Crowbar

Crowbar is Oslo's most dedicated craft beer bar, and Oslo takes craft beer seriously enough that this is a real statement. The space on Torggata sits right in the heart of Grünerløkka, the neighbourhood that drove Norway's independent bar scene forward in the 2010s and continues to do so. The room is honest rather than designed, with exposed fittings, timber bar stools, and a wall of taps that is the first thing you see when you walk in.

Twenty rotating lines span Norwegian microbreweries including Haandbryggeriet, 7 Fjell, and Nøgne Ø alongside international guests from Belgium, the UK, and the US. The bottle list runs to around 150 references with a particular strength in Trappist and farmhouse ales that is remarkable for a bar of this size. The staff here know their beer, and that is not something you take for granted. Ask for a recommendation and they will ask you a question back before answering.

Crowbar also operates a live music programme on Thursday and Friday evenings that skews toward jazz, indie, and folk, running alongside the bar without overwhelming it. For the best seat in the house, arrive early enough to claim a stool at the bar itself. This is a bar that rewards the serious drinker and welcomes the curious one in equal measure. It is the best craft beer bar in Oslo for our money.