TRAVELOGUE: Oysters in Oslo
Eff Eff Oyster - it's the ultimate the Oslo oyster destination!
The global oyster community is small, so visiting an overseas oyster bar feels like a trip to friends you already know and haven’t met.
We worried about our chances of dining at Eff Eff Oyster because it was Ascension Day in Oslo, but as luck would have it, they were throwing their monthly grilling day, the sun was beaming, vinyls were spinning, and the outdoor seats were packed!
The atmosphere was the best blend of charm. It seemed understated at first-glance, with written menus on white block tile, rustic walls, and lined up wine bottles… until I noticed the exquisite balance of marble, Eff Eff logo-adorned table carvings, brass lamps, and oversized ceiling art.
For the grill, they featured Storm Oysters, which are wild oysters from Hvaler, Norway, and hand-harvested by divers. They were gnarly, covered in barnacles, and meadow green—stunning and packed with creamy, plump textures. The Pacific oyster naturally spawns and is abundant in Hvaler(100 oysters per sq meter), but as Jacob (co-owner) told me, diving for them adds significant labor to the process and cost. To add to the challenges, Norway is incredibly strict on wild oyster harvesting— all oysters must go through weeks of depuration (saltwater tank purification) before consumption, which affects the collective understanding and appreciation of merroir.
Raw options were exclusively French that day and they occasionally rotate (our selections: variations of Utah Beach and St, Vaast with Aligoté to pair). We did miss our chance by one delivery day to try some Flats!
Jacob and Torstein (fellow owner) admitted that they could be stubborn when it came to quality, which was their first priority for menu selections.
“I’ve had to write a few apology letters,” said Jacob. “Of course,” Torstein responded. “Apology letters you’ve never sent!”
After about three hours of oysters, wine, hospitality, and sunshine, I left Norway happy knowing that Warwick and I had our oyster fix on this vacation, and we could finally return home to a flowering coast.
