A blue plaque at the entrance to this cafe is in Norwegian and reads:
"SELSKABET FOR OSLO BYES VEL
ENGEBRET CAFE
GRUNNLAGT 1857 AV
ENGEBRET CHRITOPHERSON
BYENS ELDSTE RESTAURANT
STAMKAFE FOR SKUESPILLERE
VED CHRISTIANIA
THEATER"
which means:
"Society for Oslo Byes WELL
Engebret Cafe
FOUNDED 1857 BY
Engebret CHRITOPHERSON
CITY'S OLDEST RESTAURANT
STAM CAFÉ FOR ACTORS
AT CHRISTIANIA
THEATER "
This tourist website (
visit link) adds:
"Engebret Café - an institution in Oslo where Ibsen, Bjørnson, Grieg and Munch all had regular tables. History is engraved in the historic walls. The flourishing theatre community at Bankplassen in the 1800s created a demand for a café for actors and others. 151 years later, Engebret Café is still as popular as ever."