The Wild Rover — Restaurant in Oslo

Last week, I had the pleasure of performing at the Wild Rover in Oslo from Thursday to Saturday night. I’d been there before briefly to catch some live music on my way to another gig, but this time I got to truly experience the venue over the weekend.

The Wild Rover is marketed as an Irish pub, and it certainly has that feel with its Guinness on tap, dark wood décor, and walls adorned with photos and posters of Irish celebrities like George Best, Sinead O'Connor, and Oscar Wilde. There are also nods to Irish football events, like when Ireland played Norway, which adds to the authentic vibe they're going for. However, with its two floors and spacious layout, the pub has more of a bar and restaurant atmosphere than the snug, traditional Irish pub vibe you might expect.

Music-wise, there were times when Irish tunes played in the background, although it wasn’t consistent. I played some Irish music myself during my performances, and it was great to see Irish folks coming in to enjoy the experience. It’s worth noting that while the atmosphere is friendly, the staff weren’t Irish (mostly English or Norwegian speaking), which may slightly detract from the Irish authenticity for some. However, I did chat with people who sampled the food, and they all had positive things to say—it’s reasonably priced and seemed to go down well. Drinks are also fairly priced, and there’s a great atmosphere with friendly security staff and plenty of seating to relax and enjoy yourself.

One unfortunate downside is the scaffolding currently outside the building. Although it’s unrelated to the pub and due to work on the building above, it might give the impression that the place is closed or make it less inviting from the outside, which is a shame because the inside is lively and welcoming. They have some outdoor seating, but given that it’s early October, the weather isn’t quite optimal for sitting outside.

All in all, while the Wild Rover may not be the most traditional Irish pub in Oslo, it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a good pint of Guinness, some decent food, and, most importantly, live music. They have a troubadour performing every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, often featuring Irish acts straight from Ireland, which adds a genuine touch to the music scene there. Centrally located on Karl Johans gate, it’s easy to find and makes for a great stop on a night out. So if you’re around, pop in for a drink and some tunes—you won’t be...

So it would seem Wild Rover or someone else disputed my review, and had it removed. I will now say that this is two years old, and I'm re-upping my review. I can see that they have done something about the horrendous beer prices now, but the rest still stands. I do not appreciate having my reviews removed on shaky grounds, as my experience was real.

Absurd beer prices (it was 148kr for a beer at the time of review, now around 100kr) even for the usual tourist traps in Norway, I paid by app and they ask for tips but I had to go get the beer yourself at the bar (something which is not said in the app until you go in to check the order once you start wondering where the beer is).

Ordered a burger for 200kr (no fries included) and it was TINY, not to mention cold on delivery and mediocre on taste. Did not get the food at the same time as others on the table, even though we ordered at the same time and there was almost no people around. Another at the table ordered bangers & mash and the potato mash was a thin layer scraped on the plate.

Nice interior and a lot of tvs for sport, but can't recommend this. This place has some serious issues with their food...

Introduced me to Crowmoor, which has become my go to cider. Hope it becomes more common in norwegian bars.

Generally a pleasant atmosphere, the sweet potato fries are great, even if they changed up the aioli for something that wasnt as incredible.

The live music Ive experienced has all been good, and theres always been some Irish stuff in there.

For people into sports there are many many screens so you should be able to find a table with a good view. The only downside is how incredibly loud the football games are when they are on. Makes it impossible to talk, we walked through the entire bar to find the location with the most bearable sound. So go here anytime there isnt a football game on, unless youre looking to only see...