Olympen, known to locals as Lompa, has stood at Grønlandsleiret 15 in Oslo's Grønland district since the building opened in 1882, with the restaurant trading from the turn of the century. It is a grand old beer hall, panelled in dark wood and hung with crystal chandeliers, pouring more than 100 beers.
Who would love it: a drinker who wants a historic room, a long beer list and traditional Norwegian food in one sitting. Who would not: anyone after a small, modern cocktail bar, because Olympen trades on scale, history and a deep tap selection.
The hall sits on Grønlandsleiret in Grønland, the dense district east of the Akerselva that has long been Oslo's most mixed quarter. Per the Oslo byleksikon city encyclopedia, the building was raised in 1882 for Schous Bryggeri to designs by Herman Major Backer, and Olympen opened there at the turn of the century. The nearest stop is Grønland on the metro, a short walk from the door.
The room is the draw. Dark wood panels run the length of the hall, crystal chandeliers hang over the long tables, and in 1928 the walls were decorated with murals by Hans Henrik Sartz Backer showing motifs from Grønland and Enerhaugen. The Dagsavisen city-history series called it a first-class restaurant built for working people, which captures the mix of grandeur and everyday use that still defines it. Upstairs, the Pigalle hall opened in 1965 as the city's first nightclub.
VisitOslo notes the bar pours over 100 kinds of beer, many from small Norwegian producers, alongside a wine list and a kitchen built on seasonal Scandinavian cooking. The move is a Norwegian beer at one of the long tables under the chandeliers, paired with the traditional plates the room is known for. Pricing runs to Oslo norms, on the higher side for imports, so a domestic draught is the value play.
The combination of a deep beer list and a full kitchen makes Olympen a place to settle in rather than pass through. It reads as a beer hall first, but the food draws a dinner crowd, and the two trades overlap across a long evening. The scale of the space means it absorbs a busy night without feeling overwhelmed.
The crowd is broad, from Grønland locals and after-work groups to visitors who come for the historic interior. It fills on weekend evenings and during football fixtures shown in the hall. Reviews most often praise the room itself and the breadth of the beer list, with the occasional note that service can slow when the hall is full.
It works best for a group dinner with a long beer list, a date that wants a room with history, or a pre-match drink before heading on. For a quiet nightcap or a craft-cocktail evening, look to a smaller bar.
Best time to go is an early weekend evening, before the upstairs hall draws a later crowd. See where it sits among the best craft beer bars in Oslo and the Oslo bar guide, and read our wider craft beer bars roundup.
Pair this bar with
For an Oslo brewery taproom, compare Amundsen Bryggeri Oslo. For a Grünerløkka brewpub, try Grünerløkka Brygghus Oslo. And for a craft-beer specialist, Mr. Foxx Craft Beer Oslo makes the natural next round.
Sources
VisitOslo: Olympen · Oslo byleksikon: Olympen · Olympen official history · Google Maps reviews (accessed 2026-06)
Reviewed by Marcus Webb, barsforKings. Published Apr 11, 2026 · Last reviewed May 19, 2026.
