We found this grocery store while looking to restock on diapers for our little one while traveling…read morein Oslo. I was impressed by the size and selection available at this inner city grocery store. There is a good selection of fresh produce, some flowers, and plenty of grocery items. We even had choices when it came to brands of diapers and wipes. Nice! Luckily they also have good hours which is good since our hotel was just a few steps away.

Hands down, my absolute favorite grocery store in Oslo…read more I shouldn't even get started about my disgusting grocery store history in Norway. I really should write a book about it (because I have photo evidence obviously). But let's just say I had lost ALL hope prior to finding this gem. I usually do my shopping in Grønland, but let's not kid ourselves, it is difficult to get there sometimes and while you may buy all of your produce there, you still need the essentials that can only be found at the grocery store. This is where Centra came in for me. Except I realized that I could get good quality of produce here too. Granted, you pay a premium, but it's worth it after seeing one too many moldy clementines at Rema 1000 or Kiwi (yes, the place with the produce guarantee). Out of all places in Oslo, I firmly believe that Centra has the most American products of all of the places. Granted, most of what I eat can't be classified as one country or another, but I do know that if I need something American-ish...if it's not at Centra, it's probably not anywhere else either. And this includes their sister store, Jacob's. But while I can sit here and rave and rave about the selection options and quality, it would be remiss of me to not share what my favorite thing about the store is. THE SERVICE. This is the place I can always count on getting looked after and the help I need. If I am roaming around the dairy section and can't find what I need...someone is generally within close proximity and can assist. (special note: their dairy section stinks....someone needs to take care of that if you're reading this!) And the people at the checkout counters always have a smile on their face and seem genuinely happy to be there. I even commended one of them the other day and thanked him for sounding so happy and excited to help us out. He was really thrilled to hear that he was able to change the experience of someone shopping there. I wish the workers and staff at this place would give a coaching session to the other stores in the area. Good customer service is something I definitely took for granted in the USA...and something I NEVER do here because it's a rare find. But when I do find it, I'm a customer for life. Keep up the good work Centra! You will continue to be the only place I routinely shop!

The best high-end supermarket in town, entering this store feels like entering Disneyland. Wait, I…read moreactually like this supermarket better than Disneyland. It is Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, but in addition to chocolates, you have a beautiful array of fine cheese, gorgeous racks of exotic fruits, a shopful of smoked meats and a fishmonger with mussels, scallops and rare shellfish. As pièce de résistance, they have a drying rack for exquisitely aged beef of which I am unworthy. Besides the gourmet stuff, the selections here are like standard supermarkets multiplied by three, making you wonder what you have been missing in your Oslo supermarket life. There are some standard brands like Tine, but with products you don't see elsewhere. However! The price is very steep! I cannot afford going there too often. Every time I walk near Ultra, it calls to me like a siren - with a heavy sigh and great will, I turn away and buy uninspiring veggies and rock-hard avocados at a nearby Rema instead. Be warned shall ye enter, ye shall not resist buying, and paying dearly!

Seasons are hard to come by at this place. Some items are…read moreover priced. The selections genuinely vary and I appreciate the store brand offerings. Head's up the store brand Pesto included egg. I don't know why but I had to bypass. It's across from a Coops Mega so this helped when I couldn't find black pepper at Rema - I walked right over to Coops before catching the bus. The locals were helpful in identifying butter. But they only had 1 loaf of sliced white bread. Someone broke eggs in the place and didn't alert anyone. 5 stars for the worker's service provided. I didn't want some chips so they had to be taken off and it didn't show on my side. Well, instead of dismissing my concern - the cashier guy got up and looked then explained it would show on my final receipt. I'd definitely would return to buy from any Rema100. Yet, I expected the prices to be more akin to Aldi's in the US. They have packaged meats, fish and et al with preprinted pricing right on the top. They accept cards with chips.

I know I have a picture somewhere of this place in my phone and when I find it i'll post it…read more Rema1000 is a supermarket chain in Oslo, though I believe they have this chain all over norway and other european countries nearby. Smaller than supermarkets in the US (but most supermarkets in europe are smaller) but has basically everything you need (just not as much selection in each item - ex: the selection of brands to choose from). Guys probably like this because it forces us girls to shop faster (less to look at and decide from lol). In general if your on a budget and staying a few days in norway, its much much cheaper to get groceries and cook for yourself so try... and get a small studio apartment with a small kitchen where you can cook in and it will save you some money. Overall, rema1000 is a supermarket you'll find everywhere in oslo. Its small, but has everything you need.

Great dark chocolate with pistachios or blueberries with no added sugar, canned longans in syrup to…read moreuse for lovely desserts.... They accepted credit cards. It is conveniently located near the Sandvika train station.

It's quite close to Sandvika train station. There are many kinds of Asian vegetables, frozen sea…read morefood, spices, noodles, etc. There's even leek in it! Just a tip, you need to pay attention to the expiration date when you buy things.

Customer care does not seem to be a policy at this store. I usually shop there because I work in…read morethe same building, and I am not only considering to stop going to this concrete store, but to stop buying at KIWI. Some of the employees at this location seem to be unhappy when applying the "durability warranty" they have (meaning if you find a product expiring that day or the day after, you get it for free). It happened today that while I was looking at meat, one of them came and almost shouted at me that I was not allowed to move packages. First of all, I like to take the one expiring the later possible (meaning it is the freshest one), so of course I look into expiring dates. Why does he have to assume I am looking for a free good? Also, I told him I was not able to properly understand Norwegian and he continued using this language, something I find really rude, as he is able to speak perfect English. He repeated the same thing three times, always in Norwegian.

Apparently the "flash" supermarket, I am assured Meny has the biggest and best selection of the…read moremany grocery store/supermarkets I'd spotted around town. To be honest I only wandered down the soft drink isle (to pick up tonic for my gin) and also the beer isles (to scope out some local beers at much more reasonable prices than trying them at bars!). Admittedly Meny does stock a large variety of local as well as import brews. Norwegian supermarkets don't sell wine or liquor. There's a fresh bakery section and also a coffee station where you can use their grinder after choosing beans if you don't have a grinder at home (tho also good if you're travelling and the instant coffee sachets in the hotel room just don't cut the mustard). The rest of the supermarket seemed well lit and well laid out with plenty of room in the aisles to get around, and there's even free wi-fi for those of us who like to stay connected while out and about... although I think this was mainly so you could use their in store app to scan barcodes(?? - the signs were all in Norwegian so I'm hazarding a guess!) Bear in mind to bring your own bag if you can, they charge if you ask for plastic bags.. which I secretly love because I hate taking plastic bags unless I have to..

The cheapest grocery store within a walking distance of the Sandvika train station....read more