This street in Oslo is all about indie shopping
- Jan Johannessen
- Aug 3
- 9 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Do not miss this one street when in Norway´s capital
Grunerløkka in Oslo has for years been considered the place to be if you like to take part in Oslo´s no-chain indie world. Few streets seem to be more into that category than Rathkes gate on the Grünerløkka's eastern side. Here, you will find indie bookshops, designer furniture shops, clothing and café combos, and a world-class restaurant that the world does not really know about yet.
The Rathkes Gate is named after Norwegian Jens Rathke (1769-1855). Rathke was a distinguished professor in zoology and one of the first academics appointed to the University of Christiania (now Oslo). A trailblazer in marine biology, he undertook extensive expeditions along the Norwegian coast, meticulously documenting its rich fauna. The street was named in 1879 to commemorate this foundational figure in Norwegian natural science.
Walking down Rathkes gate, we meet Canadian Elly Heise. She loves Rathkes gate, and as a photographer, her favourite indie store is the newly opened Fotoboka bookshop. (Read more further down). She came here in late April from Canada, on an art grant. Unless she finds a job ASAP, she will go back to Canada soon. But for now, she is strolling up this sunny street in the eastern part of the Norwegian capital.
The atmosphere is relaxed and calm, no cars, even if the street is open to motorised vehicles, just a few bicycles and pedestrians crossing the peaceful street. People are enjoying themself at the neighbourhood cafe, with their nose deep into their cellphones reading whatever they read when having coffee. Some of the stores are closed. The opening hours of the indie shops vary. Not all of them can afford hiring, and not all have the intention of being open for business 24-7, or anything like it.
If you come here, plan your shopping so you can stop for a snack at the cafe Kuro before exploring more indie shops. When you are done shopping, have a meal at the top-notch restaurant Apostrophe before heading back to the hotel, or out into Oslo´s nightlife scene in Grunerlokka.
Here is what to find when visiting Rathkes gate:
Svovel Fabrikk og Butikk
Childrens book shop
-Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself. The quote by Nobel Prize-winning author George Bernard Shaw is read aloud on the outdoor sign outside the children's bookshop Svovel.
Inside, you will find the smiling and welcoming Ellen Renberg, bookshop owner and graphic designer. Years ago, she and some colleagues were exploring ideas about opening a new business, and they all agreed not to open a cafe. A children's bookshop it was, and it still is. They first set up shop in another part of Oslo but later relocated to their current premises.
-When we moved here in 2016, the street was quiet, Ellen explains.
Most of the Grunerløkka buzz was further west.
-The Rathkes gate was still pretty rough, back then, Ellen says.
Today, the Grunerløkka area and the Tøyen area further to the east are growing closer, and sort of meet right here in Rathkes gate.
She loves that there are now three more bookshops on the same short street. And she praises the lack of big chains.
-Here, you don't find any large business premises, limiting big chains to establish themself here, Ellen says.
-Not that we are against big retail chains, locals need them to have their daily business run smoothly, she continues.
-But not all the shops have to be part of the big chains, she adds.
The children's bookshops' books are mainly in Norwegian, but they also offer children books with no text or books in English, too.
Svovel Fabrikk & Butikk
Address: Rathks gate 7
Web: www.svovel.no
E-mail: butikk@svovel.no
Instagram: @svovelfabrikkogbutikk
Phone: +47 406 48 282
Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday 11:00-17:00
Thursday 11:00-18:00
Friday 11:00-18:00
Saturday 11:00-17:00
Prismatic Pages
English bookshop
Born in Morocco to American parents, the owner of the all-English bookstore Prismatic Pages came to Norway for the first time as a student in 2013. She stayed for a year before returning two years later. Indigo Trigg-Hauger is now a Norwegian citizen.
The small bookshop in Rathkes gate offers a variety of English books on subjects ranging from fiction to non-fiction, as well as new and second-hand copies.
—A very personal algorithm determines the inventory, the business owner explains.
Indigo is allowing customers to bring their books for trading, where customers receive 25% of the determined sales price for the used book. The number of books customers can trade in is limited to 15.
-Some came with cases of books, so we had to put a cap on the number of books, Indigo says.
-Some tourists leave books they have read to save on the weight when moving on to another destination or returning home, Indigo continues.
A customer arrives in the middle of the interview, and despite having passed by the bookshop several times earlier in life, the young woman had never set foot inside. Now, carrying a heavy bag of newly acquired books for her aunt's children from neighbouring Svovel, she is looking for books for herself and her girlfriend.
In the evenings, Prismatic Books invites customers to a variety of events, including book readings, book swaps, the launch of new titles, workshops, and more. Indigo even plans for an Irish literature festival later this fall.
-We have also arranged speed dating where the attendees had to choose a book to talk about when dating, Indigo explains.
Prismatic Pages
Address: Rathkes gate 7b, Oslo
Web: prismaticpages.com
E-mail: hello@prismaticpages.com
Instagram: @prismatic.pages
Opening hours
Mon-Wed 11-17
Thur-Fri 11-18
Sat 11-17
Sun 11-16
Fotoboka
Photobook shop
Analogue. The first word that comes to mind when entering the independent photobook shop Fotoboka is analogue.
-We believe that images printed on quality paper are filling a need, photographer Hans-Olav Forsang, one of the two owners, explains. He and his partner in crime, the Italian-born photographer Massimo Leardini, opened what is probably the first photobook-only bookstore in Norway in May this year.
-The store is meant to give an experience without the digital noise, Hans-Olav adds.
Opening the photobook store came naturally, as the two of them were already running a publishing house that specialised in publishing photobooks. Today, you will find newly published books, both from their own publishing house and from other publishers as well, in the store.
-In addition, we are offering collector items, Hans-Olav says.
Norwegian photographer Bjørn Wad shows up in the store. He has brought his son too, to show the young Wad what a proper photobook shop looks like. Wad picks up his order, a book by fellow Norwegian photographer Helge Skodvin´s now-out-of-print book about Volvo 240s.
-Earlier, I had to go hunting for photobooks online; now, I can just show up here and browse the inventory in person, he says. Behind the counter, he spots another favourite, Los Alamos by William Eggleston, a second edition print. He adds the book to the shopping basket.
Fotoboka
Address: Rathkes gate 7A, entrance from Jens Bjelkesgate
Web: fotoboka.no
E-mail: shop@fotoboka.no
Instagram: @_fotoboka
Phone: +47 901 90 909
Opening hours:
Monday and Tuesday Closed
Wednesday - Sunday 11.00 - 17.00
Apostrophe
Restaurant
According to Norwegian media, the restaurant Apostrophe should have been acknowledged by the Michelin Guide, but luckily, it is not. It is way easier to get a table without the stardome.
From 1922 to 1966, this was the location of the Oslo Co-op No. 22. The co-op link is significant because the company behind the Apostrophe is the Norwegian gourmet pizza company, Lofthus Samvirkelag (Samvirkelag means "co-op" in Norwegian). The modest building is facing the Rathkes Plass, and in the summertime, you can have an al-fresco dinner experience.
The Apostrophe is a mix of bistro and omakase. The Japanese term "omakase" literally translates to "I'll leave it up to you." In the world of dining, it signifies a unique and often revered experience where a patron entrusts the chef to create a personalised and artistic multi-course meal.
This culinary tradition, most famously associated with sushi restaurants, is a departure from the conventional à la carte or set menu, offering instead a journey guided by the chef's expertise and the finest seasonal ingredients available
-The balance between gourmet and down-to-earthness, the combination of Bistro and Omakase, wine bar and neighbourhood atmosphere works exceptionally well here, Chef Even Trovik explains.
-We are a place where you can come for both a regular meal and to celebrate special occasions. A place for neighbours and foodies, he continues.
-The entire area has a nice neighbourhood street vibe, with a good balance of younger and elderly residents. The street is close to Schousplass, Sofiensbergparken and Olaf Ryes plass, the Cheftells.
The latter three are all more prominent and busy areas of the Grunerlokka area.
Apostrophe
Address: Kirkegårdsgata 7A, Oslo
E-mail: apostrophe@lofthussamvirkelag.no
Instagram: restaurant_apostrophe
Openings hours
Mon-Thu Closed
Wed-Fri 17-00
Saturday 13-00
Sunday 13-19
Kollekted by
Interior shop
Prominently located on the corner of Rathkes gate and Toftes gate, the interior store «Kollekted by» is offering the people of Oslo designer furniture and interior items that are meant to last.
Two of the owners, Italian-born Alessandro D'Orazio and Norwegian Jannicke Kråkvik, also run the creative studio Kråkvik&D’Orazio. The studio specialises in production design, art direction, interior styling, and design.
The Italian-Norwegian couple had a hard time finding the same designers and brands they had fallen in love with abroad, back home in Oslo. They decided to open a designer interior store of their own, and voilà, «Kolleked by» was born.
The store is situated on the corner of Rathkes Gate and Toftes Gate, offering a diverse selection of designer furniture and items from a wide range of designers and producers.
-Each item has its story, co-owner Heidi Kråkvik, and the mother of Jannicke says. And the stories come from all various corners of the world—design from Japan, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and other places. The stories are meant to be told for a long time too.
-Our furniture is built to last, Heidi says.
-Built to last is about durability, both quality-wise and for the design, Jannicke Kråkvik adds.
The shop was first set up further up Rathkes Gate, but is now located in a more prominent corner of the street. You can't miss it!
The store is well-known, with over 100,000 followers on Instagram, and many international customers visit the designer furniture store in Oslo. You can also shop at Kollekted by´s webshop. Before ordering, check out their shipping policies for international customers and shipments.
Kollekted by
Address: Schous Plass 7A, Oslo
Web: www.kollektedby
Email: post@kollektedby.no
Phone: +47 400 42 743
Instagram: @kollektedby
Opening hours:
Thurs-Fri: 11-18
Saturday 11-16.00
Sunday 13-16
Mon-Wed Closed
KURO and F5 Concept Store
Cafe and clothing
Three brothers and a cousin. The fashion shop F5 Concept Store is selling, among other designers, fashion designed by Benjamin Marthinsen; his two brothers are the owners and are running the business operations. The cousin is serving coffee and fabulous pastry in the Kuro Cafe. This is a family-run operation to the core.
-First, we were located in another area of the city. During the pandemic, when we all worked from home, we realised you needed to be located in a less office-heavy part of the city, owner Alexander Marthinsen explains. The Kvadraturen area of Oslo was more or less empty due to the Covid-working-from-home policy. Potential customers were elsewhere in the Norwegian capital.
The Rathkes Gate is residential and filled with only some smaller offices, like designer studios and other small businesses. That means local customers who stop by for a coffee. But more and more people are finding theyr way to this pearl of a street.
-People are coming here, from other parts of Oslo, and some days we barely speak Norwegian due to all the international customers stopping by, the business owner tells.
-The area is very popular and offers a broad number of Airbnb accommodations, Marthinsen explains.
Not only are the brothers designing the goods on offer, they are creating the interiors themself as well, and Marthinsen starts to talk about remodelling plans to make the two businesses even more integrated. Fresh coffee is served at one end and consumed when shopping for indie-design for all sexes in another part of the premises.
KURO and F5 Concept Store
Address: Rathkes gate 9, Oslo
Web: f5conceptstore.com
Email:mail@f5conceptstore.com
Phone:+47 941 19 317
Instagram: f5collections_
Instagram: kuro.oslo
Opening hours Kuro:
Mo-Wed 09-17
Thursday 09-19
Friday 09-01
Sat 10-01
Sun 10-17
Opening hours F5 Concept Store:
Mon-Sat 11-17
Sunday: 12-16
More stores to explore:
Schous Bøker
Bookshop
The independent bookstore was established in 2016 and offers new and used books and an arena for various events and activities.
Address: Schous Plass 7A, Oslo
Web: www.schousboker.no
E-mail: post@schousboker.no
Instagram: schousboker
Opening hours:
Wed-Sun 12-18
Store Sko (Big Shoes)
Shoeshop for big feet
At Store Sko you will find Large Women's Shoes and Large Men's Shoes from the most famous shoe brands.
Web: www.storesko.no
E-mail: post@storesko.no
Phone: +47 455 06 925
Opening hours:
Mon-Wed 10-16
Thursday 10-18
Friday 10-16
Saturday 10-15
Sunday Closed
Next: From Urban Buzz to Botanical Bliss
You've secured your books and sipped your artisan coffee along the vibrant Rathkes gate. Where do you go next? A brief stroll from the neighbourhood brings you to the gates of the University of Oslo's Botanical Garden (Botaniske Hage), a verdant oasis in the heart of the city.
Find your way to the magnificent glasshouses; the Victoria House envelops you in tropical humidity, home to giant water lilies, while the Palm House offers a drier, Mediterranean climate.
Seek out the Viking Garden, which showcases the plants used for everything from boat-building to medicine in Norse times. Or wander through the Arboretum, a quiet library of towering trees.
Disclaimer: daGama Traveller Magazine has not received any services, nor payments, to include these businesses in this article. Nor do we receive any commission if you choose to click on any of the links.
