Mathallen Oslo ★ 4.6
Mathallen Oslo on Vulkan opened in 2012 as the city's permanent food hall, with 30 producer-led stalls, the Hitchhiker and Fenaknoken counters.
History
Sursild is the Norwegian take on Scandinavia's centuries-old herring tradition, anchored at every Oslo fish counter and the obligatory opening of any proper julebord (Christmas table). The classic brine is dill-vinegar-sugar-onion with bay; the rødvinssild (red-wine herring) and sennepsild (mustard herring) are the variants seen on Christmas spreads. Mathallen Oslo, Theatercaféen and Engebret Café run defensible counter versions year-round and full julebord spreads through December.
Common allergens: Fish, Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 6 salt-cured herring fillets, skin off
- 500ml cold water, for soaking
- 250ml white wine vinegar (5 percent)
- 150g caster sugar
- 300ml water (for brine)
- 1 tbsp whole allspice berries
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 200ml sour cream, to serve
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, to serve
- Dark rye bread and boiled almond potatoes, to serve
- Pickled beetroot, to serve
Method
- Soak the salt herring in 500ml cold water for 8 to 12 hours in the fridge to draw out the salt, changing the water twice. Taste a corner; it should be lightly seasoned, not aggressive.
- Drain and pat dry. Cut each fillet at an angle into 2cm strips.
- Bring the vinegar, sugar, 300ml water, allspice, peppercorns and bay to a simmer. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then take off the heat and cool completely.
- Layer the herring strips with the red onion rings in a clean glass jar. Pour the cold brine over until everything is submerged.
- Seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, ideally 48, so the flavours mellow. Keeps two weeks chilled.
- To serve, lift pieces of herring from the brine with a fork. Top dark rye with a smear of sour cream, the herring, a few brine onions, a sprinkle of dill and a slice of pickled beetroot.
- Eat with boiled potatoes alongside, and an ice-cold shot of aquavit if you are doing it properly.
Tip from the editors. Buy proper salt-cured herring (not the pre-marinated jars), so you control the brine. Glass jars only; the vinegar pits metal.
Where to eat sursild
Sursild in Oslo
Theatercaféen ★ 4.7
Theatercaféen on Stortingsgata is the 1900 art-nouveau brasserie opposite Nationaltheatret, in the same family for four generations, with a portrait gallery.
Signature: Norwegian smorbrod, Plateau of seasonal fish
Order: Smorbrod at lunch with a glass of Norwegian aquavit.
Tip: Lunch service has the easiest seats; the room books out at dinner around theatre programming.
Engebret Café ★ 4.8
Engebret Café at Bankplassen 1 is Oslo's oldest continuously operating restaurant, founded 1857 by Engebret Christoffersen, in a 1760s listed building.
Signature: Lutefisk in season, Reindeer fillet
Order: Lutefisk in the November-December season; reindeer fillet year-round.
Tip: Open from 17:00 weekdays; the lutefisk season runs through Advent and books out by mid-November.
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