TOOL Explore: Innovators´ Insider Guide to Oslo

Heading to Oslo - the HQ of TOOL? We want you to truly enjoy your stay, and fall in love with our ocean innovators´ capital. So we´ve curated some hacks & tips to make it easier for you - check out our Oslo favorites here....!

Beyond (Just) Work...

Welcome to our favourite activities and alternative venues to conduct business meetings with a creative and blue-green flavour. Most of these are created by local founders with a strong sustainability commitment.

TOOL Community Perks:

Courtesy of TOOL Community innovators, we´re hosting a price draw to celebrate Oslo´s ocean week: Bubbles & Brunch Cruise for 2 on BRIM Explorer, 2 hours private Sauna from KOK, and 4 super cool OceanBottles. Prices are drawn among guests who RSVP & attend one or several TOOL Community events 5-8 June.

Enjoy Work & Networking Fusion: Nature Experiences

• KOK - Private Floating Sauna: If you want 2 hours in a bubble with presence, joy, heat and a true Nordic vibe, then PRIVATKOK is perfect for you. Have the sauna all to yourself with a small or bigger group (up to 10 per sauna), docked at Aker Brygge (view of Akershus Fortress) or Langkaia (view of the Opera House)

• KOK - Private Floating Sauna Cruise: Find peace and enjoy the beautiful view as the sauna floats calmly out on the water. The KOKCRUISE is a lovely experience to have together with friends, colleagues or family. A must do! ( you want to go out on the fjord, you´re looking for KOKCRUISE.Enjoy these ocial hangout, team building or business meetings

• BRIM EXPLORER - Business Events or Pure Pleasure: BRIM Explorer accomodate a range of sustainable fjord experiences for visitors & locals, with their newest zero emission ship Brisen. Check out their packages or request a special offer for your prefered  Silent Fjord Cruise, Evening Cruise, Brunch & Bubbles, Morning Yoga Cruise or Electric After Work 

• LOSÆTER - Urban Agriculture Theme Night & Culinary Experience. Cultural institution dedicated to art and urban agriculture. Losæter is a green oasis located between construction sites and heavy traffic in Bjørvika, and features an ancient grain field, a vegetable garden and a sculptural bakehouse. The artist group Futurefarmers is behind Losæter, which offers activities from Flatbread Society, Oslo's City Farmer and Herligheten Community Garden, among others.

• THE SALMON - Events & Seafood Experiences: Curate professional & social events, or reserve tables at the knowledge & experience center for one of Norways most important industries. Contemporary seafood.

• SALT - The Cultural Village by the Fjord: SALT is a cultural arena located next to the fjord in the heart of Oslo, overlooking the Oslo Opera House and the Munch museum. With six saunas and six stages, as well as both indor and outdoor serving areas offering food and drinks. SALT is a vibrant area where everyone is welcome. Book tables, event venues, concert/event tickets - or organise events at one of SALT´s venues.

• Island Adventures with Oslo´s Public Electric Ferries: Oslo isn’t just a city that’s spread around a coastal, fjord-y sort of area – there’s also a fair few islands to get to grips with on a trip to the Norwegian capital. Take a ferry from near the City Hall and make your way to the actually very interesting archipelago for one of the coolest things to do in Oslo. 

Find a special venue - for your next event in Oslo

We have teamed up with REN Group and byOslo, 2 of the leading hospitality groups for special and curated venues across Oslo. Contact us for further details, and they will help you find the right place to host your next event.

• R.E.N. Group is a restaurant/bar group currently with 9 outlets all located in Oslo, Norway. The style of restaurants range from super fine dining to more casual diner. They also have bars and concert venues making them one of the broadest and most unique hospitality groups in the country

• by Oslo is a young organization based in Oslo. Their goal is to create great places for our city. Whether you are looking for a place for a celebration or a conference – or something in between – here´s your wingman.

Stay, Recharge & Dream...

Which area should you stay in when visiting?

If you´re all about efficiency - we´d reccomend booking your stay in the area between Nathional Theatre Station/Aker Brygge - Frogner/Skillebekk - Uranienborg/Homansbyen/Hegdehaugen - Oslo Central Station/Bjørvika. Here you´re close to the stations that both operate train & metro, it´s super convenient to maximize your time here.

If you´re more up for the real experience, and would like to explore some of the more charming areas of Oslo as the locals - some areas are super nice and perfect for a stroll, scoot, bicycle or bus/tram between venues. In this case, Skøyen, Majorstuen, Frogner & Bislett/St.Hanshaugen fits those who´d like to stay in the more posh areas. Yet, we love the more multicultural & creative parts of Oslo, which include Gamlebyen, Tøyen, Grünerløkka, Vulkan and Kampen.

Oslo is superb for AirBnb´ing - and to ensure an optimal mobility experience, you should download Ruter for public transportation, 24h bicycling passes with Oslo Bysykkel, and utilise Voi/Ryde/Lime for scoots. Be aware that taxi rides can give you a shock as prices are floating - prebook and check prices with the VY.no app (which also provide public transport), or Taxifix - and choose zero emission as separate category!

Sleep Well & Relax Centrally

• Amerikalinjen Hotel (Upscale maritime theme boutique by Oslo Central Station): Located right in the city centre of Oslo, Amerikalinjen is a vibrant boutique hotel named after the 19th century cruise ship line of the same name. All rooms are furnished with Norwegian designer lamps and unique objects from the history of Amerikalinjen (former part of the Wilh. Wilhelmsen Group). The boutique hotel offers multiple lounge bars and restaurants, including a cocktail bar and an intimate club inspired by New York's jazz scene. A Norwegian-American breakfast can be enjoyed at the property's brasserie.

• Hotel Oslo Guldsmeden (Chic eco by Aker Brygge/Tjuvholmen): This eco-friendly boutique hotel, 12 minutes' walk from Karl Johan Gate, offers an organic breakfast and designer rooms. Self-service saunas are available on-site. Just 5 minutes’ walk from the Royal Palace, Hotel Oslo Guldsmeden’s own rooms are elegantly styled with quality furnishings. Each one features a unique combination of luxury Balinese-style décor and Sami-inspired pelts. The rooms are equipped with TVs, digital radios and organic bathroom products. Free WiFi is available throughout the entire hotel, as well as a 24-hour front desk. Seasonal dishes based on local, organic produce are served at the hotel restaurant. Nationaltheatret Train Station is a 3-minute walk from Guldsmeden Oslo. Tjuvholmen and the lively Aker Brygge harbour area are also nearby and offers plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs.

• The Thief (Luxury Boutique/Spa at Tjuvholmen): Featuring rooms with a in-built sound system and private balcony, The Thief is a design boutique hotel on Tjuvholmen in Oslo. The promenade of Aker Brygge is within 5 minutes’ walk. The hotel offers in-room spa treatments, a spa centre and free around-the-clock gym access. Rooms at this stylish hotel feature a Nespresso machine, a mini-bar and a rainforest shower in the private bathroom. The Thief has 24-hour room service and free WiFi throughout the property. The Thief Spa includes a Turkish hamam bath, sauna and swimming pool. Guests can also relax on the chic rooftop terrace and enjoy contemporary Norwegian cuisine at the Thief Food Bar. All guests receive free entry to the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, while the hotel is only a 15-minute walk from the centre of Oslo and the National Gallery.

• The Verdandi Hotel (Good price chic by National Theatre): Hotel Verdandi Oslo opened in September 2018, and is a modern stand alone hotel with 170 delicate rooms in different categories. Hotel Verdandi Oslo also offers a private garage.

• Hotel Christiania Theater (by National Theatre): This boutique hotel is 100 metres from Oslo’s main street, Karl Johans Gate, and 5 minutes’ walk from the Gardermoen Airport Express Train departure point. Located in a historic old theatre from 1918, Hotel Christiania Teater offers free WiFi access. Each room at Hotel Christiania Teater includes a minibar and a flat-screen TV with cable channels. All rooms have rain showers, large windows, and are decorated in unique wallpapers. The breakfast buffet includes hot and cold dishes as well as eggs cooked to order. Nationaltheatret Station's metro and commuter train connections are 300 metres away. Hotel Christiania Teater is within 2 minutes’ walk of bus and tram stops. Both the National Gallery and the National Theater is across the street.

• Thon Hotel Cecil:  This central yet quiet hotel is next to Stortinget and Oslo’s main street, Karl Johans Gate. Guests can enjoy free WiFi internet access and a popular breakfast buffet. Thon Hotel Cecil’s guest rooms feature a minibar and a Smart-function TV. Many include a seating area. Free hot drinks are available in the lobby around the clock, while an assortment of snacks can be found in the vending machine. Guests have free access to an internet computer. Thon Cecil is just 400 metres from the National Theatre, where national trains and the airport shuttle stop. Stortinget metro station is 300 metres away. Thon Hotel Cecil is certified as an environmentally friendly hotel. 

• Saga Hotel Oslo - BW Premier Collection (Close to Royal Palace): Featuring a restaurant on site, this design boutique hotel is 500 metres from the Royal Palace. Guests can enjoy amenities such as a sleek lobby bar, free WiFi and modern rooms. Rooms are elegantly decorated with Scandinavian design. Each room includes a writing desk, flat-screen TV with cable channels and a minibar. After a day of sightseeing in central Oslo, guests can relax in Saga’s cosy lounge. The chic restaurant Fangst invites guests to taste modern Nordic ingredients constructed with Asian artisan techniques. Briskeby Tram Stop is 400 metres away and is a 5-minute ride from Oslo Central Station. Vigeland Sculpture Park is a 15-minute walk away.

• Camillas Hus Hotel (Close to Royal Palace): Camillas Hus is a boutique Hotel located in the heart of Oslo, right behind the Royal Palace. Originally built in the 1840s, this charming wooden villa has recently been fully restored and modernized, and now offers luxury accommodation in an elegant, sophisticated ambiance.

• Sommerro Hotel (Luxury Boutique at Solli Plass): THE NEIGHBOURHOOD HOTEL REDEFINED. Occupying the former headquarters for Oslo Lysverker - the city's electrical company - Sommerro marks the rebirth of a 1930s landmark in one of Oslo's loveliest neighbourhoods. The latest venture from Nordic Hotels & Resorts, Oslo’s first neighbourhood hotel is a gamechanger. Redefining the hospitality industry, with a strong focus on culture-hungry locals, Sommerro will stand as a community in its own right, an open house and the neighbourhood’s  with a hub of restaurants and bars, a library, a small private cinema, and the city’s first rooftop pool, sauna and terrace – a year-round destination with sweeping views over Frogner and the Norwegian capital. 5 min walk from Nationaltheater train & metro station, centrally located at Solli Plass

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Sleep Well & Relax - Escape for the Weekend

• The Well (Oslo´s best spa experience in the middle of nowhere, and art 'forest' experience)

• Hotel Lysebu (Historic boutique with spa uphill past Holmenkollen - nature experience)

• Støtvig Hotel (1h drive out of Oslo, New England style in beautiful beachside surroundings)

Photo: The Well

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Food for Thoughts...

Welcome to our absolute local favorites! Our insiders´ reccomended places to eat, talk, drink and just chill.

Brunch, Munch & Lunch

• Grådi

• Frenchie

• Arts

• The Vandelay

• Atlas

• Vespa & Humla

• Pastis Bistro

• Liebling

• Anne Paa Landet

Rise, Shine & Dine

• Nedre Foss Gaard

• Le Benjamin

• Izakaya

• Rust

• Engebret

• Mathallen

• Norvegan

• Vaaghals

• Tullins Cafe

• Vineria Ventidue

• Elias

• Smia

• Balthazar

Seaside & Charm

• Lille Herbern

• Sjøflyhavna

• The Salmon

• Kongen Marina

• Vippa

• SALT

• Gressholmen Kro

Outdoors & Rooftops

• Prindsens Hage

• Godthåb

• Thief

• Noodee Sky

• BAR Vulkan

Evening Lyfe - More than your average bar

Here you can enjoy the TOOL team´s favorites, carefully selected!

• Nedre Løkka Cocktail Bar: This is a bar that pays tribute to both the neighbourhood of Grünerløkka and to the people residing here. The concept, the decoration, the menu and the space it self is historically aligned with Løkka, an area of Oslo many locals hold close to their hearts.

• Laundromat: a place in which friendly people from all walks of life can come together and share everything from a coffee and a meal to bright ideas and washing powder. Our guests will have the opportunity to sit in our cozy café while doing their laundry. We also have a library with a large selection of books, encyclopedias and comics, waiting to feed our guests’ hungry minds.

• Himkok: A cocktail bar and craft distillery rolled into one, Himkok (translated as ‘Moonshine’) is often described as a bartenders’ paradise, producing its own aquavit, gin and vodka for its Nordic-inspired drinks. That’s not the end of this incredible venue’s in-house production however, with a purpose-built greenhouse busily growing all the bar’s herbs – just one of the initiatives that earned Himkok The World’s 50 Best Bars inaugural Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award in 2018. Housed in one of Oslo’s old brick buildings, it’s an endless warren of bars, lab space and cosy spots to sit and sip the inspired cocktails, many of which are poured on tap.

• Angst: Intimate bar in the Strøget passage with art on the walls and great music. Big backyard parties on weekends.

• Andre til Høyre: an apartment bar consisting of three rooms, each with a unique and different atmosphere. The living room is a lounge area, where you can relax in comfortable designer sofas. The library bar is a full-service cocktail bar. The fully functional kitchen is a wine bar, where the mingling and socializing is as fluid as the boujee wine poured. Featured in 50 Best Discovery 2019

• Territoriet: an intimate wine bar in Markveien, Grünerløkka. With almost 400 different wines we cover all prices and qualities — and most are available by the glass.

• Roleur: Cycling & Culture. The meeting spot for adventurous people exploring the backyard of Oslo. The Rouleur bar & café guarantees a perfect cup of Scandinavian style cofffee using beans sourced around the world with a preference on Ethiopian and Kenyan. The selection of wine is focused on new young producers making fresh wine in sync with natural processes. Often “Vin de soif”, pure, fresh and drinkable wines wich is a perfect match for our rutique food meny. Pâté de campagne, rilette of duck, charcuterie plate, cheese and sausage. They also have a small selection of handcrafted spirits and love herbal liqeuers like the locally made Marka Bitter and the classic Chartreuse. Try signature drink “Nordmarka”.

• Revolver: Møllergata's red rock temple, with beer, cocktails, concerts, djs and great food. On the ground floor is Revolver Goon Bar, with rock/indie djs, film screenings, pop-up food, trivia nights and concerts. The bar is open every day between 6 pm and 3.30 am. The basement hosts concerts, club nights and other events. The club is open 10 pm-3.30 am

• Torggata Botaniske: Botanic cocktail bar with climbing plants, its own greenhouse and drinks with fresh ingredients and botanic elements.

• Svanen: Cocktail bar located in a well preserved venue from 1896, in the heart of Oslo. Our menu takes inspiration from your favourite classic cocktails made with modern approach and preservation techniques. That allows us to reach unique flavours in a very simple presentation.

• Fuglen: Coffee shop by day, cocktail bar by night and vintage design shop all the time. Fuglen ('The Bird') opened as a coffee shop in 1963, and high-quality coffee and tea are still important parts of the business. Fuglen's trained basistas serve all kinds of espresso drinks, but you can also buy coffee or tea by the pound. At night Fuglen transforms into a classic cocktail bar where the bartenders mix traditional and innovative cocktails from fresh ingredients. You can also choose a Norwegian bottled beer, or a wine from the seasonal wine list. Fuglen is also a vintage design shop, and everything is for sale: chairs, tables, lamps, plates, glasses and nicknacks! The interior is mainly Scandinavian design from the 50s and 60s, including the sought-after Cathrineholm plates and bowls.

• Internasjonalen: Split-level bar with minimalist interior for cocktails & malt whiskies, plus live music & DJ nights.

• Bettola: An Italian inspired aperitivo cocktail bar

• Aku Aku: legendary tikibar in Grünerløkka, famous for superb tiki cocktails and Norway's largest rum selection.

• Brød og Bar: Neighbourhood bar with great selection of wine, beer and of course bread

• F6: Perfect place for pre drinks, afterwork or late night drinks. Or just for cocktails all night long. F6 is a cocktail bar with good vibes and an intimate atmosphere. You might think that the bar is small, but it gets quite nice when its filled with happy people enjoying life and the signature cocktails.

• Misfornøyelsesbar: Probably one of the weirdest bars you’ll ever go to, the Misfornøyelsesbar is almost more like an art installation where you can drink than an outright bar. Misfornøyelsesbar translates to “Dissatisfaction Bar” and everything about it has been made to leave you, well, dissatisfied. The creator, Christopher Nielsen, even kept delaying the opening to make sure people would be dissatisfied before it opened. Set in a former mental asylum, there rooms with themes – like paranoia room and schizophrenia room – as well as uncomfortable chairs, fluorescent paint everyone, and a constant “unhappy hour”.