Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2012

If you thought Scandinavia was just famous for gripping trilogies about technologically literate gothic detectives—then you’ve not tasted its coffee. A popular Oslo coffee-cum-cocktail bar is now opening its first overseas location in the form of Fuglen Tokyo (1-16-11 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku; www.fuglen.no). If you ask the average Japanese person about Norway, you’ll get shown the way to the nearest koban. All this is bound to change thanks to this trendy new venue. The place is divided into three sections: “Daylife” serves up coffee from the Scandinavian nation; “Nightlife” pickles you in house cocktails; and “Lifestyle” allows fiddling with antique Norwegian playthings. And we’re not talking about A-HA. Coffees average at around ¥450, and cocktails at ¥1,350.