Himkok is a working distillery you can drink inside. From an unmarked door in central Oslo, it produces its own aquavit, gin and vodka on site, runs an ice programme that supplies other bars, and pours some of the most distinctly Nordic cocktails anywhere. It is the most internationally respected bar in Norway, and it sits at No. 10 in our world ranking.
Most bars source their spirits. Himkok makes them. That single decision, to build an attached micro-distillery and feed its output straight to the back bar, is what separates it from almost every other room on this list and gives its drinks a flavour you cannot get anywhere else. It is the rare bar where the phrase farm-to-glass is not marketing but a description of the plumbing.
Why it ranks No. 10
Our list is ordered by verified guest rating, ties broken by review volume, and Himkok holds a 4.6 average across more than 3,200 reviews. That is a strong score sustained across a large, busy audience, the kind of consistency that is far harder to maintain than a high rating in a tiny room. Drinkers who make it through the unmarked door come away rating it near the top of the scale, and they do so in numbers, which is exactly the signal our methodology is built to reward.
The trade has agreed for a long time. Himkok has appeared on The World's 50 Best Bars every year since 2017, ranked No. 14 in 2025, and it took the Best Bar Design Award in 2024. A bar that combines that length of critical recognition with a high guest score, from a country not historically known as a cocktail capital, has earned its place in the top ten.
The distillery, and why it matters
Himkok's defining feature is its fully functioning on-site distillery, which produces the aquavit, gin and vodka that form the base of the cocktail programme; a large share of what the bar serves is made in house. That self-sufficiency is a genuine point of difference: it lets the team build drinks around spirits tuned to their exact needs, with a Nordic character that reflects the surrounding landscape. The commitment extends to an ice programme run out of a dedicated ice room and lab, where Himkok produces, cuts and even distributes ice to other bars, treating something most places take for granted as another ingredient worth perfecting. Between the still and the ice room, this is a bar that controls more of its own drinks from source than almost anyone.
The room
Himkok hides in plain sight at Storgata 27 in central Oslo, behind a speakeasy-style entrance with no sign, marked only by a blue light over the door. Inside is a low-lit drinking lounge of dark leather and mirrored surfaces, a warm and characterful space rather than a clinical laboratory, even though a working distillery sits just beyond it. Under bar manager Maros Dzurus and his team, the room runs with a quiet confidence that matches its standing. It reads as both a serious, world-ranked destination and a comfortable Oslo hangout, which is a difficult balance and part of the charm.
The drinks
The cocktails lean hard into the house production and a sense of place, and they are often playful. The signature Birch is a modern icon, a martini-style drink finished with a blue-cheese-stuffed olive. Elsewhere the menu turns Norwegian memory into liquid: Softis is built around the idea of a soft-serve ice-cream cone, with aquavit and an ice cream made from amaretto, white cacao and fino sherry; The Bun evokes skolebrod, the custard-filled Norwegian sweet roll, through Buffalo Trace and a Sazerac riff; the Sloe Gin Gimlet uses the bar's own house-made sloe gin. Each of the house spirits gets its own showcase across the list, so you can taste the distillery's aquavit, gin and vodka in turn. If you are unsure where to start, the cocktail flight is the right introduction, walking you through the range in a single sitting.
How to visit
Himkok is at Storgata 27 in Oslo's Sentrum, central and walkable, though the unmarked door means you should look for the blue light rather than a sign. It is a popular, world-ranked room, so reservations are recommended, especially at weekends, and it is worth checking the bar's own channels for current hours. Oslo is not a cheap city and cocktails here are priced accordingly, but the in-house production and the sheer craft make it fair value for what you are getting, which is a drinking experience you genuinely cannot replicate elsewhere. Come curious about the distillery, and let the team pour you something built on a spirit they made themselves.
Who it's for
Himkok suits the cocktail traveller building a serious European itinerary, the drinker fascinated by production and provenance, and anyone who wants a warm, characterful room with genuinely singular drinks. It pairs naturally with Oslo's other strong bars for a full evening. Come for the novelty of drinking inside a distillery; stay because the cocktails are as good as the concept promises.
For more of the city, the full cocktail bars in Oslo roundup expands the picks, our hidden gem bars in Oslo guide covers the quieter rooms, and the Oslo bar guide covers every occasion. See where it sits among its peers on our world's top 50 bars ranking.
What to order
- 01
Birch
The modern signature: a martini-style drink finished with a blue-cheese-stuffed olive.
- 02
Softis
An ode to the soft-serve cone: aquavit with an ice cream of amaretto, white cacao and fino sherry.
- 03
The Bun
Buffalo Trace and a Sazerac riff evoking skolebrod, the custard-filled Norwegian sweet roll.
- 04
The cocktail flight
The best introduction, walking you through the house aquavit, gin and vodka in one sitting.