Kafé Republik — Restaurant in Oslo

The food was fantastic and almost everyone in the staff did a good job.

But the manager gave us a really hard time... On the phone before arrival we agreed on booking a table in a specific area of the restaurant for 12 people in total. When we arrived she showed us a table in a different area. I told her that we didn't agree on that but she didn't listen and ment it was my mistake. Since she wasn't willing to change her mind or apologize, we had to dine at the table she showed us. We took some drinks and waited for some time, they then gave us two different tables and that split my guests in half, sitting on two different tables totally separated. We then told the manager that this wasn't what we agreed upon and that we need to sit together. She rolled her eyes and got upset in her tone of voice and gave us a table for 12 persons.

They gave us a menu that wasn't the right one and then gave us a new one. We asked for the old one again, just asking not demanding or anything, and she got really upset in her voice and body language and told us not to ask for that menu again.

Later on when we were in the corridor, with a small child (3 years old), she tried to push the little kid on her shoulder to make her move, without asking "could you please move". That made me really upset, so we talked to her about it and she apologized to the kid and to us.

The restaurant is a really cool place, perfectly located, but the way the female manager took care of us as a company was the absolute worst we've experienced on a restaurant in Norway. And I've lived here for 8 years. Everyone in my company got affected by this and we all felt really uncomfortable the whole stay and we were happy to leave...

Had to try this «kaffe» many are talking about for having a large selection of French classics to a very gently price… In all, we ordered 6 different courses for 2 persons. Was about right amount of food in the end and left a check of roughly 1800kr with 4 glasses of wine. Nothing crazy for Oslo but not cheap either.

The service was very nice and attentive, that was the big +! The food was alright.. we ordered some dishes to start then some we wanted as mains (the menu doesn’t say what is what, just a list of course) unfortunately everything came together (5 items) so we had to risk it! My pepper steak was way overcooked and chewy… :( the rest was fine but lacked in flavors… some plates were to share , others not. Had to order another round of course with charcuterie plate which was very large and cheap but doesn’t come with any bread.. so we ordered some bread since it wasn’t mentioned. In all, the items was cheap yes. But you must order quite many for a proper meal. So you end up spending 450/550 per person for food. Not bad but the quality was not quite there. The place was busy, and with all these courses to choose from, felt like the only cook we saw in the «kitchen» had way to much to do to focus on quality…!? And 1,5 hour of bad reggae in the background was quite painful too… Should give it another try sometime but all together it wasn’t negative. Just bit under what...

Kafé Republik is an absolute gem in Oslo’s dining scene. From the moment you step in, the cozy and casual atmosphere immediately makes you feel at ease. It’s the kind of place where you can relax and simply enjoy the experience.

The food? Outstanding. Every dish we tried was a testament to both flavor and impeccable presentation. The starters were particularly memorable, with the chicken liver pâté and beef tartare stealing the spotlight. Moving on to the mains, the svineribbe and steak were incredibly well-executed—cooked to perfection and packed with flavor.

Service is laid-back but incredibly efficient and friendly, adding to the charm of the place. And just when you think the experience couldn’t get any better, the bill arrives as a pleasant surprise. It’s hard to believe you’re getting such incredible quality at such great value—arguably the best in Oslo.

In short, Kafe Republik earns a solid 5 out of 5. As someone who loves exploring restaurants, I can confidently say that the whole experience makes it a standout. It’s going to be tough finding another spot in town that matches this level of...