save yourself some time trying to find a great place to eat.
Did you visit any of these places? Or do you have some other great recommendations? Please let me know in the comments below this blog post.
1. Handwerk Botaniske
After joining a yoga class at Athletica Vulkan I was craving a healthy lunch. I forgot to pack my own food and quickly checked Google Maps for some recommendations in the neighbourhood. I ended up visiting Handwerk Botaniske, a small, organic bakery located in the Vulkan area. When I entered the bakery, the smell was out-of-this-world: the freshly baked bread, cinnamon, and incredible coffee smell! I ordered a vegan sourdough sandwich with a hummus spread and some coffee. The person who took my order kindly offered me some oat milk to go with my coffee. While reading a book I enjoyed my sandwich and I knew for sure that I had to visit this place again. On my second visit, I ordered again a healthy sandwich and treated myself to a typical Norwegian pastry: a cinnamon bun. At Handwerk, you have the option to buy this delicious Norwegian treat dairy-free.
Now, you can enjoy the delicacies of this bakery at the Botanical garden in Tøyen. What better way to spend your lunchtime than sitting outside in a botanical garden and enjoying an organic sourdough sandwich? Definitely take a look at their Instagram for some pictures of what they have to offer.
2. San Fransisco Bread Bowl
During the cold and long Norwegian winter, it can be nice to cozy up with a hot bowl of soup. What is even better is to eat this soup in a bowl made out of bread! At San Francisco Bread Bowl, located in the Frogner area, this is possible! The inviting interior of this restaurant and the friendly and welcoming staff make you feel right at home. The restaurant has two vegan dishes on their menu: The Indonesian Bowl and the Bombay Bowl. I tried the Indonesian bowl and it was incredible! The bread tasted very fresh and the soup contained incredible spices. Each week they also offer a weekly special that is voted on by their customers, cool right?
This place is definitely allergy-friendly since they indicate on the menu which dishes (may) contain celery, milk, gluten, molluscs etc. My severe allergy to nuts- and peanuts was no problem at all, and the staff was happy to help me out. What attracted me to this restaurant is their mission to reduce plastic waste, which I’m all for! Thus, if Oslo is getting too cold for you, head over to SF Bread Bowl to enjoy a nice bowl of soup.
3. Backstube
I’m a morning person. Waking up early and seeing the sunrise while I enjoy my oatmeal and tea is my favourite way to start the day. But once in a while, I like to make my mornings extra special by giving myself a little treat. On mornings like this, I visited Backstube, a bakery with multiple locations in Oslo.
The bakeries have spaces to sit down and enjoy the freshly baked goods you just bought with a hot cup of coffee (or tea!). They aim for a stress-free environment, which you can feel once you walk in. You get to serve yourself at your own pace. As a vegan, you have many different options. The different kinds of brød (the Norwegian word for bread), buns and baguettes are a great choice, but my favourite goods were their Brezelstang ( a long Bretzel stick) and Epledrøm (a delicious apple pie with raisins and cinnamon). They also offer some other warm and cold snacks. Recently they wrote a post on their Facebook page stating that 39 of their products are vegan. Choices enough! The staff are also happy to help you out if you have any allergies. Around Christmas time, you can buy their delicious Bretzels at the main Christmas market, Jul i Vinterland (Christmas in Winterland), located at Spikersuppa.
🌱 Eco-tip: Save a tree by bringing your own little bag or box to store your treats. This way you don’t need one of their paper bags.
4. Peppes pizza
Once in a while, I love to order myself a pizza. All across Oslo, you can find the restaurants of Peppes pizza. What I love about this place is its wide range of vegetarian and vegan pizzas.
At many pizza places I have to order a type of pizza and mention specifically that I would like it without the meat and the cheese. At Peppes pizza, this isn’t necessary, because there are plenty of pizzas to choose from. They have 6 vegetarian options and as vegan, you have 2 choices: The Chicago Oumph! (#39 on their menu) and The Even Greener Garden (#41 on their menu). I tried the second option, and I didn’t regret it. I never tried avocado on my pizza and the combination with the vegan aioli was delicious. Other vegan things to order at Peppes are the Nachips (nacho chips with some dips), the Side Salad, the Green Burger and they even have a vegan dessert: Brownie & Ice cream. I couldn’t try the dessert since it had cashew nuts in it (and I’m allergic to these nuts), but if you did, let me know how it tasted.
5. LEON
Something you must do when visiting Oslo is get on a ferry and visit the neighbouring islands. One trip to the islands I remember very well was together with a girl from Indonesia, who was also studying in Oslo at that time. We visited LEON and order some takeaway to enjoy while we were on the ferry travelling to Bygdøy peninsula. As a student, you get a discount, which is always nice. I ordered the Falafel Hot Box for 69 NOK and got a 14 NOK discount. It was packaged in a cardboard box and there was absolutely no plastic involved. I got my bamboo fork and knife with me, so I didn’t need the plastic cutlery they offered.
At LEON you can eat at all times of the day since they have a wide range of breakfast and lunch options. Your coffee or latte to go can be made with oat- or coconut milk. It is the perfect place if you are craving healthy fast food.
