From the moment the scaffolding went up, I was wondering who would be taking over the old freestanding house formerly occupied by the stylish Koz Cafe. The only clue was the photo posted on the wall in the early days. Now the transformation is complete: Fuglen has flown in from Norway — and alighted in the backstreets of Tomigaya.
Just as at the original Fuglen in Oslo, it's more than a single idea. The sign over the door makes it clear: it's an espresso bar by day; cocktail bar by night; and a hip little outpost of stylish design all the time.
The formal opening was on Thursday. I dropped by the next day and found the crew chilling outside, having finally got the furniture in and ready for action. It looks great inside, all retro 50s-60s furnishings — the look you used to see in Playboy Magazine half a century ago. But it doesn't feel self-conscious, or a glorified furniture showroom. It's comfortable, a cool place to relax in.
So I dropped back later in the evening for a few beers (a selection of Japanese bottled craft beers) and some of the aforementioned. The man in charge behind the bar is Halvor Skiftun Digernes — and he mixes a mean cocktail.
Here he is preparing a few specials (click on the pics for full-size images)...
...including a cracking custom version of whisky mac with added heat to help shift the cold I'd been nursing all week...
Thanks Halvor. Congratulations to all the Fuglen crew. And cheers!
And for all the architects and design buffs, here is a freezeframe timeline from before to after...
And this is the photo that originally piqued my interest back in the early spring when the work first started. Definitely worth the wait.
There's a map link here...
More details here at the Fuglen Facebook page...
And there's a Tabelog page too now, giving the opening times (though watch out for the phone number given — it's the number for the Oslo main Fuglen)
And more about what's happening in Oslo at the Fuglen home page...
