Txotx

About this place

Txotx Pintxos Bar occupies Building G at Trondheimsveien 2 in the lower reaches of Grünerløkka, just above the Popsenteret music museum and Riksscenen concert hall, within the former Schous brewery complex. The space is a converted carriage hall — raw concrete floors, blonde wood, and black metal — with the kind of unfussy industrial character that suits a pintxos bar considerably better than a polished dining room would. The name is worth understanding before you arrive. «Txotx» — pronounced roughly as «cho-ch» — is the word called out in traditional Basque cider houses when the cider barrel is ready and guests are invited to come fill their glasses. It is a ritual, a signal, a moment of gathering. Naming the bar after this word reflects the seriousness with which the concept has been approached: the inspiration is San Sebastian and the Basque culinary tradition, though the kitchen also draws on ingredients from across Spain and from local Norwegian producers. Food is served in two main forms. Cold pintxos — the Basque answer to tapas, small preparations on grilled bread slices — are displayed at the bar and self-selected by guests. Warm pintxos and raciones, the more substantial shared plates, are ordered at the table. The selection stays deliberately compact and rotates with the season. Recurring highlights in reviews include choux pastry with cream cheese, squid with salsa, Basque sausage simmered in apple cider, Spanish goat cheese with caramelised onion and sherry, and cured beef with quince and manchego. A dessert of egg-fried bread with blueberries and ice cream has attracted attention as an unexpected but well-executed finish. The drinks list follows Basque and Spanish tradition: cider, txakoli (the local Basque sparkling wine), and a wine selection oriented around the region. On Fridays an after-work offer runs four pintxos for 100 NOK — a practical entry point for those wanting to try the format without committing to a full dinner. Walk-ins at the bar are always accommodated, though reservations are recommended for table seating. The kitchen operates Tuesday through Saturday from 16:00 to 22:00. The bar stays open until 01:00 on weekdays and 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Txotx is part of the same restaurant group behind Popolare, Arakataka, Happolati, and Nedre Fossgaard — a group known for building focused, single-cuisine concepts rather than broadly appealing menus. Norwegian critics have described Txotx as being well on its way to Oslo institution status.

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