Behind a door, with the smell of pizza, Bar Amour is a “secret”, hidden bar on the second floor of the Tranen restaurant in Oslo.
The official opening of the Tranen restaurant in Oslo took place on 27 October 1921, and the newspaper Aftenposten mentioned the event in its edition the following day:
“A large group of invited ladies and gentlemen turned up at Waldemar Thranes gade 70 yesterday for dinner for the opening of the new folk restaurant, no. 8 in the row. The excellent premises were inspected, and the whole arrangement won everyone’s undivided approval. Several speeches were given, expressing the joy that this district now has a modern, affordable, and beautifully equipped folk restaurant.”
The artist Arnie “Skiffle Joe” Norse was a regular fixture for over 30 years. Arnie played regularly at Tranen from about 1980 to 2012, initially six days a week, in recent years only on Fridays. In the 2000s, sales declined, and when the lease expired before Christmas in 2011, the owner, Omsorgsbygg, saw “no reason to renew” it.
In the spring of 2012, the owners of Åpent Bakeri and Lofthus Samvirkelag took over, and in February 2013, Tranen reopened. There was a sale of baked goods from Åpent Bakeri during the day, alongside the restaurant’s operations. In the summer of 2015, the place was closed again.
Today, Tranen is a neighbourhood pizza restaurant in the Alexander Kiellands Plass area. The pizzas are consistently ranked among the top three to five in Oslo by nearly every pizza guide. And what better way to wash these slices of heaven than with some Burgundy from their extensive and ambitious wine list? The wine list not only holds top-tier Burgundy but also a fair share of natural wines – well-suited for this somewhat gentrified and vibey area of town.
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But behind a door and the smell of pizza, Bar Amour is hidden on the second floor of Tranen. Here you can enjoy high-quality food and drinks in romantic surroundings. According to Mer av Oslo, it’s no secret that the small restaurant is located up here, but it’s not easy to spot if you don’t know about it already! From the ceiling hang large and small lampshades that light up the otherwise dark room. The walls are covered in dark red wallpaper, and the place has a dark brown interior. The whole thing plays on the idea that the place is a hidden little cave above the otherwise quite open restaurant.
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According to the bar’s website, its work is supported by a symbiosis of the complexity of both Portuguese and Norwegian culture and gastronomy. Long-standing unspoken allies, we share a bond that is hard to quantify as Portugal relies on salted Norwegian cod for the foundations of one of its most well-known signature dishes, Bacalhau.
You can get wine by the glass and bottle, but the selection on the menu is clearly the largest if you go by the bottle. Regardless of the menu, the waiter will know what bottles have been opened at the bar and make suitable recommendations to your taste. The glasses priced on the menu are 150 kroner to 220 kroner.
Bar Amour – A “Secret” Bar in Oslo, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Feature image (top) Photo: MerAvOslo.