First class prices, economy service

Hei Scoopers!

Quick correction from last week: a reader got in touch to say the old IKEA free bus service I mentioned in the “5 meals under 150 kroner” piece is no longer running. Good catch -and exactly the kind of message I want. The Scoop is better when readers tell me what’s changed, what’s overrated, and what I’ve missed.

After a recent translatlantic trip I had some time to kill at at Gardermoen, I found myself thinking about airport food. Not just the prices, everyone expects those, but the odd way some places seem to get noticeably worse the moment they move behind security. Same logo, same broad concept, same kind of menu, but poorer service, weaker food, and a much stronger sense that nobody is under any real pressure to impress. In other words: first class prices, economy service.

So, instead of another “best of” list, I had a look at some of the lower Google review scores at Oslo Airport, especially where there was a useful high-street comparison. And the pattern was hard to miss.

The audio version of this week’s Scoop is here! a slightly more rambly director’s cut with extra context and commentary

LETT

High street: LETT Klingenberg – 4.0 on Google
Airport: LETT Gardermoen – 2.0 on Google

This is what makes airport food so interesting in the worst possible way. LETT, in town, is meant to be a clean, reliable, healthy-ish lunch option. The airport version, though, looks like a noticeably rougher experience. One reviewer wrote that the “woman who said she was the manager (and owner) is incredibly rude”, “refused to admit she was wrong”, and that the poke bowl was “inedible and overpriced.” They then added the very fair warning: “Read the reviews and save your food a trip to the trashcan.” Another reviewer said they had travelled to “55+ countries and hundreds of airports” and had never rated a restaurant before giving LETT 1 star, which is a strong sign something has gone badly wrong. That is the airport downgrade in a nutshell: not just more expensive, but a worse version of something that seems to function perfectly well on the high street.

High street: O’Learys Vika – 4.2 on Google
Airport: O’Learys Domestic – 2.1 on Google
Airport: O’Learys International – 2.6 on Google

Again, same brand, very different reality. One airport reviewer wrote: “Even for an airport, this is outrageous. Overpriced menu items. Miserable workers. Unclean.” Another said: “10 min to get seated, 25 min to get a beer, 50 min to get a burger.” Which is less a meal than a small endurance event. What makes it more interesting, though, is that even the two airport branches are not equal. The domestic terminal scores noticeably worse than the international one, despite having far fewer reviews. That could mean the domestic branch is genuinely weaker, or simply that domestic travellers are less inclined to forgive mediocrity. Either way, it suggests that once a brand goes airside, even it may not know which version of itself is turning up.

High street equivalent: none, as far as I can tell
Airport: Bjørn’s Backyard International Terminal – 1.9 on Google

This one does not even have a stronger city version to compare it with, which may be part of the problem. One reviewer called it “100% one of the most horrendous burgers I’ve ever had,” then added: “Expensive. Tasteless. Greasy. Sloppy. Small.” Fairly comprehensive, that. If LETT and O’Learys show how decent brands can deteriorate in an airport setting, Bjørn’s Backyard feels more like the purest expression of the captive-audience model: high prices, low expectations, and a strong chance of regret.

That is the broader point. People do not expect airport food to be cheap. They do expect it to be edible, reasonably quick, and not weirdly hostile. But once a place goes airside, the logic seems to change. Less repeat custom, less accountability, more reliance on the fact that you are tired, rushed and likely to buy something anyway.You go to the airport for a getaway. They seem to get away with far too much.

So this week’s public service message is simple: if you are eating at Gardermoen, choose carefully. Because the real issue is not just the huge price markup, it’s the fact you’re paying much more for and getting a lot less.

Have you had a good or bad experience with airport food? let me know I’d love to hear it

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If you want somewhere that feels cosy, grown-up and quietly confident rather than noisy about how tasteful it is, Fager Bistro looks like a very good shout. It is a small French bistro in Fagerborg, and from the way the place describes itself, the whole idea is less “concept restaurant” and more le bonheur, a pleasant, welcoming evening built around proper food, good wine and a personal atmosphere. They are currently open Wednesday to Sunday, 17:00–23:00, at Fagerborggata 1.

What makes it appealing is that it does not sound like somewhere chasing novelty for the sake of it. The menu is described as classic French, the wine list focuses on the major French regions, and the overall mood seems to be deliberately warm and relaxed rather than trying to impress you with tweezers and smoke. In other words, this sounds like a place for people who still think a restaurant’s main job is to feed you well, pour you something decent, and make the whole thing feel enjoyable rather than performative.

The reviews make it sound even more promising. On Tripadvisor it currently holds a 4.8/5 rating, with reviewers calling it a “fantastic French bistro” with very good food, generous portions, and hosts who make you feel at home. Another review praises the “lovely and unfussy food”, the atmosphere and the service, which is usually a good sign that the place understands the difference between style and substance.

The only real caveat is that this probably is not the place to go if you want something flashy, hyper-trendy or built mainly for photographing your starter. The appeal seems to be its small size, French bistro comfort, and personal neighbourhood feel. If what you want is somewhere that sounds like it might actually improve your evening rather than just fill it, Fager Bistro should be worth a visit.

If your skin has come through winter looking a little tired, dull, or vaguely betrayed, this may be the moment to sort it out.

The Scoop is happy to feature Néroli again this week, a calm, expert-led skincare studio that specialises in the kind of treatment where you leave looking like you’ve slept properly, drank more water, and generally got your life together. They also have a near-perfect Google rating, with plenty of very happy customers saying they know exactly what they’re doing.

Their signature treatment is the Néroli Dyprens 60 min - a deep-cleansing facial that is properly thorough, while still feeling like a treat rather than a punishment. And with spring finally showing signs of life, this feels like a pretty good time to give your face a reset.

Exclusive Scoop offer for new clients:
20% off Néroli Dyprens 60 min
Use code SCOOP26 when booking
(enter it in the “additional info” field)

Last chance: this exclusive Scoop offer ends at the end of April.

This week’s dream home is in Besserud/Holmenkollen, which means views, altitude, and the sort of postcode that suggests you probably own at least one item of outerwear that costs more than a weekend away. Ankerveien 34C is a large and flexible family house with fantastic fjord views, a sunny terrace, a huge plot, and enough internal space to absorb both family life and the occasional need to vanish from it. It has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, an integrated garage, and sits on 1,683 square metres of land, which in Oslo terms is basically a minor kingdom. What makes it especially interesting, though, is that it is not just big and scenic, it also comes with a separate apartment and additional rental setup, which gives it a slightly more practical edge than the average property fantasy.

Inside, this sounds like one of those homes designed less around looking immaculate in photographs and more around being genuinely useful. There are large bright living areas over two floors, direct access to a 47 sqm terrace and garden, and a layout that feels built for a real family rather than just two adults with matching mugs and a scented candle budget. And then there is the income side: the separate apartment and rental section reportedly bring in around 23,800 kroner a month excluding electricity. So while the quoted monthly mortgage cost sits at around 79,329 kroner, a quick back-of-the-napkin calculation suggests that rental income could bring the effective monthly burden down to something closer to 55,500 kroner, before other costs. Still very much a serious-money house, obviously but not quite as savage as the headline figure first suggests.

What makes this one really appealing is that it delivers the full dream-home package without relying on one flashy trick. It is not all view and no storage, nor all prestige and no practicality. You get the scenery, the garden, the space, the schools, the transport links, and the rare Oslo bonus of a house that seems able to flex with real life. No, it is not normal-person affordable, and yes, this is still property-window-shopping as a leisure activity. But as harmless escapism goes, a huge Holmenkollen family house with income on the side and room to breathe is doing a solid job.

The numbers:
Price: 19,600,000 kr
Total price: 20,091,090 kr
Costs: 491,090 kr
Municipal taxes: 42,916 kr per year
Property tax: 10,352 kr per year
Bedrooms: 5
Internal usable area: 301 m²
Usable area: 344 m²
External usable area: 43 m²
Terrace/Balcony: 47 m²
Plot: 1,683 m²
Year built: 1980
Energy rating: E

Conclusion: If your dream home fantasy involves space, views, flexibility, and at least some attempt at financial self-justification, this one makes a very strong case for itself.

Grace Church Oslo
If you’re looking for an English-speaking church in Oslo that feels warm, welcoming and genuinely community-minded, Grace International Church of Oslo is well worth knowing about. It has the kind of atmosphere that can be hard to find in a city: a real mix of Norwegians, expats and long-term locals, with the sort of friendliness that makes it feel less like attending a service and more like arriving somewhere people are actually glad to see you.

They normally meet on Sundays at 11am, with food and fellowship afterwards, and for many people that shared time seems to be part of the appeal. It is not just somewhere to sit through a service and slip quietly out again, but somewhere that seems to offer real friendship, support and spiritual grounding under one roof.

If you’ve been meaning to try a church in Oslo but have not known where to start, this feels like a good one to keep in mind, especially if English-speaking community matters to you.

Chateau Neuf has a Free Open Improv Workshop this Wednesday, alongside its regular Improv Wednesday Show, which makes it a decent shout if you want to do something slightly brave, mildly social and at least a bit more memorable than another evening spent bingeing box sets. A good one for anyone who likes the idea of comedy, theatre and meeting people, but would rather ease into it than be thrown straight on stage.

Also at Chateau Neuf, NOVAFEST runs from 23–25 April - a music festival with the useful advantage of sounding more local and alive than most of the city’s bigger, shinier listings. The programme page also has board game night, talks and other smaller events around it, which gives the whole place a nice “something is actually going on here” feel.

The Norway Show – Once Upon a Fjord is a high-energy English-language theatre show that squeezes 10,000 years of Norwegian history into one hour, covering everything from Vikings and trolls to oil, global fame and Erling Haaland. It is designed with international visitors in mind, but honestly sounds just as useful for the rest of us who have lived here long enough to realise we probably should know a bit more about the country, especially if you’re preparing for the citizenship test!

Splash Spring 2026 is happening on 28 April at Mesh, and they’re also looking for a few volunteers to help with setup and short shifts during the event if you’d like to get involved behind the scenes. This is a great event to network and make new connections whether you’re looking for a career change or starting up a business.

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If you want one comedy option this week that feels sharp, polished and actually worth leaving the house for, this may be it. Deirdre O’Kane brings O’Kaning It to Latter’s Klubbscenen on Thursday 23 April, and the venue describes her as a “comedic fireball” mining the human condition for laughs with the kind of warped personal insight that suggests this will be more than just crowd-work and filler. She has also been busy well beyond stand-up recently, appearing on Amazon Prime’s Last One Laughing Ireland, fronting Deirdre O’Kane Talks Funny on RTÉ, and launching The Deirdre O’Kane Show with Sky Comedy. This is fast, human stand-up and delivered by someone who clearly knows what she’s doing.

Also on Thursday 23 April, Fatoumata Diawara plays Sentrum Scene, and this feels like one of the best bigger-room choices of the week if you want something with real presence rather than just another competent night out. Rockefeller’s listing confirms the Oslo date and pricing, and Diawara’s reputation as one of the great modern West African voices gives this one a bit more weight than the average touring stop. She is the sort of artist who manages to feel both rooted and global at the same time, which usually translates very well live.

If the words “jazz gig” sometimes make you worry you are about to be handed something tasteful, seated and faintly punishing, Elephant9 may be the corrective. They play Victoria / Nasjonal jazzscene on Saturday 25 April, and the venue calls them a “prog-infused power trio” with twenty years behind them and a sound built on fat basslines, heavy drums, massive chords, psychedelia and prog rock. Their latest album Mythical River is described as majestic but full of sharp turns and rough currents, and the line-up Ståle Storløkken on organ, Nikolai Hængsle on bass and Torstein Lofthus on drums, suggests this will be one for people who want groove, heft and a fair chance of briefly forgetting what day it is.

From now until the end of April, Lille Sitha is offering 50% off two of their favourite items.

First up:
Hot Spicy Chicken Fillet
in coconut milk and curry, served with rice or noodles - freshly prepared on site

And to drink:
Turmeric Latte
Choice of milk, tea or coffee and delicious blend of Turmeric, chilli and other flavours

If you’re after something healthy, flavourful and a little different, this is a very decent excuse to stop in. Mention the Scoop when you order!

‘This is so far the best Café I have visited in Oslo.’ - Shalia Hofmann

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Stay curious, Oslo.

Spence

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