An abundance of French bakeries and pastry shops have sprung up in Oslo lately. Much of the credit goes to Pascal Dupuy, a Frenchman who has been living and working in the city forever and opened his first pastry shop here back in 1995, simply named Pascal. Today, there are several more places to sample these goods, and according to former Pascal employee Quentin Coudert, who now runs Obelia, French pastry is constantly evolving. The development of the French pastry tradition is especially noticeable when it meets food traditions from other parts of the world, such as here in Oslo, he says.
Read on for the best places to visit.
Pascal – the original
It all started back in 1995 when Pascal Dupuy opened his first pastry shop in what was then a pretty seedy neighbourhood in downtown Oslo. The café/restaurant/shop is still found at its original spot in a protected building at Tollbugata 11. To be frank, the area is still a bit rough, but since then, Pascal has opened several more restaurants around the city, and the man himself has even been the subject of his own TV series and is a familiar name to viewers across the country. Pascal is a member of the organisation Relais Desserts, which comprises about 100 pastry chefs and chocolate makers from 19 countries to ensure that French Haute Pâtisserie shines across the globe. To gain entry into Relais Desserts, Pascal produced a fennel cake that has been sold at his stores since 1998, and for good reason. The sympathetic Frenchman is a masterful maker of macarons, inventive chocolate creations, and mirror cakes, and his homemade ice cream is a recurring summer hit for the inhabitants of Oslo. Never one to rest on his laurels, you will always find new and exciting flavour combinations in Pascal’s outlets.
Pascal – several shops, most importantly at Tollbugata 11 (original shop), Henrik Ibsens gate 36 (close to the Royal Palace)
www.pascal.no