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.
Diego, the owner and pastry chef behind Hernández
Standing behind Hernández, named after himself, is pastry chef Diego from Barcelona. Trained as a professional baker back in Barcelona, Diego Hernández told us how happy he was for having finally realised his dream of opening up his own bakery after stints at Kumi, Sommerro, and the well-renowned delicatessen Pascal, among others.
Burnt basque chocolate cheesecake Burnt basque chocolate cheesecake with iced matcha latte
Hernández started as the sole supplier of burnt basque cheesecakes to the specialty café Kuro in Grünerløkka, which we think is one of Oslo’s best basque cheesecakes (70 NOK) and extremely popular among the Kuro-regulars. The flavored variants, however, are only available on-location in the shop.
On our visit, it was the chocolate cheesecake that was on the menu and still available. It was a classic burnt basque cheesecake made with an additional light chocolate filling. A sprinkle of sea salt was applied on top, which has completely elevated the flavour, heightening the smooth and rich mouthfeel as well as the cheese fragrance.
Coffee from Fuglen and matcha from matchasome is available for purchase
At Hernández, one can also find coffee from Fuglen and tea from Spill the Tea to accompany the cheesecake. We ordered an iced matcha latte, made using matcha from the Berlin-based café and retailer “matchasome”. A little pricey at 75 NOK, it was a perfect summer drink and the slightly bitter matcha taste complimented perfectly with the cheesecake. All in all, we think Hernández is a must-visit if you are in the mood for some cheesecake other than the traditional style.
Update (Nov 1st, 2024)
Five months have gone by since our last visit to Hernández. Today, the shop has become one of the most popular bakeries/cafés on social media, and attracts swarms of visitors on a daily basis. If you follow their Instagram closely, you can see that, several times in a week, especially during the weekends, the shop sells out in the middle of the day.
In light of their popularity and the strong demand, we arrived at the shop on an early Saturday morning, shortly after it opened. Special flavour of the week was the cinnamon roll basque cheesecake. Also on the counter on display was their orginal flavour, now a classic must-try. We have already tried their chocolate and matcha flavoured cheesecakes; yet in comparison, we think the cinnamon roll one is the best of all. Smooth, rich yet not overpoweringly sweet, the cinnamon flavour brought out an extra depth to the lingering fragrance—warm, soothing and even a bit nostalgic, perfect for the autumn season.
As for drinks, we went for their matcha latte, one warm, one cold. As we mentioned before, Hernández sources its matcha from the Berlin-based supplier matchasome. After we tried matcha drinks at matchasome shops in Berlin, we were surprised to see that Hernández actually makes better matcha in comparison. In fact, Hernández served the best matcha drinks we have tried in Oslo—we both agree that we would come back to the shop for the matcha drinks alone.
Their matcha is of high quality, carefully whisked by hand with a bamboo “chasen” before mixed with oat milk—something the matchasome barista did in a sloppy fashion, which put a dent on the flavour. Matcha drinks at Hernández also gave an “adult” feeling—no syrup, no additional sugar, to mask the matcha’s faint bitterness. The iced matcha latte has a stronger umami aftertaste thanks to the ice cubes, whereas the warm one puts an extra focus on the tea flavour. Both are worth trying.
Iced matcha latte with oat milk Matcha latte
The last drink we tried was their seasonal special pumpkin syrup coffee latte. Mixed with their homemade pumpkin syrup, the latte boasts a strong gingerbread flavour, something that is bound to be popular in the Halloween season.
Diego also told us, now that he has hired a barista to take care of the shop, he could immediately start baking when they are low on cakes. This would definitely help alleviate the problem of selling out too early in the day. As time got close to noon, the shop started to get packed. On our way out, we could still see the old barbershop’s sign standing side by side with Hernández’s big red neon “H” in the window, something that reminded us of how the new came on top of the old, like layers of soil sediments, rings on a tree stump, substance that formed our memories of the city.
Summer Menu Update (July 14th, 2025)
Despite the global matcha shortage, matcha drinks in Oslo continue to grow in popularity—which, ironically, could further exacerbate the shortage—as they become increasingly available in specialty cafés across the city. As we mentioned previously, Hernández serves some of the best matcha drinks in Oslo, thanks to its Berlin-based supplier, matchasome. Its 2025 summer menu, moreover, offers even more must-try items for tea and coffee lovers alike.
If you’ve yet to catch on to the matcha craze and have been wondering what Japanese green tea drinks taste like, the sparkling orange matcha (85 NOK) at Hernández offers an excellent introduction. Combining ice, San Pellegrino orange sparkling water, and a portion of freshly hand-whisked matcha, it results in a surprisingly refreshing beverage. The Italian sparkling water brings a bright orange sweetness, which is further accentuated by the matcha’s faint bitterness. The initial sweetness gradually fades, giving way to a lingering grassy umami. After this, you may well find the matcha latte—and even pure matcha—much easier to appreciate.
To our great surprise—and delight—the summer menu at Hernández features two hojicha drinks. Hojicha, a roasted green tea, is known for its mellow, nutty fragrance and low caffeine content. The peanut hojicha latte (85 NOK) at Hernández is, without doubt, one of the best hojicha drinks we’ve found in Oslo. Chunks of peanut pair perfectly with hojicha’s natural nuttiness, while the ice tempers any lingering bitterness. Topped with lightly whipped cream, the drink is well-balanced and layered, with a long-lasting aroma. If you’ve not tried hojicha yet, the peanut hojicha is not to be missed. And trust us: before long, you may find yourself ordering the iced hojicha latte (75 NOK) just to get more of the tea.
For those craving cold coffee, there’s also the classic espresso tonic (75 NOK) on the menu.
The main barista Natalia is responsible for developing the drink menu at Hernández, and that’s no small feat. Each of these drinks stands out on its own, yet also complements the varied flavours of the shop’s now-famous Basque cheesecakes. Considering the constraints of storage space, demand, and customer preferences, we believe this combination of creativity, open-mindedness, and willingness to experiment makes Hernández one of Oslo’s most unique and promising cafés—something the city can truly be proud of.
Originally posted on 2024-06-25