Fuglen, Oslo

Coffee is going back to the source.

One of our favourite coffee stops in Tokyo is Fuglen near Yoyogi Park, especially during summer where the low wooden benches outside are perfect for enjoying the sun while nursing freshly brewed coffee. Part of the charm is knowing that the café is a retro-cool import from Norway, fully embraced by trendy Tokyoites.

So when we finally find ourselves in the Norwegian capital, we make a beeline to downtown Oslo where the original Fuglen resides. Easily recognisable thanks to their distinctive red-and-white bird logo – fuglen means “the bird” in Norwegian – and their outdoor benches and elbow tables, Fuglen was founded in 1963 and its interior harkens back to that era.

Part Nordic vintage, part retro cool, we take in the furniture and abundance of design knick-knacks – most of which can be purchased – before realising it’s time to order our coffee. A helpful barista guides us through their selection of beans and encourages us to return after sunset when the space switches from coffee shop to cocktail bar.

All of this stems from Fuglen’s trio of owners: Einar K. Holthe, winner of both the Norwegian Barista Championship and the Nordic Barista Cup; Halvor Digernes, the Nordic winner of the Linie Cocktail Awards; and Peppe Trulsen, a 1960s design specialist.

Here at Fuglen, everything old-fashioned is made new and cool again.

近幾年每次到訪東京，我們都會抽空到代代木的Fuglen。
曾試過在下著雨的秋天午後，在咖啡館變身成酒吧前，
和一群人擠在店裡喝著意式奶咖啡，
也試過在風光明媚的春天早晨，
坐在外頭的長木椅上邊看看寫寫，邊享用手沖衣索比亞。

本著對東京Fuglen的喜愛，這次于夏天來到奧斯陸，
我們也安排了到Fuglen的這家老店坐坐的行程。
有別于東京的分店，這家老店位於大街上，
人從大老遠的就能看到那鮮艷的紅鳥標記。
查了資料，發現這家老店從1963年就已經開始營業，
店內的裝潢和設計還保留了不少當時的一份情懷，
除了在白天時是咖啡館，晚間化身為酒吧外，
這裡同時也販售著一些很有韻味的傢私家具。

雖然店裡還有許多室內座位，不過我們還是選擇了坐在外頭，
午後的雨初歇，大街上有種微雨濕花的感覺，
相似的長木椅，同樣的一抹紅，
在不同的國度、不同的季節里，
不變的是手裡的好咖啡。