Østensjø Havn is a “neighbourhood place” at Oppsal Senter serving lunch, pizza, and drinks. Sometimes they have events and performances. We were there for the pizza and drinks. Before 18:00, there are often many families eating there, as they have a playroom, but as the sun goes down and the evening rolls around, the children disappears, they turn down the lights, and it turns into an adult cozy atmosphere. There are sometimes many people there, but it is not as busy as some restaurants in the city center can be. Me and Vanja had been there before with Saga, but it was new for Giulia and Spencer.

Anyways. As we’re browsing the menu, Vanja scrambles in the door, and we are finally gathered.

So we start looking at the pizzas. The pizza choice is not traditional. Sure, the menu starts with the margarita, here called Valborg, but going further down we see a pizza with spicy salami and pickled fennel, a vegetarian one with vegetables and hummous, one with bbq-chicken, one with vodka sauce, and a white one with pumpkin, nduja, gorgonzola, and roasted pumpkin seeds. Every month they have a special pizza called “this months neighbour pizza”, where a guest gets to choose the pizza.

With this kind of menu they have to prove themselves worthy. I mean, you can’t have pumpkin pizza on the menu and have it be terrible. So, with a feeling of gambling, I chose the pumpkin pizza. Vanja, Giulia and Spencer chose Valborg, Alena, and something I don’t remember.

Giulia had just turned 30 and Spencer had just succeeded at his Phd defense, becoming a doctor. So as we waited for the food we had a moment of celebrating their rapidly increasing adulthood. Spencer insisting on not calling him doctor.

The pizza arrives. Looks and smells great. And the pumpkin pizza delivers. The nduja pairs nicely with the pmpkin and the roasted pumpkin seeds adds a welcoming crunchy texture.

After we globbed down all the food, Spencer wanted to “split the G”, a term I was unfamiliar with, but decided to join. A full pint of Guinnes was too big for my alcohol-sensitive daddy body though, so the waitress got me a cute 250ml glass instead. And we proceeded to try and split the G. Spencer got a little bit below the G. And me, even with my tiny glass, managed to take such a baby swallow that I ended up well above.

That is some the moments we had that night. We had a great time with good food.

There are three things I love about this place:

• It has a great child playing area. Waiting for food with an impatient toddler is no longer stressful.

• They serve unusual pizzas that actually delivers. With at least one new pizza on the menu every month.

• It is in Oppsal. Meaning that it is walkable from where we live in Bøler.

Thanks Vanja, Giulia and Spencer for a great evening!

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