Campo de’ Fiori: Oslo’s most revered Italian has expanded

By Eva-Kristin U. Pedersen | Photos: Eliasfoto.pic-time.com

Campo de’ Fiori, the Italian eatery in Josephines gate, has become an institution for Oslo-dwellers; a place to find authentic Italian food and great wine in a convivial and warm setting.

Since April last year, residents of the Gimle area in Frogner – one of Oslo’s most sought-after neighbourhoods – have had their own local version of the successful Italian restaurant. Or rather, they have two. In Bygdøy Allé, one of Oslo’s most elegant streets, Osteria Campo and Norum Grill opened last year. The man behind them is Fabio Pezzoli, one of Campo de Fiori’s owners.

Community rebellion

This time, however, Pezzoli can thank the neighbours for being able to open at all. “There have been many different restaurants here over the past 20 years. The owner of the building wanted to give the property to a supermarket, but the neighbours rebelled, forcing him to change plans, and he asked me to take over,” Pezzoli explains.

He and his associates immediately jumped at the idea and now, a year later, Osteria Campo and Norum Grill are a reality. “Osteria Campo is inspired by Campo de’ Fiori, both in terms of the menu and when it comes to the design. Norum Grill, on the other hand, is a French-inspired brasserie with Italian and South American dishes too,” Pezzoli explains, adding that although located next to each other, the two restaurants have separate kitchens.

The common denominator for both restaurants, however, is quality, in terms of the ingredients and the care with which they are prepared, as well as the accompanying wine. “We have a wine cellar with more than 3,000 different wine labels,” Pezzoli highlights.

Campo de’ Fiori: Oslo’s most revered Italian has expanded

Norwegian ingredients, Italian know-how

As at Campo de’ Fiori, many of the ingredients are sourced in Norway. “Norway gives you the opportunity to buy really high-quality produce locally,” Pezzoli points out, referring not only to the world-famous Norwegian seafood, but also the milk – which is used to make Italian cheese.

“I’m collaborating with a cheesemaker from Apulia who makes mozzarella and burrata at his laboratory in Oslo, and it’s excellent. Sometimes he even comes and makes the cheese in the actual restaurant in front of the guests,” Pezzoli says.

Campo de’ Fiori: Oslo’s most revered Italian has expanded

Rigatoni alla Vaccinara

Pezzoli’s Norwegian-Italian fusion expands into other areas, with some of his chefs now Norwegian. Many of them worked part-time at Campo de’ Fiori during their studies, and Pezzoli says it was important to him to be able to offer them the possibility of full-time employment after graduation. “They are very good, and it’s important to us to know that we have qualified staff in the kitchen, staff that know how to handle food, that make sure the kitchen is clean and organised – that’s also a part of our job,” Pezzoli underlines.

Pezzoli, who is Roman of birth, still puts much emphasis on Roman dishes in his restaurants; guests can enjoy quintessential Roman dishes like the Amatriciana or the Rigatoni alla Vaccinara – a traditional Roman dish made with ox tail and cocoa.
“We’ve had it as dish of the day at Campo de’ Fiori for a while, and people are loving it,” Pezzoli says, smiling.

At Osteria Campo, on the other hand, one of the big hits has been the spaghetti with tomato, capers, olives and scampi from Northern Norway – another example of how Italian cooking tradition and Norwegian ingredients can form a winning team.

Campo de’ Fiori: Oslo’s most revered Italian has expanded

A terrace for long summer evenings

The customers seem to agree. After a year in business, Pezzoli is happy to say that their efforts have paid off: the new restaurants are fully booked every evening.

Pezzoli explains that he and his team are now working on the terrace – though already open, he wants to make sure the outdoor setting is as beautiful and inviting as possible when the bright Norwegian summer evenings arrive.

And as for himself, he says that dividing his time between three restaurants is tiring but manageable. “It’s tiring at times, but the satisfaction in seeing how guests enjoy the food and the place compensates for all the work we’ve put in,” he says.

Campo de’ Fiori: Oslo’s most revered Italian has expanded