Where to find Norway's 30 California Stars
Want to drink Californian wine in Norway?
Our California Stars are the wine bars and restaurants featuring the best selections of the Golden State's wines on their lists.
From smart hotel restaurants to easy-going hangouts, Californian wine lovers won't be disappointed. Check out the full selection.
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Presented by The California Wine Institute
California Wine Institute is an association of 1,000 California wineries and wine-related businesses that initiate and advocate public policy to enhance the environment for the responsible production, consumption and enjoyment of wine.
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![Norvald Vinbar, a wine bar in Stavanger, Norway.]()
Address: Øvre Holmegate 3, Stavanger
By the Glass List of the Year Norway, presented by Riedel 2025
Norvald Vinbar opened in January 2022 in the centre of Stavanger. The venue occupies a corner section with generous ceiling height and large windows. It seats around thirty-five people inside and twenty-something outside when the weather allows it. The space is inviting, cosy and warm with Norwegian design furniture. The centre of attention is a built-in, temperature-controlled wine wall that holds approximately 2,000 bottles. The wine list has around 400 references and offers quite a few wines by the glass. All wines are served in high-quality glasses. The wines are predominantly from wor...
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Phone: +47 455 01 306
Address: Rostockgata 69, Oslo
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![Foyn Tønsberg, a restaurant in Tønsberg, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 45 96 40 00
Address: Nedre Langgate 18C, Tønsberg
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![Kombo, a restaurant in Trondheim, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 73 19 01 00
Address: Nordre gate 12, Trondheim
Newcomer List of the Year Norway 2025
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![Lily Country Club, a restaurant and hotel in Kløfta, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 21 99 12 00
Address: Væringvegen 44, 2040 Kløfta, Norway
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![Restaurant Mori, a restaurant in Sofiemyr, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 91174003
Address: Kongeveien 65, Sofiemyr
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![Steak, a restaurant in Tønsberg, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 634 006
Address: Nedre Langgate 20, Tønsberg
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![POUR - by Signe, a wine bar in Tjøme, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 45 12 35 16
Address: Østveien 667, Tjøme
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![Frances Vinbar, a wine bar in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 48 84 37 86
Address: Henrik Ibsens gate 48, Oslo
By the Glass List of the Year Norway, presented by Riedel 2025
Elegant wine bar (coffee shop in the morning) serving up delicious small plates influenced by both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Frances opened its doors late 2023, and hit the ground running. Located in the old US Embassy buidling, recently renovated and lending this big city cosmopolitan feeling to it all. Without loosing its charm. Solid BTG-programme. Stronghold in the USA section (no wonder, given the location). Intimate but spacey.
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![Hermetikken Restaurant, a restaurant in Stavanger, Norway.]()
Address: Niels Juels gate 50, Stavanger
Austrian Wine List of the Year Norway, presented by Austrian Wine 2025
Hermetikken Restaurant started as a wine bar and is now a full-fledged restaurant with a well-curated wine list. The restaurant is located in the beautiful Ledaal park, a short walk up from the city centre. This stylish venue is the second place opened by the people behind Norvald Vinbar, Silje Hanasand and Knut-Espen Misje (Star Wine List's Bergen and Stavanger ambassador). Here you can sit back, relax, and enjoy our seasonal menu whether you sit at one of the tables, at the bar or in one of the windows overlooking the park. Chef Stuart Barber oversees the kitchen. He is an alumni of top UK...
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Phone: +47 915 67 325
Address: Torget 1, Molde
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![Kolonihagen Frogner, a restaurant in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 993 16 810
Address: Frognerveien 33, Oslo
Special Jury Prize Norway 2025
Kolonihagen Frogner is a hidden gem in an old building in the beautiful Frogner area. Simple and organic is the core theme of the restaurant, which is as true for the wine list as it is for the menu. People gather in the atmospheric building around small dishes based on locally-sourced produce. The wine list is Eurocentric and medium sized, but to the point.
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![Brasserie Hansken, a restaurant in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 22 42 60 88
Address: Christiania Torv 4, Oslo
Few places in Oslo have such staying power as Brasserie Hansken. Established in 1997, it's still extremely popular with locals as well as travellers, and has a longstanding reputation for quality. Located in the picturesque Christiania Torv, it's surrounded by some of the oldest buildings in Oslo. The waterfront is just a quick stroll away and, in the summertime, the outdoor terrace is a bustling, busy sight. The cuisine, as well as the interior, is classic French with a Scandinavian flair, and the staff is both service-minded and experienced, making it a favourite venue for business lunches...
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![Hotel Bristol, a restaurant and hotel in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 22 82 60 20
Address: Kristian IV's gate 7, Oslo
Italian Wine List of the Year Norway 2025
Proper hotel restaurants are few and far between, particularly with great wine lists, but they can prove the icing on the cake. Bristol Grill, within Oslo's Hotel Briston, serves up classical brasserie fare in a timeless dining room oozing old money, without seeming clichéd or intimidating – it's a bit like stepping into a time machine. Though the wine list is smaller than it once was, there are still treasures buried in this deep selection that is firmly focused on the classic regions of France and Piedmont, plus California as well. Some great prices to be found for back vintages.
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![Bula Bistro, a restaurant in Trondheim, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 405 55 529
Address: Prinsens gate 32, Trondheim
Where to start? Bula is one of those places you cannot put a label on – and that is exactly how they want it! Choose between a five- or 10-course menu, with a regular or upgraded wine pairing, choose an extra bottle or two from the list, then sit tight and enjoy the ride. They also have a secret room for bookings of parties between six and 12 people, where you get your own private space and a whopping 20 courses. Even though everything is casual at Bula, they offer some seats in their bar area for small bites and a feel-good vibe if you feel like something lighter than the main menu. The win...
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![Dråpen Vinbar, a wine bar in Bergen, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 91195665
Address: Vaskerelvsmauet 1, Bergen
Dråpen Vinbar won silver in the category Best Californian Wine List in Star Wine List of the Year Norway 2021.
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![Fjellskål, a restaurant in Bergen, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 989 05 898
Address: Strandkaien 3, Bergen
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![Hallingstuene, a restaurant in Geilo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 32 09 12 50
Address: Geilovegen 56, Geilo
Best Long List of the Year Norway 2025
Hallingstuene won silver in the category Best Californian Wine List in Star Wine List of the Year Norway 2021.
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![The dining room at Nordic-Asian fusian restaurant Happolati in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 479 78 087
Address: Sankt Olavs Plass 2, 0165, Oslo
Austrian Wine List of the Year Norway, presented by Austrian Wine 2025
When entering this restaurant in central Oslo, you immediately think that it has to be something Asian, but the interiors also give promises of something Scandinavian. Both are true: the menus – both the set and à la carte versions – offer a combination of local produce in an all-Asian setting, where ideas and ingredients from many different food cultures are mixed in a bold, but still very successful way. A meal at Happolati never leaves you bored. Even though the name could sound Asian-inspired, like the food, it’s not. It’s taken from the famous novel Sult (meaning “hunger”) written by K...
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![Hos Moi, a restaurant in Kristiansand, Norway.]()
Phone: 38 17 83 00
Address: Nodeviga 2, Kristiansand
Austrian Wine List of the Year Norway, presented by Austrian Wine 2025
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![Jimmy's, a restaurant and wine bar in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 93 47 00 11
Address: Leirfallsgata 6, Oslo
Located in the vibey Grünerløkka, the wine list in this casual bistro-style restaurant focuses on California and Burgundy (14 pages deep). Focusing on the now common “sharing concept,” this is a great place for Saturday lunches, and their bone marrow dish is not to be missed! Also an excellent place for drinking wines in the Oslo summer sun. Booking is advised.
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![Kolonialen Bislett, a restaurant in Oslo, Norway.]()
Address: Sofies gate 16, Oslo
Italian Wine List of the Year Norway 2025
A neighbourhood bistro in the Bislet area. The wine list is French-centric for sure, with Burgundy at its core, but also quite a few bottles from other prominent wine-producing countries; an impressive and deep selection. You'll find lots of German Rieslings as well. Run by Pontus Dahlström (one of the founding partners at Maaemo), it tends to be hard to score a table if not booked in advance but, once you're in, there is a casual and welcoming atmosphere.
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![Kontrast, a restaurant in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 21 60 01 01
Address: Maridalsveien 15a, Oslo
Sustainability Prize of the Year Norway 2025
Kontrast is located in the culinary area of Vulkan, which used to be an industrial area by the Akerselva river. This Michelin-starred restaurant offers the best produce of each season with a tasting menu, with beautiful presentations. If you choose one of the wine pairing menus you might be surprised by the modern touch to it, but Kontrast’s wine list is also worth a serious study before you dig in.
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![Libertine Frogner Vinbar, a wine bar in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 455 01 306
Address: Frognerveien 2, Oslo
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![Norda Oslo, a restaurant in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: 23 10 80 80
Address: Biskop Gunnerus gate 3, Oslo
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![Oh Dear, a wine bar in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 920 96 763
Address: Holmens gate 4, Oslo
Best Medium-Sized List of the Year Norway, presented by Bona Fide Wines 2025
The wine list at this small and cosy wine bar in the rather touristy area of Aker Brygge is more than 30 pages deep, making it a proper safe haven for all wine lovers. The owner's passion for Californian wines is evident, however, the selection is wide and covers all major areas from the Old World as well as top-tier names from the New (including many outside the USA). A nice and relaxed vibe, they open at 1pm at weekends, making an escape from the shopping centre next door easily achieved. They also serve cheese and cold cuts, and a short but well-curated by-the-glass list.
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![Interior of Park Hotel Vossevangen, Voss, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 56 53 10 00
Address: Uttrågata 3, Voss
Best Long List of the Year Norway 2025
Park Hotel Vossevangen is not a place visited for its convenient access – it is a place worth traveling for. Located in a village in the western part of Norway, at least the road trip from Bergen can be spectacular. At Park Hotel Vossevangen it is possible to attend tastings in the wine cellar or try their restaurant, Elysée, which offers a classic menu.
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![Vin Bjørvika, a restaurant in Oslo, Norway.]()
Address: Operagata 11, Oslo
A small and cosy wine bar located in the recently developed Bjørvika area. Opens early-ish on Saturdays, hence a good spot for a glass from their extensive and deep wine list of more than 1,000 references. A solid by-the-glass program as well; very educative, and great for the not-so-geeky people looking to broaden their horizons and learn a thing or two. The big list is rather traditionally focused, and very strong on Bordeaux in particular (a rare find these days).
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![Vino Bar Ålesund, a wine bar in Ålesund, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 958 99 999
Address: Apotekergata 10, Ålesund
Italian Wine List of the Year Norway 2025
Just across the street from Apotekergata No. 5, in the heart of Ålesund, you’ll find a gem of a wine bar. Vino Bar is run by local sommelier Øyvind Tveit, and chef and sommelier Jeanette Bohinen. It’s an intimate and cosy atmosphere with a lot of wine paraphernalia, and Øyvind’s broad collection of legendary (empty) bottles lining the top shelf by the ceiling. Indeed, there are a lot of amazing wine memories in that line up. At the back, there is a large room showing off a small part of the bar’s wines, and this is where Øyvind and Jeanette regularly conduct wine tastings. And then the win...
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![Vinoteket, a restaurant in Oslo, Norway.]()
Phone: +47 974 32 020
Address: Henrik Ibsens gate 60a, Oslo
Italian Wine List of the Year Norway 2025
When Vinoteket opened in 2018, it gained instant fame for three things: the ridiculously low-priced wine list, the innovative pizzas and the fact that former European Sommelier Championship winner Robert Lie was general manager. Today the wine prices are a bit more normal (albeit still cheap), the pizzas are as good as ever, and the wine list continues to evolve and grow. While the combination of great pizza and a kick-ass wine list has been seen before, it's unusual to find such a relaxed and friendly venue in an area of Oslo known just as much for its poor taste as it's wealth and lavish sp...
