Zarathustra Meyhane

Don't come to Zarathustra Meyhane expecting a standard Oslo restaurant night out

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, 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.

The space: intimate, communal, built for a long evening

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, let the drinks program drive the pace. The bar area functions as a legitimate destination within the room, not just a waiting zone.

The drinks program: the actual reason to book

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, 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.

Booking and timing

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 well, 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.

Practical details

Oslo wine and dining context

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.

Pearl picks: more Oslo and Norway

• Maaemo, Oslo's flagship New Nordic tasting menu
• Kontrast, Scandinavian fine dining with strong sustainability credentials
• Hot Shop, Modern Nordic at a more accessible price point
• Bar Amour, Oslo's cocktail-forward alternative
• Mon Oncle, French in Grünerløkka
• Under in Lindesnes, Norway's most discussed restaurant experience
• Iris in Rosendal, remote fine dining worth the detour
• Gaptrast in Bergen, Bergen's serious wine and food option
• Boen Gård in Tveit, estate dining outside Kristiansand
• Oslo experiences guide, what to do beyond the table