Nestled by the river Akerselva running along its west-side, Grünerløkka (“Løkka”), Oslo’s most populated area, was once a neighborhood swarmed with factory workers, immigrants and young, aspiring artists. Edvard Munch, one of the most famous Norwegian painters, lived here in his early 20s, when his family was struggling with their economy.
The area experienced a transformative makeover during the gentrification process across Scandinavia in the late 1990s. Once notorious for its poor sanitary conditions and slums, it has re-emerged as a young and posh shopping area, dotted with designer shops, restaurants and bars. Locals and tourists alike flock here to experience the latest hot things the city has to offer.
Today, Grünerløkka gathers more independent specialty cafés than any other area in the city. It is home to several of Oslo’s most famous and arguably best cafés, such as Tim Wendelboe and Supreme Roastworks. Newcomers such as Kuro and Lille Oslo Kaffebrenneri have also managed to attract their distinctive groups of regulars. Bring your favourite book and find a comfortable corner to sit in for a relaxing afternoon, or buy take-away and take a stroll across the area’s lush parks—Grünerløkka is where Oslo’s urbanity, together with its charismatic chillness, comes to its best. Nothing this good can be experienced without a nice cup of coffee.
Supreme Roastworks
For a world-renowed café such as Supreme Roastworks, it is almost hard to believe that everything can be so simple. The interior is designed in the utmost minimalistic style: white walls, black furniture, surrounded by wooden benches against the wall and counter seating facing large glass windows.
All milk-based coffee drinks are served in simple drinking glasses, while the hand-brews come in Hario glass servers and ceramic coffee cups. Yet this is how far the facade of simplicity goes: once you take a sip of the coffee, you immediately understand why this is one of best cafés in Oslo.
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Kuro Oslo
Since its opening in early 2022, Kuro has quickly established itself as a unique neighbourhood café in Grünerløkka, attracting a large flock of regulars in this young and vibrant leisure area.
Backed by a fashion brand named F5, which is owned by the family of three Krystad Marthinsen brothers, the coffee bar was planned from inception as an extension of the fashion brand universe, an open space where Scandinavian fashion design meets the coffee culture.
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The Little Pickle
The Little Pickle, a Michelin-guide restaurant located on the edge between Grünerløkka and Tøyen, opened its own bakery and café.
The newly opened bakery and café has assembled a talented Japanese team, who have been active in Oslo’s food and coffee industry in recent years. Among them are the restaurant’s baker and pastry chef Nozomi Miyawaki (宮脇のぞみ) and her husband Tsukasa Miyawaki (宮脇司)—the couple used to work at Ille Brød, one of Oslo’s best known sourdough bakeries, and Ayae Maki Fredheim (真木彩衣), who used to roast at Lille Oslo Kaffebrenneri and now running her own independent roastery Hibi Kaffe. Even though Hibi is still in its early stages, the roastery has already attracted attention in the industry, and is today the coffee provider to the bakery Farine, restaurant Panu, as well as Michelin 3-star restaurant Maaemo.
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Kaffe Lykke
Kaffe Lykke has rather peculiar opening hours: 8-15, Monday to Friday. Such a “lazy” schedule does not seem to impart the impression that this place is here for serious business. This hasty conclusion, however, cannot be farther from the truth.
The fact is that the café is owned by the Oslo municipality and is used as a training venue for young adults in Grünerløkka borough ranging from 18 to 25 years old. Some of them might have dropped out of school, some might be struggling with addiction issues. The café is the place where they can gain some initial working experience before going into the society.
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Tim Wendelboe
Tim Wendelboe is, to a certain degree, the coffee shop that has single-handedly put Oslo on the world’s coffee map. The owner, after whom the shop was named, started his career working as a barista at Stockfleths, a well-known Oslo chain, in 1998 and won the 2004 World Barista Championship. He left Stockfleths three years later and opened his own shop in Grüners gate 1. Wendelboe has since won multiple world championships in roasting and is one of the best-known front figures of the third-wave coffee in the whole Scandinavian region. Today, the shop attracts hundreds of tourists from all over the world every day.
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Lille Oslo Kaffebrenneri
Lille Oslo Kaffebrenneri (“Lille Oslo”) in English translates to “Little Oslo Coffee Roastery”, and is one of the latest additions to the bustling neighborhood Grünerløkka. The roastery started out as an attachment to the popular donut bakery “My Ugly Baby” at Youngstorget, which went out of business in 2023. It then branched out as an independent café and moved to its current location at the south end of Markveien, a 1 km long street full of shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants.
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