Every time I set my foot onto the inner yard of Bare Jazz, I ask myself why I don't do it far more…read moreoften. It is like I forget that it exists. Maybe it is because It's situated in a part of town where I rarely spend time, or because they don't serve any proper lunch. Or maybe it is because this well hidden inner yard possess some magical power that cuts it of from the rumble and tumble of everyday life - because that is for sure how it feels like. Bare Jazz is Scandinavia's biggest jazz music store, providing knowledgeable staff and a good selection. On the second floor there is a small café and bar that serves nice coffee, wine, beer, and some simple cakes and sandwiches (as mentioned before: for a proper lunch you better go somewhere else). And on the secluded yard jazz music is playing all day long, flower pots are blooming and at the first drops of rain big awnings are unrolled. There are plenty of seating outside, but not so many inside. Go here to relax, sip a cup of coffee and listen to John Coltrane doing what he does best. Or bring your laptop and do some work, or your date for that sake! If you're a jazz fan, Bare Jazz is the place for all occasions.

Great place, super nice staff. Coffee is very good and a tiny selection of cakes and nibs. Decor is…read morecozy and very brick and mortar feel. Night time is nice but hardly any seats. Clients are a wide cross section of people. Lots of outdoor seating so it's nice in summer

From the owner: Cocktails, mixology, service, Art-deco venueread more

I thought it would be better. A grungy setting next to Canal, which could be a mixed bag and this…read moretime lean towards the negative. This is based on a Sunday afternoon visit with free music on the terrace. It was very crowded, which would be fine but some of the locals acted like they own the place and we're a bit pushy. Also, the music was average. What they don't tell on the website is it's also karaoke And most of what I heard wasn't that special. If you visit Sunday, maybe go earlier to stake out a table. Even if I had a table in this instance, I don't think I would've stayed long because of the music. It was old time jazz, and a crowd leaning towards that age as well.

Nice place for a late afternoon drink stretching into the early evening. Large selection of beers,…read morebut they were out of ingredients to make cocktails which was less than ideal in my book. Kind of a hip place with cool grungy vibes. Lots of people sitting outside. Drinks fairly reasonably priced. Enjoyed the fact that it's so close to the river. Order drinks at the bar and take them to your table.

Stopped in for a drink since it's across the street from our hotel. The service was friendly and…read morehelpful. They made us feel welcome.

I'm an Engineer, age 56, working in Oslo now for a 6 month assignment. I was excited to find this…read moreplace since it looked like there were some fantastic jazz shows here. Then I had the unfortunate experience of meeting the owner, sitting with three other gentlemen, who seemed very amused at my questions about the beer menu. He made sure that he was served another drink (I could tell he already had a few) in the middle of my order to make sure I knew he was the boss. Then I endured another 5 minutes of ridicule (in Norwegian, but obvious) while I tried to enjoy my beer - I did not enjoy my beer and got the message loud and clear that this place was for Norwegians. Such a shame to own a club in an international city and look down on foreigners, it seemed so small and petty. There are many venues in this city to choose from, give him his wish and avoid this one.

There is a new kid on my block named Django and he is kewl bananaz…read more Situated one door down from Forest & Brown is a newly opened Jazz Bar which is picking up momentum. Contemporary decor and lounge style layout and seating makes this a great spot to hangout with mates and chill. Live Jazz every Tuesday and a very interesting wine and beer list this makes this a perfect alternative to most other bars in the area and the feel here is definitely upmarket. Only called in for one scoop of beer on the way in to town so will need to come back next year and give it the full monty. I am pretty sure I also saw a vinyl deck and as vinyl is the retro comeback King at the mo' I am going to see if they would be up for a spinners night where we can bring vinyl in and let it play. Vinyl UYE anyone?

I was smoking a cigar and stopped on the Buckley's patio (where smoking is allowed) for a beer…read more Sat there for a while and realized no server was going to come. So I walked inside (yes, admittedly breaking the no-smoking law) and approached the woman tending bar and asked her how I could get a beer. At this point we were both standing about three feet from the open door to the patio. Call me crazy, but I think she should have said, "Please step outside with the cigar, tell me what you want, and I'll hand it to you." Instead she sternly commanded me to leave immediately. Quite rudely. I was going to return later to hear a band but did not.

A very cute book store with nice staff who will help you pick out a book if you don't have anything…read morespecific in mind :)

I have a slight love affair with books and when it comes to bookstores I am in heaven. Someone…read moreshould combine books and healthy food....I would never leave. Anyways, this place is a gem. I came in just to check it out and had no intentions of buying but the guy that was working there honed in on me and knew I was a sucker. I left with two awesome reads. My cousin even left with a 1962 published Ernest Hemingway book, a real steal. Everything is categorized alphabetically by author, so don't go in expecting an English section or a food section. Go in with an open mind and maybe a list of authors you would like to explore. Some books are new but I would say most are used. I started rambling off some authors I was hoping to read but the book had either been sold already or they didn't have the title I was hoping for. But what I loved about the guy working there was he took in everything I was asking and came up with his own recommendations. And he was spot on. excellent excellent service! I won't be going to any other bookstore but here. If I can support local and have a handy dandy resource to help me navigate the endless shelves of books for new treasures I will never shop anywhere else. Do yourself a favor and explore this place.