Oslo

The 10 Best Bars with a View in Oslo

Oslo's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

  1. 01

    Cargo Room

    SENTRUM · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Cargo Room draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  2. 02

    Pier 42 at Amerikalinjen

    SENTRUM · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Pier 42 at Amerikalinjen draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  3. 03

    Sky Bar Radisson Blu Plaza

    SENTRUM · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Sky Bar Radisson Blu Plaza draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  4. 04

    Sky Bar at Thon Hotel Opera

    SENTRUM · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Sky Bar at Thon Hotel Opera draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  5. 05

    Akersmykja Bar

    ST HANSHAUGEN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Akersmykja Bar draws a steady local crowd in St Hanshaugen. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  6. 06

    Aku-Aku Tiki Bar

    GRUNERLOKKA · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Aku-Aku Tiki Bar draws a steady local crowd in Grunerlokka. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  7. 07

    Amundsen Brewery

    SENTRUM · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Amundsen Brewery draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  8. 08

    Andre Til Høyre Oslo

    A FORMER KIOSK IN GRÜNERLØKKA. TWENTY SEATS · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Andre Til Høyre — meaning 'Second on the Right' — is a tiny cocktail room in a former kiosk in Grünerløkka. Twenty seats, two bartenders, a short menu that chan. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  9. 09

    Arakataka

    GRUNERLOKKA · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Arakataka draws a steady local crowd in Grunerlokka. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  10. 10

    Arsenalet

    SENTRUM · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

    Arsenalet draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Oslo or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Oslo would tell you to put on the list.

Cargo Room draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Pier 42 at Amerikalinjen draws a steady local crowd in Sentrum. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Think we missed one?

Submit a bar

Keep exploring

More of Oslo

Looking beyond Oslo? See our guide to the best bars with a view worldwide, or compare bars with a view city by city.