8 cosiest cafés in Oslo to study in autumn

With the transition into the colder months of autumn on our doorstep, it felt appropriate to put together a compilation of some of Oslo’s most snug and wholesome student-friendly cafes with great-priced (for Oslo) good-quality coffee. I visited a couple of these cafes to speak with the roasters and service team to get an insight into how they operate.

Gamlebyen/Old Oslo

Café 1: Fuglen Gamlebyen 

Fuglen is one of those cafes that has been declared a student-favourite hangout and study spot amongst friends, known for its comfortable space and fun events. Offering a student discount of 10%, multiple plug points for charging, a dairy-free alternative of oat-milk, as well as single-seating to work in the daytime and outdoor seating in the summer, Fuglen also host a number of fun events that are definitely worth a visit, such as “Jazz and Jam” with their house band, coffee tasting sessions and food pop-up markets, which offer a variety of vegan food, (usually every first and last Wednesday or Friday of the month). On the first Sunday of every month, Fuglen in Oslo Sentrum hosts Taiyaki Sunday, where they serve traditional Japanese desserts.

I had a chat with the head roaster, Ludvik, who told me about the roastery’s origin in Oslo from 1963 and its journey to what is now known as Fuglen. As one of the longest-lasting cafes and one of the first cocktail bars in Oslo (2009), with up to 6 branches now open in Japan, it was originally a commercial store where coffee and tea were sold as products, but after being bought by Stockfleths and a major investor group in Norway, it was rebranded by Einar Holthe, who is the owner and founder of Fuglen as we know it. 

“Fuglen became more than just a coffee shop and became a multi-concept store: a cafe in the morning, a speakeasy cocktail bar in the evening and a vintage furniture store all day long,” Ludvik explains to me. If any of the 50s/60s inspired Scandi-style handcrafted furniture in the store catches your eye, you can buy what you see (or sit on) for a set price.

“There is usually a set base menu, with 6 types of coffees and 3 types of espressos being served every month on average at the moment,” says Ludvik. Fuglen sources their coffee beans as directly as possible, but due to the reality of small-scale production, they collaborate with other bigger roasteries such as KaffeBrenneriet to be cost-effective, reduce waste as well as counteract the phenomenon of overbuying and overselling.

Fuglen usually stick to their set menu of coffees, but they do test new menus at Gamlebyen and serve seasonal drinks such as the refreshing Cold Brew Tonic Slush for the warmer months (typically during April–May and only at the Gamlebyen branch) which Ludvik kindly offered me a glass of, and they are planning to serve a 1-day-only Pumpkin Spice Latte around the end of October, just after their Pumpkin-carving event, which is mentioned in our most recent cultural calendar and for which details on their Facebook will follow. So keep your eyes peeled!

Café 2: Kampen Kaffe & Bar

Collaborating with Fuglen in 2019, Kampen Kaffe Bar is also not one to miss for quality, unpretentious specialty style coffee. A calm and friendly space, located in a beautiful neighbourhood where you can sit and work with “minimal distractions, great coffee and fantastic natural wines,” as described by Philip C. Bernard Skopakov from Kampen Kaffe & Bar. 

On the corner of Kampen since 2002, Kampen Kaffe Bar has changed its name over the years, with the current owners taking over in 2016 and then inviting Fuglen as co-owners a couple of years later to develop the space and add an alcohol service for the public. Since 2019, effectively being run as a Fuglen site, Philip tells me that they share staff and many other recipes and resources, “proudly serving coffee sourced and roasted by Fuglen Coffee Roasters at their location just around the corner from Fuglen Gamlebyen.” As well as being part of Fuglen’s international organisation, Kampen Kaffe Bar collaborates with Tøyen & Bar (Kjølberggata) which is also a great student working space with plenty of room, “whether you’re looking for collaborative working spaces or a corner to work quietly on your own,” says Philip.

Since 2020, the car-free space in Thorbjørn Egners Plass has been developed into a key gathering point in Kampen and in Oslo’s east, Philip says. “We have taken ownership of this space in collaboration with our neighbours and have created a pleasant and welcoming environment where everyone is comfortable.”

Philip assured me that Kampen will continue to provide the same friendly service throughout the year with a set menu of drinks. But as the cooler season returns, they have recently reintroduced their “warming vegan soups,” which is a perfect dairy-free, gluten-free option, or as Philip says, if you just prefer a healthy, tasty alternative.

When I asked Philp about the events and projects that Kampen Kaffe Bar organise, particularly the “Jazz på Kampen,” he explained that it had started in a much smaller way back in December 2019, when they started with alcohol serving and nighttime activities. 

“We hosted some concerts inside the cafe that were very popular but very quickly outgrew the space, [which] led to the opportunity to move our concerts across the street into a much larger space,” he says. “Here we have been able to develop the concept beyond our initial goals, allowing us to book nationally and internationally acclaimed jazz musicians for monthly concerts. (To name a few: Hanna Paulsberg, Olga Konkova, Atle Nymo Trio, Damata, OJKOS, Petter Wettre Trio, Tore Brunborg Quartet).” Although Kampen does not currently offer student discounts for food or coffee, they do offer student discounts for the Jazz På Kampen concerts!

Kampen Kaffe Bar also hosts a monthly Taiwanese bao food popup with Pá Smaken av Taiwan. Philip also noted that one of the organisations Kampen Kaffe Bar collaborates with, cultural centre Byens Tak (Youngstorget), is looking forward to hosting some fantastic events including a number of upcoming events in collaboration with Oslo World Music festival.

“We are always keen to host other similar evening events and also always open to collaborations with the lovely neighbours of Kampen for activities that naturally find place in Thorbjørn Egners Plass”, such as:

• The Japanese inspired/themed celebration of the cherry blossom flowers opening in spring (dependent on the season but usually around the end of April)

• The neighbourhood´s party "Kampen Dagene" which is always held on the last weekend of May. “This year we contributed with a specially Kampen based Jazz på Kampen show with internationally acclaimed musicians who happen to live in Kampen forming a band together for a one off performance (Rob Waring, Ole Morten Vågan, Knut Kvifte Nesheim, Jørgen Kasbo)”, explains Philip.

• Thorbjørn Egner market, usually held on the second weekend in September, is a family friendly celebration of Kampen and Norway’s favourite children's writer Thorbjørn Egner (who was born not too far away from the Kampen location). “Next year we plan to use the outside space even more with regular weekend popup BBQ outside in the square. As well as various other smaller markets and get togethers throughout the year

Two more nice locations in the area

Sentrum

Café 5: =Kaffe

Opening its doors in the summer of 2017, =Kaffe was launched by the Erlik foundation who began to offer paid work as baristas for people who have struggled with drug addiction and, for various reasons, cannot take part in a normal working life. I spoke to Anna from =Kaffe who told me that working as a barista can contribute to structure in daily life, a sense of responsibility, and the feeling of being included in an environment. “By learning a new hand craft, people are developing new skills and experience, which evoke a sense of accomplishment. Having employment and something meaningful to do also prevents isolation and relapse,” says Anna.

Serving great coffee sourced from Røverkaffe, a roastery and social entrepreneurship run by the Norwegian Red Cross that helps former convicts back to work and Solberg & Hansen, Norway's oldest coffee roastery, =Kaffe was also awarded a diploma from Google’s Press Manager in 2020 because the café received the best customer rating of all Oslo’s cafés and restaurants on Google Maps. “This is so fun, and we are grateful for all the good feedback we get online. Because of this, we get many tourists visiting us,” Anna tells me.

Anna also explains that they have three =Kaffe branches in total in addition to a coffee bike, all being located in Oslo. Their flagship store is located in the busy city centre and they also have a shop at the Lovisenberg Hospital. They use the bike at different events, and at the DLA Piper Law firm three times a week.

“We are also lucky to have a fully operational =Kaffe coffee shop at the Thommessen law-firm 5 days a week. In addition to this we sell coffee from Røverkaffe and Straffekaffe from Bjørgvin Prison, produced by inmates,” says Anna. 

When I asked Anna about any exciting seasonal projects that are coming up she told me that they always look forward to Christmas at =Kaffe. The cafe has a lot of customers buying Christmas presents and they get orders from firms to make gift bags for their employees, “which we think is great, and a lovely way of supporting our café. Many people struggle with loneliness during the holidays, and having something meaningful to do can really help,” Anna says.

If you’re looking for a cosy place to work or enjoy a good cup of (with a student discount of 5 NOK at the Lovisenberg branch) coffee for a good cause and warm atmosphere, the =Kaffe branch in Lovisenberg is particularly spacious. Anna tells me the cafe also has a lot of fresh sandwiches and sweets, with vegan milk alternatives, some great vegetarian sandwiches, gluten free muffins and vegan chia puddings.

St Hanshaugen

Café 6: Coffee&Cigarettes

Just having recently opened in the December of 2022, Coffee & Cigarettes is a multi-concept cafe and bar in Fredensborg characterised by its retro, Italian-style concept, with a good atmosphere and friendly service. I spoke to 2 members of the team, Annicke and Sara, who told me about the space and the art decor, explaining that the building itself was from the 1940s and a lot of the pieces, such as the lamps, were from old parts of a boat. The idea behind the Cafe & Bar was “quality coffee, quality liquor, quality music”, says Sara. 

Sara and Annicke tell me that as the neighbourhood consists of a “good mix of people”: (student collectives and offices alike) the team is visited by regular customers of all styles and ages who have become familiar with the space and find comfort in a good cup of coffee or a cocktail (depending on the hour of the day) especially created and crafted by the in-house bartender, provided either with snacks such as olives and almonds, but also often with a sushi or a pizza that they bring in from a nearby restaurant. (Sara and Annicke make a note to tell me that they are more than welcome to do this as long as they don’t make a mess!) Some customers even end up staying from the early afternoon to the early hours of the next day to witness the transition from cafe to bar because of how cosy it is.

Coffee & Cigarettes is definitely not one to miss for a cosy study session or hangout with friends!

Café 7: OSLO Raw (Adamstuen)

Known for its aesthetics and a variety of delicious vegan, gluten-free sweet treats, Oslo Raw Cafe & Bakery serves everything from seasonal salads in store and full-size pistachio cakes to order. 

Oslo Raw is a great space for hanging with friends and enjoying some healthy and tasty food during your study breaks.

Majorstuen

Café 8: Pust

Meaning “Breath” in Norwegian, “Pust” has become another popular work spot for students, workers and creatives alike due to its spacious seating arrangements and chill atmosphere.