W.B. Samson – Egertorget — Restaurant in Oslo

Born of German parents in Norway Wilhelm Bismark Samson opened his first bakery in 1894, the current location in Egertorget not far from the original and many of its recipes unchanged over the past thirteen decades.

In continuous operation through WWII, still family operated in its fifth generation as the brand has grown, it is inside that guests are greeted by friendly servers and spotless counter tops.

Best known for their Cinnamon Bun, the oldest in Oslo and a truly exemplary Pastry thanks to its delicate crumb, toasty yeast and bright aromatics, purists should not overlook Samson’s “School Bread” stuffed with Custard inside a rim of Cardamom and Coconut.

Less impressive with Viennoserie, the Almond Croissant enjoyable but a bit over-baked while its “Butter” brethren was a mostly flavorless, it is hard to say whether Sørlandsbolle has any history outside Samson but either way the combination of rich Vanilla Cream and melted Chocolate reminisces of Boston Cream Pie in the...

One of our friends that lives in another part of Norway, had told us that we had to visit WB Samson to have their Cinnamon Buns as apparently they are the best in Norway. As I am a lover of everything Cinnamon I couldn't help but go there specially for that! It didn't disappoint, they are excellent, don't know if they are the best I ever tried, being a Chef myself, I do make a killer one on my restaurant, but these were amongst the best. The coffees were also good and the other cakes were of equal standing. If you love all things cinnamon like myself please do go here and try them. But not to worry because Norwegians seem to love cinnamon as throughout the country we have experienced cinnamon buns and rolls of equal standing! Is a cinnamon...

I somehow had this idea of comparing Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish cinnamon buns given each country’s fondness of this treat. Thus, I couldn’t missed out on the opportunity to try one in Oslo. After googling, it appears that WB Samson is a favourite for both locals and visitors. Being a chain, it was also pretty easy for me to find one near my hotel. The place was unfortunately full, so I had it as to go. The roll (54NOK) was interestingly the closest to what I would call North American version (more cakey and sticky with sugary glaze) in Scandinavia. Still not in similar league to say Cinnabon, however I found it way more manageable to finish one roll as it’s less overwhelmingly sweet. All in all, a...