Sagene, literally the plural form of “saw” in Norwegian, was once a major industrialised area powered by the river Akerselva in the early 1990s. Its roots and deep connection with the sawmills can be traced back to the 1500s.
Bordering Grünerløkka, Sagene is today Oslo’s most densely populated borough and yet boasts the most recreational area—nearly 20% of its total area is occupied by open parks and natural forests. Meandering through its heart is the river Akerselva, which has been explored to generate power over a thousand years and is today an indispensible highlight of the area’s beautiful landscape.
Torshov, the neighbourhood right at the centre of Sangene, is a highly urbanised affluent area dotted with independent shops and cafés. Little wonder why young well-off couples with small children are attracted to move and live here, making it one of the most family-friendly areas in the core city.
La Bakeri de Jean
Jean-Louis Monteil, a veteran baker, started his own shop in Torshov. What he didn’t expect, however, is that popularity would come so fast and so suddenly—literally overnight.
Menu
The bakery, La Bakeri de Jean, is located at Bentsebrugata 11C, right by the Akers river, on the ground floor of a residential building. We arrived on a Saturday. Around 11 o’clock, a small queue had already formed outside. Standing in the queue was a mixed group: young people coming alone or with friends, families with small children, middle-aged neighbours dropping by in jogging suits....
Hernández
With its grand opening celebrated only 3 days prior to our visit, this café could hardly be any newer. Located at the border of Sagene and Grünerløkka, only a few minutes walk away from Alexander Kiellands plass, Hernández has everything of a chill yet well-groomed neighbourhood bakery.
Large windows bring lots of sunlight to the small space
The interior is simple. The floor and ceiling is bare concrete. A couple small wooden benches with four small wooden tables, with four orthogonal bar stools facing the outside seating area....
