73 Best Bars in Norway

In the hip Grünerløkka neighborhood, this sophisticated spot serves creative cocktails and food to match. It's very stylish, with mellow music, picture windows, a wood-topped bar, and a trendy crowd to match.

A fine selection of whiskies and a warm atmosphere give this Irish pub an authentically cheery vibe. There are sports on the television throughout the week.

Where Sentrum meets Kvadvraturen, this former potato cellar is the perfect winter hideaway. There's an impressively long list of wines (which complement a small but very good dinner menu) and a Moroccan vibe complete with arched ceilings, squishy seats, and lavish rugs.

The specialty here is craft beers, as you'll know from the broad blackboard over the bar listing the wide range of stouts, porters, ales, and other brews. Belly up to the bar, grab a table on the sidewalk, or head across the street to the covered patio.

Folken is a concert venue with three stages. The main venue can be enjoyed by 650 people; the other two can provide even more intimate concerts from local, national, and international acts. There is a bar and a café on the first floor. Folken also hosts the odd art exhibition and has a history as a cinema from the 1930s. It's a cultural hub spot, especially for students, making it a vibrant place.

Bergen has an active gay community. For information about gay and lesbian clubs and bars, visit the website of the national LGBTQ association, FRI (meaning free).

With a sophisticated look and a relaxed atmosphere, this intimate nightspot features regular concerts with rock and jazz musicians.

Though renowned for its hangover cure breakfast, this laid-back spot definitely feels more suited for after hours than the morning after. The tasty pub grub just seems to be more befitting to the purple neon lights that come out at night.

Sun-kissed Hansen Hjørnet is a large outdoor bar, pub, and restaurant with DJs and stand up acts that always attracts a crowd. 

At Herr Nilsen, some of Norway's most celebrated jazz artists perform. There's live music most nights, jam sessions on Tuesday, and jazz on Saturday afternoon. Other than jazz, the focus is New Orleans--style music and bluegrass.

With a clubby atmosphere, JADA Roofgarden lets you sink into a leather armchair and enjoy a glass of beer or wine. But the big draw is the huge rooftop terrace, open throughout the year on the top floor of a shopping center.

With two stylish bars inside and a rooftop terrace with views of the fjord, Kava attracts a young and hip crowd. The place is known for its fishbowl-size drinks with enough straws for everyone in your group to share.

A sleek, cozy piano bar and lounge with plenty of atmosphere and views over the harbor, Kompasset's list of well-crafted cocktails, wines by the glass, and a bevvy of local beers insure a pleasant evening to the strains of live piano music.

If natural wines are your thing, slip into this small and low-key bar with a robust selection from around the world. It's a great place to talk grapes with the knowledgeable staff over some salty charcuterie, creamy cheeses, and an ever-changing selection of bar snacks. They also do strong cocktails, and at night the mood is decidedly more divey than your average wine joint.

A fixture on Oslo's gay scene since the 1970s, London Pub has a piano bar on the top floor, a quiz night on Wednesday, karaoke on Tuesday, and Happy Sunday parties on ... Sunday

This is the place for proper pints, an unpretentious air, and plenty of camaraderie. Open since 1979, this gay bar-club is huge and welcomes everyone with open arms.

Behind the Royal Palace, this funky spot has stuffed wildlife and century-old sketches of famous Norwegians adorning the walls. It's actually a resto but is such a winner of a boozing retreat---it advertises 180 different types of beer, and the mountain trout and other dishes are surprisingly good additions. It's a local institution that's hugely popular during the julebord season (mid-November to Christmas).

Appropriately named Needle's Eye, Stavanger's answer to a London pub is close and cozy.

The name is something of an in-joke: this artisan cocktail bar is located in the former location of a clothing shop called Stress. It has a nostalgic and homey interior, blending furnishings from the '60s, '70s, and '80s.

This atmospheric Art Deco–style movie house has been converted into a fun and funky venue for live music. Concerts are held in the converted cinema, which has room for 500 people. The old projection booth is a recording studio. To get a sense of the laid-back Grünerløkka lifestyle, chill out here with a cocktail.