For the best sushi in the city, grab a seat at the circular bar at this minimalist restaurant and look on as the two chefs deftly chop and roll. Fresh tuna, salmon, shrimp, and scallops, as well as distinctly Norwegian bites like whale sushi or halibut fat rolled with onions, are available à la carte or as part of four tasting menus. If the bar is full, additional seating is available at oblong teak tables in the adjacent dining room. Keep an eye out for famous patrons. Famous around these parts anyway—members of the Norwegian royal family are crazy about this place.

Open daily from 4 to 11 pm mid-August through mid-July, and Tuesdays through Saturdays 4 to 11 pm mid-July through mid-August.

This quaint corner restaurant is the oldest in Oslo (it opened its doors in 1857), and its private dining rooms are still decorated with caricatures of actors from the old Christiana stage, a theater that hosted plays by Ibsen, Shakespeare, and the like until it was torn down in 1889. At the turn of the 20th century, the place became a hangout for artists and writers, and a painting of Henrik Ibsen dining now hangs over the armchairs in the lounge area. In summer months, tall trees shade the outdoor seating; in winter, guests settle into upholstered chairs in the dark-wood dining room; year-round they dine on Norwegian specialties such as grilled tørrfisk, which is similar to lutefisk (the peculiar Viking favorite, dried cod soaked in lye, which is only available from late October to late December).

Open daily from 11 am to 10 pm August through June, and daily from 12 to 9 pm in July.

Edvard Munch and his bohemian friends whiled away many hours in this café in the Grand Hotel. As the artist wrote in his diary, "We used to have a few drinks after breakfast to sober up. Later we'd drink to get back into a stupor." Nowadays, folks stop by for the food, too—fish soup, poached salmon with dilled potatoes, burgers, marinated whale steak, and tasty desserts such as lemon tart or crème brûlée. Sunny and elegant, the 19th-century-style dining room seats 240 and serves buffet breakfasts to hotel guests.

Open daily 6:30 am to 11 pm

Although it opened way back in 1932, Bagatelle remains one of Oslo's best restaurants. Its venerable history and burgundy facade belie the modern dining room within: Modern art by International artists hangs on caramel-colored walls, and art deco–inspired chairs offset tables set with linens and crystal. The cuisine leans French, but indigenous ingredients pop up all over the menu—live lobsters are imported from Kvitsøy, diver scallops are fresh from Tromsø, and lamb comes from the wild herds of western Norway. Light meals can be fashioned by making selections off the two prix-fixe menus, but go ahead and splurge on the house specialty eight-course Grand Menu.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 6 to 10 pm, mid-August through mid-December, mid-January through the week before Easter, and the week after Easter through June.

With its ornate chandeliers and dramatic arched ceiling, this Hotel Continental restaurant brings a touch of Vienna to Norway. Dozens of portraits of well-known regulars—mainly writers, actors, and musicians—adorn the walls, and the Norwegian–French menu runs from light lunch fare (smoked salmon, scrambled-egg sandwiches) to hefty dinner entrées (beef tartare, reindeer steak, duck confit).

Open Mondays through Saturdays 11 am to 11 pm, and Sundays 3 to 10 pm, August through June. Closed the month of July.