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United Bakeries

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:18:35 +0100

I'm not sure if I've mentioned about my love for bakeries before. My husband can't seem to understand the obsession, but there's something about the aroma of freshly baked bread! Makes you want to dump your diet for a hot cuppa latte and fresh, soft, baked goodies. United Bakeries has this magical affect on me. My visit to Oslo is almost incomplete without a quick cup of coffee from here. For one, the atmosphere at this place is infectiously happy. It's the kind of place that can brighten your day immediately. A counter full of sinfully-delicious, french-inspired, sweet delicacies, all kinds of fresh bread, a chocolate fountain to load up your order of *boller*, a bowl of rich, raspberry jam to accompany your bread, sandwiches, salads, friendly staff to take your orders and ofcourse, coffee! A must-have at United Bakeries is without a doubt the hearty, mouth-watering, calorie-loaded raspberry tart. (Yes ladies, some carbs are a must) This place is a french-inspired craft bakery.
However, United Bakeries should not be your coffee-stop if you're in a rush. There's almost always a queue to place an order and a table cannot always be guarenteed. This is the kind of coffee shop you'd want to be at with your best friends, the kind of place you'd want to spend long hours at and most importantly, the kind of place you'd want to come to indulge in the best fruit & nut bread Oslo has to offer!

Address:
Karl Johans gt. 37-43
0162 Oslo
Tel: 22 41 27 53

http://www.united-bakeries.no/

Søstrene Grene

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:43:54 +0100

This has by far been my favorite discovery of Oslo. Tucked away at the basement on Karl Johann, this little boutique is easy to miss. A few steps down into Søstrene Grene transports you to a world away from the hustle and bustle of Karl Johann. And oh the goodies it has! Introduced in Denmark by sisters Anna and Clara Grene, the store now has over 26 franchises all over Scandanavia.
Søstrene Grene is the kind of store which you can enter without any preconcieved list of products to buy. The store looks nothing short of a flea market- colorful and an extremely well-priced mix of fun products, non-fancy decor with an informal atmoshere. The Grene sisters travel all around the world, from Mongolia to Australia and buy products in bulk from manufacturers directly, hence the low pricing. The store manages to stock up on an insanely huge quantity of products due to the fact that they don't believe in product display. Some products are even just kept in bulk in cardboard boxes.
Here's a boutique that houses everything from kid's toys to wine glasses. The atmosphere inside is almost festive with every customer smiling away at a hidden thought. Bath and beauty products, dinner plates, coffee mugs, home decorations, party favors, food and drinks, paintings, canvas and color, make up and jewellery, stationary- Søstrene Grene have stocked up the entire world in their little store!

Address:
Søstrene Grene
Karl Johans Gate 12
Oslo
Norge

http://www.grenes.dk/

Lush

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:55:26 +0100

LUSH has finally arrived in Norway and we girls have all the reason to rejoice. This U.K based brand has over 580 stores worldwide and is fast making its presence felt in Scandanavia. LUSH hand-makes the youngest, freshest and most delicious looking products. Delicious you ask? YES YES YES!!
Products made out of fresh fruit, vegetables and the finest essential oils. Ballistics and bars that are individually hand moulded, soaps that are hand cut, fruit which is freshly juiced, chocolate in it's finest belgian form. Need i say more? PETA gurus have something to look forward too as well. LUSH believes in minimalistic use of preservatives and says 'no' to animal testing.
Dreaming of that perfect, warm, sensuous bath after a long day of work. LUSH bath bombs are a must try. A warm welcome of the bath bomb in your tub will tingle your body like mad. LUSH bubble bars are an absolute bundle of joy. LUSH shower gellies are made from seaweed oil and look nothing less than a creamy pudding. Then there are the to-die-for shower smoothies. Creamed almond and coconut, gumback express banana, lush lime- sky's the limit for this brand's exotic imagination. At LUSH, shampoos look like a bar of candy, will last you a lifetime and there face masks are an absolute must-have. Displayed on cubes of ice, these face masks pamper the skin to it's core- asparagus with mint, cranberry with almonds, nori sweaweed, rose and lavender and to top it all, there's one for chocoholics too.
With an enormous range of delectable products and work ethics that are rarely found in today's times, LUSH sure does believe in 'lushious' living.

Address:
Byporten Shopping
Jernbanetorget 6
0154 Oslo
Tel- 48958594

http://www.lushnorge.no/

TL Design

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:57:34 +0100

A 'Girls Night Out' is incomplete without a pre-party beauty spree. Picking the party outfit, makeup, hair, accessories, pre-party drinks and let's not forget- every girl's favorite indulgence, the perfect mani-pedi routine! The 'Tone Lise Group' is Norway's first of it's kind nail design store. To start with, they've developed the first Norwegian nail-paint series- TL Design. The TL Design beauty store has a vast range of scrumptious goodies dedicated solely to nail care- over 80 nail biting shades, 4 collections each year, polishes that change color according to surrounding temperature, 3-D laquer polishes, paints that give an uneven surface to nails, french manicure kits, glittering nail-art paints and products, airbrushed nails and glamourous feather eyelashes- this store is every girl's dream destination. Nail tools range from files to buffers, ridge smoothers to polish correctors, nail oils to nail-design stickers. For fashionistas like me, the YSL stick-ons for nails are a must-have. Both customers and professionals can also choose from TL's Spa Design series of delightful spa products. The Tone Lise group has also established the Tone Lise Academy, which gives a complete education in beauty, makeup and hair, for those who aspire to become professionals in this business. And that's not all, Tone Lise offers indulgent treatments at their salon- nail design, manicures and pedicures, permanent makeup, tanning, cellulite treatment, massage and hairdressing. Turn on your beauty radars, kick back and get ready for a divalicious ride!

Address:
TL Huset Brugata 12
0186 Oslo
Tel- +47 2300 2929

www.tonelise.com/

Food Story

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:41:18 +0100

In the fast-moving, dysfunctional world that we live in, a Friday night frozen pizza meal with a large soda is not unheard of. Food Story has an innovative concept that will transform Friday night dinner into a holistic experience. A subscription to the Food Story package entitles you to a kit every other Friday noon that contains ingredients for a delectable meal, sauces and marinades freshly prepared by the restaurant chef along with step-by-step guidance on preparation and interesting information on the ingredients. To add to the meal experience, a mail is sent on Wednesday in advance about wines that can partner the recipe. And that's not all, Food Story is a combination of both cafe and shop with a delightful atmosphere and seductive mix of color, flavor, taste and design. It boasts an usual variety of rare and exclusive food products from certified organic producers, fairtrade importers and niche retailers from all over the world. Menu change's every week and is based on a selection of the finest seasonal ingredients. Food Story believes in serving meals that are free of preservatives, flavor enhancers or other unnatural additives. Quinoa salad with organic chicken, organic pasta, fresh breads, jams from the southern farms and organic pie with filling are just few of the dishes to adorn their menu. A deliciously debonair affair- Food Story is truly the new flavor of Grunerløkka!

Address:
Thorvald Meyers gt 61
0552 Oslo
Tel- 0047 22 37 9937

www.foodstory.no/

Design Torget

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:09:14 +0100

Sweden is fast emerging as the producer of uber-cool goods and Design Torget is a fine example. This Swedish chain has discovered the ideal ingredients to make it's merchandise a success- flawless craftsmanship, style, innovation and function. Design Torget sells everyday-use items that are twisted and turned by adding an ingenious thought to them. Eye-cards that are the size of a credit card to help you read a newspaper on the subway or menu at the restaurant, plastic hangers for placing dish cloth rather than leaving it in the sink, iron candlestands which have an inbuilt matchbox stand below, cradle for a newborn that swings vertically instead of horizontally and contains a fixed and portable wall mount- products at Design Torget are as exceptionally unique and diverse as one can imagine and the only words that bind them together are 'creative thinking'. And that's not all. Anti-slip laptop pillows to enjoy a cup of coffee while surfing on the sofa, inflatable pedicure buckets, smart shelves that can be hung by the bedside to store books and a glass of water, finger-rings holder, transparent shoe storage boxes, party napkins with printed cocktail recipes, all-in-one picnic utensils with a fork, kinfe and spoon, the list of items is endless and new items get added within a short time. One word to summarize Design torget- Brilliant!

Address:
Jernebanetorget 6
0154 Olso
Tel- 0047 21 55 2827

www.designtorget.se

Le Palais des Thes

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:52:36 +0100

A coffee lover like me has never understood people's obsession with tea. My parents swear by it's glorious existence and my friends are steadily substituting the cappuccino with 'chai latte'. The name Le Palais des Thes almost magically transports your mind to Paris. Located in exotic Grünerløkka, this French speciality tea store is rapidly making it's mark in other parts of the world. A true blend of cultures of the world and a tea lover's dream destination, this store houses about 230 types of loose tea from over 20 countries. Dimly lit and spacious, with an alluring display of colorful tea packages, Les Palais des Thes is a treat to the senses. For amateur tea connoisseurs like me, the 'tea books' on display are an absolute eye opener. From the art of tea tasting to tips on preparing tea infusions, these books contain a world of knowledge. The staff at Les Palais Des Thes is extremely knowledgable and urge you to try the various tea preparations on display. At a store where tea names range from 'Tamaryokucha Premium- Ichibancha 2009 (Japan)' to 'Cui Que She- 2009 Green Tea (China)' and where tea is described by adjectives such as 'poetic' and 'velvety', I hope to make a bolder purchase than just 'Mango' tea on my next visit!

Address:
Vibesgate 10
0356 Oslo - Norway
Tel- 0047 2260 3200

Olaf Ryes Plass 3
0552 Oslo
Norway
Tel- 0047 9088 5252

www.palaisdesthes.com

Habibi Cafe

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:24:25 +0100

On first glance from outside, Habibi Cafe gives a dull and boorish, pub-like appearence. It's not until you've had a taste of their exotic and authentic Arabic-Palestenian cuisine, that you'd want to go back there, again and again and again. The interiors are simple with some obvious influence from the *Arabian Nights*. Lively pulsations of mystical Middle-Eastern music and belly dancing are a weekend affair. The USP of Habibi Cafe is without a doubt, its fresh and delectable food. There's mezze, which is the Spanish equivalent of tapas- a composition of small dishes or finger food, available in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties. The cafe has Arabic regulars like hummus served with pita bread, tzatziki, greek salads and dolma. However, a must-try is their signature and most popular dish, the chicken casserole- spicy and aromatic chicken curry served with lettuce, freshly baked pita bread, olives and steamy hot bulgar. Portions are fairly large and dishes are well priced. Some devilishly sweet baklawa for dessert along with mint or cinnamon tea, will make dining at Habibi Cafe a truly glorious Arabian experience. Fabulous and fantastic, this eatery sure knows how to satisfy a hungry tummy!

Address:
Storgaten 14,
Nygaten/Storgaten
Tel: 0047 22 17 0201

www.habibi.no

Ekeberg-restauranten

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:06:25 +0100

Ekeberg-restauranten is not the kind of place you would drop by at for a quick bite. Ekeberg-restauranten is the kind of place you would call at for prior reservations, wear a dress suit to and look forward to a gastronomic experience. The breathtaking view from this restaurant is what sets it apart. Located on the top of a hill in Ekeberg, Oslo, eating at this place is a memorable culinary experience. The restaurant contains several dining areas, a bar and a grand veranda on the second floor. A magnificent collection of exclusive art adorns the walls. Menus are set according to occasions and seasons and are reinvented often, with a wine menu that changes daily. A must try is the 5-7 course meal. Portions are small but extremely innovative and presentation is uber cool- crab in warm avocado sauce with tomato foam, carpaccio of calf, grilled fresh fish with apple and spinach, lemon and sage glazed duck, strawberry and vanilla soup, a fine selection of mature cheeses with figs and honey are only a few of the culinary delights Ekeberg-restauranten has to offer. During the summers, this restaurant boasts of having one of Oslo's finest outdoor eateries. Ekeberg-restauranten is the kind of place you would spend hours at- nursing a drink, enjoying a spectacular meal experience and falling in love all over again!

Address:

Kongsveien 15
0193 Oslo
Tel: 0047 23 24 2300

www.ekebergrestauranten.com

Kondomeriet

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:31:04 +0100

If you're interested in adding some zing to your sex life or are looking to surprise your partner in bed, then Kondomeriet is just the place you're looking for to treat yourself. Located at the famous Karl Johannes street and nothing short of a mini playboy mansion, the bright fuschia billboard for this store is almost hard to miss. If you're in for some serious shopping, Kondomeriet is a feast to the eyes. There's a wide range of sex toys for him and her, edible underwear, sexy lingerie, flavored condoms and massage oils, erotic movies and sensual books. On a lighter note, there's toilet paper rolls printed with various sex positions, glow-in-the-dark condoms, booklets that contain sex coupons, genitalia shaped coffee cups and pens, chocolate body paint and a wide range of rare and peculiar products that'll make your imagination run wild and add a few belly laughs in bed! Want to add some spice to your Saturday night cooking? Shopping at Kondomeriet will help you create the perfect menu- Pastas shaped like men's organs, erotic shaped cookies and chocolates that'll make the perfect dessert for your special night.

Address:
Kondomeriet
Karl Johansgate 8
0154 Oslo
Tel: 0047 22 41 3241

http://www.kondomeriet.no/