The Norwegian meatball, made from ground beef or beef-pork blend, pan-fried and served swimming in brown sauce with boiled potatoes, peas and a spoon of lingonberry.
More substantial than its Swedish neighbour, kjøttkaker has anchored Norwegian everyday cooking for over a century, the unfailing centre of the kafeteria-style husmannskost meal.
3 editor picks for Kjøttkaker in Oslo, ranked by editorial score. All Oslo signature dishes · Kjøttkaker across every city.
Smalhans ★ 4.6
st-hanshaugen · Ullevålsveien 43, 0171 Oslo
Smalhans on Ullevålsveien at St Hanshaugen is the 2012 wine-bar bistro built around resourceful Nordic cooking, awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2015, with a long natural-wine list and a dagens husmannskost plate at 175 NOK in the late-afternoon window.
Asylet ★ 4.1
gronland · Grønland 28, 0188 Oslo
Asylet on Grønland in Oslo's old town is the wood-panelled 1730 merchant-yard timber building, one of the city's oldest, serving kjottkaker, lutefisk and reindeer in a year-round Christmas-cosy room.
Kaffistova ★ 3.9
sentrum · Rosenkrantz' gate 8, 0159 Oslo
Kaffistova on the ground floor of Hotell Bondeheimen on Rosenkrantz' gate has served Norwegian home cooking since 1901, with raspeballer, boknafisk, rømmegrøt and kjøttkaker on a cafeteria line.