Restaurant in Oslo, Norway
Grünerløkka's serious wine list, easy to book.
Zarathustra Meyhane on Thorvald Meyers gate is Oslo's most credentialled wine list in a neighbourhood setting, earning Star Wine List recognition in both 2024 and 2026. The meyhane format — Turkish tavern, small plates, wine-led pacing — makes it a strong pick for solo diners and returning visitors who want a serious glass without a tasting-menu commitment. Easy to book by Oslo standards.
The common assumption about Grünerløkka drinking spots is that the wine list is an afterthought — a short selection propped up by natural wine credentials and neighbourhood cool. Zarathustra Meyhane corrects that assumption. This is a meyhane, a Turkish-inflected tavern format where drinking and eating are genuinely co-equal, and the wine program has earned back-to-back Star Wine List recognition in 2024 and 2026 to prove it. If you've visited once and left without working through the list properly, you've missed the point of the place.
Zarathustra sits on Thorvald Meyers gate, one of Grünerløkka's busiest stretches, but the room itself is designed for the kind of slow, winding evening that the meyhane format demands. Expect a compact interior where tables are close enough to make solo dining feel social rather than isolated. The layout encourages lingering — this is not a room that rushes you. For a returning visitor, the spatial rhythm is part of the pitch: arrive early enough to settle in, order incrementally, and let the drinks program drive the pace. The bar area functions as a legitimate destination within the room, not just a waiting zone.
Two Star Wine List awards in three years is a specific credential. It signals a list that has been assessed and found to meet a defined standard of depth, range, and curation , not just a trendy natural wine selection with good Instagram presence. For Oslo, where serious wine lists cluster heavily around the fine-dining tier (think Maaemo or Kontrast), having this kind of recognition attached to a neighbourhood meyhane is genuinely notable. The meyhane format historically pairs with raki and a procession of small plates, but Zarathustra's wine credentials suggest the list has been built well beyond that baseline. If you came on your first visit and ordered predictably, go back and ask for guidance on what to drink , that's where the venue earns its reputation.
For Oslo bar-goers who track serious drinks programs, Zarathustra sits in a different lane from cocktail-forward spots like Bar Amour. The emphasis here is wine and the table, not technique-led cocktails. If your priority is a well-constructed cocktail in a quiet room, look elsewhere. If your priority is a serious wine list in a room with genuine character and food to match, Zarathustra is the more interesting booking in its neighbourhood.
Zarathustra Meyhane is currently an easy booking by Oslo standards , you do not need to plan weeks ahead the way you would for Maaemo or Statholdergaarden. That accessibility is part of the value proposition. Grünerløkka gets busy on weekend evenings, so if you want a specific table or the bar seats, book a few days out rather than relying on walk-in availability. For a longer evening , which is how this format works leading , aim for a weeknight when the room turns over more slowly and the staff have more time to walk you through the list. The Star Wine List recognition makes this worth treating as a destination, not just a neighbourhood fallback.
| Detail | Zarathustra Meyhane | Bar Amour | Arakataka |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine style | Meyhane (Turkish tavern) | Creative bar snacks | Nordic/Norwegian |
| Wine credentials | Star Wine List 2024 & 2026 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Price tier | Not published | Not published | €€ |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Leading for | Wine-led long evenings | Cocktails, late nights | Casual Nordic dining |
Oslo's serious drinking scene is smaller than its restaurant reputation suggests. For Norway-wide reference points, the wine programs at venues like RE-NAA in Stavanger and FAGN in Trondheim operate at the fine-dining tier with corresponding price points. Zarathustra's award credentials in a neighbourhood setting represent a different kind of access , serious wine without the tasting-menu commitment. If you're building an Oslo trip around eating and drinking well, Zarathustra fits naturally alongside Hot Shop and Mon Oncle as part of a Grünerløkka-anchored itinerary. For broader planning, see our full Oslo restaurants guide, Oslo bars guide, and Oslo hotels guide.
Almost certainly yes , the meyhane format is built around bar-adjacent, casual eating, and the room's layout supports drinking and grazing at the bar rather than requiring a full table booking. For solo visitors or those who want to work through the wine list without committing to a long seated dinner, the bar is the right call. Arrive before peak evening hours to secure a spot. If your main goal is exploring the Star Wine List-recognised selection, bar seating at Zarathustra is a better experience than a bar stool at most Oslo restaurants.
Yes , it's one of the better solo options in Oslo's Grünerløkka neighbourhood. The meyhane format, where small plates arrive incrementally and wine drives the pace, suits solo diners who want to eat well without the awkwardness of a tasting-menu table for one. The compact room means you're never isolated, and the bar seating makes single covers feel natural. At the €€ to €€€ neighbourhood price tier (exact pricing not published), it's a lower-risk solo booking than Maaemo or Kontrast, where solo omakase or tasting menus carry a higher spend commitment. For solo dining with a serious wine focus in Oslo, Zarathustra is the most accessible entry point in its category.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zarathustra Meyhane | Star Wine List (2026); Star Wine List (2024) | — | |
| Maaemo | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Kontrast | Michelin 2 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Hot Shop | Michelin 1 Star | €€€ | — |
| Statholdergaarden | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Arakataka | €€ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Bar seating is part of the format at a meyhane-style venue like Zarathustra, where the emphasis is on drinking alongside food rather than structured dining. The Star Wine List credentials (2024 and 2026) suggest the drinks program is the draw, so bar seating makes sense as a primary option rather than a fallback. If counter-style eating while working through the wine list appeals, this is the right venue for it — more so than a table-service restaurant like Statholdergaarden.
Yes — the communal, bar-forward setup at Zarathustra suits solo visits better than most Oslo restaurants. A meyhane format, built around wine and shared plates, removes the pressure of a full sit-down meal for one. The Grünerløkka location on Thorvald Meyers gate also makes it easy to drop in without a long-lead booking, unlike Maaemo or Kontrast where solo seats are harder to secure on short notice.
Zarathustra Meyhane is primarily known for its core concept and execution in Oslo.
Zarathustra Meyhane is located in Oslo, at Thorvald Meyers gate 80, 0550 Oslo, Norway.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
