Savage is located inside the Revier building in Oslo. You might not immediately expect to find a fine dining restaurant in this location, but the restaurant fits in very well. It is the brainchild of Italian Chef Andrea Selvaggini. After a career that brought him to a long list of top restaurants across the globe, Selvaggini opened his first own restaurant in the capital of Norway. He turns local products in delectable dishes, strongly influenced by his international career and with a lot of attention for beautiful plating.
Concept & location
Savage is located in the heart of the old town of Oslo. Just steps from the historic fortress in an area that has evolved over time into a bustling commercial hub. The story of Savage is closely tied to a moment of personal change for its chef. On the same day he and his wife learned they were expecting their first child, the owners of the space reached out to him. Actually, it was the plan of the chef to leave Norway, but he liked the environment where the space was located so much that he decided to change his plans. Though the district is not residential, the fact that it was close to Oslo’s vibrant city center and just steps from the main shopping street convinced the chef this could work. However, opening a restaurant there was also challenging : attracting guests to an area primarily dominated by offices, the harbor, and cruise ship terminals was not that easy at first. The initial plan also was not to become a fine dining restaurant. The chef wanted to avoid putting too much pressure on his team. However, with his background in fine dining over the last ten years, it was a natural direction anyway. He built a strong team, and as he continued to grow, he started to receive exceptional feedback from newspapers and even recognition from The New York Times.
The restaurant offers a modern fine-dining experience that is both dynamic and immersive. The menu is generous, with 21 servings featured in this year’s offering. But the vision goes beyond just the food. It is also about how guests move through and experience the space. Instead of staying at one table for the entire meal, guests are guided through different areas of the restaurant. The experience begins in the Green Room, where guests are welcomed and served their first bites. Afterward, they move into the main dining area, where the rest of the meal takes place.
Right now, the journey includes two different spaces, but there are plans to add a third, creating an even richer experience in the future. The atmosphere is designed to be elegant yet relaxed, making guests feel comfortable, almost like being at home. Music is an important part of setting the mood. In the Green Room, you will hear deep, subtle electronic sounds, while in the dining area, the playlist is a bit livelier, featuring a mix of blues and rock & roll depending on the vibe of the day. The restaurant’s atmosphere feels like a cozy, Scandinavian-inspired cottage lounge. Bright-colored walls, warm oak floors, and thoughtful design choices create a welcoming, comfortable space.
The Chef & the team
Behind the stove of Savage, we find Chef Andrea Selvaggini. From a young age, food was an obsession for Andrea. Growing up in Tarquinia, a small coastal town between Rome and Tuscany, he was surrounded by incredible home cooking. His grandmother, ran a farm where everything was made from scratch. She taught him the traditional ways of working with ingredients from start to finish, sparking his fascination with how raw products could be turned into something beautiful and delicious. Selvaggini considered culinary school as a next step but his father, who was a respected doctor, insisted that his son would chose for a school direction that would prepare him for university. It wasn’t until he turned eighteen that he was able to pursue cooking.
Using money that he saved working summers in local seaside restaurants, he paid for a three-month intensive course at Boscolo, a renowned culinary school in Tuscany. After graduating, he got an internship with a catering company. Within months he was managing banquet preparations on his own. But he wanted more. He printed two hundred copies of his CV and started driving through Switzerland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, delivering his CV personally to restaurants. Eventually, he got a job offer from a bistro in France. The experience was valuable, but language barriers made it tough. Looking for a better fit, he moved to Luxembourg and joined the team at an Italian restaurant called Basta Cosi. After six months he applied for a stage at Metamorfosi in Rome, and it was a turning point. It deepened his love for contemporary fine dining. From there, he would join a seafood-focused restaurant near Rome, where he honed his skills in traditional Italian cooking. Still eager to explore new flavors and techniques, Selvaggini moved to Spain and joined Quique Dacosta. During his year and a half there, he immersed himself in avant-garde cooking, but over time he missed the raw connection to food and fire. Conversations with his Mexican colleagues triggered his interest in Mexican cuisine, so he applied to Quintonil in Mexico City and was accepted. Through collaborations with Nordic chefs there, he got interested in Nordic cuisine and applied to Maaemo in Norway, was hired, and quickly rose through the ranks from chef de partie to sous chef, eventually leading research and development. As Maaemo prepared to move to a new location, Selvaggini felt ready for a new adventure, this time in Asia. But just after resigning, he was offered a position at Restaurant Kontrast in Oslo. He stayed for six months, saving money and gaining new experience, until the pandemic hit and disrupted everything. During lockdown, he took a head chef position at Einer, but another shutdown soon followed, giving him time to reflect. For years, he had been constantly moving forward without pause. He considered returning to Italy or pursuing his dream of working in Asia. But fate intervened: on the same day he learned he was going to be a father, he was offered the opportunity to open Savage
The current kitchen team at Savage consists of eight members, including the chef. The team is very international but also includes two apprentices from the local culinary school.
Gastronomy / Cooking Style
After opening, Selvaggini and his team experimented a lot and created more than two hundred different dishes. For the chef, that was an important phase of exploration. With a background shaped by many different styles, he set out to create a restaurant that reflected both his personal journey as the diverse, ever-evolving spirit of Oslo. Oslo’s food scene is a melting pot without many truly traditional restaurants, something the chef found both fascinating and challenging. He aimed to bring a similar diversity to his menu, while staying grounded in his own experiences.
During the years, also his way of dealing with products has evolved. In the early days, he sourced ingredients from around the world without restrictions. But after a couple of years, and especially influenced by the fact that he was a father now, he shifted his focus toward sustainability and locality. Today, most ingredients in Savage come from trusted Norwegian suppliers, although he still imports a few essentials like wasabi and select seasonings. The menu highlights produce from farmers and suppliers he has strong relationships with. While the cuisine is not strictly Nordic, it embraces a Scandinavian context, blending global influences, particularly from Asia, with minimalist, visually striking plating, a skill the chef learned during his time at Quique Dacosta.
Some of the dishes we tried :
Service & Wine
The atmosphere in Savage is relaxed and informal. Service is flawless and interactions with the staff are pleasant at all times. The music selection adds an interesting touch to the overall atmosphere. The service team consists of four members, all from international backgrounds.
When we visited the restaurant, they were offering just one wine pairing, but their goal was to expand that also with a Champagne pairing. Initially, their wine cellar was built with a strong focus on natural and biodynamic wines, which was not entirely aligned with the vision of the chef. While he appreciates biodynamic wines, he prefers a balanced approach that includes a mix of styles. It took time to restructure their selection, but they are now working towards securing premium allocations, expanding their champagne collection, and refining the overall offering.
Why go?
Dining at Savage is more than just a meal. The team is dedicated to creating something memorable, something that lingers long after the last bite. As a guest you don’t just leave with the memory of great food, you leave with the feeling of having been part of something special. It is about comfort, connection, and warmth, like spending an evening in the most welcoming living room, where you feel completely at ease, engaged, and at home. Combine this feeling with the delectable cuisine of Andrea, which is strongly influenced by his experience in many different kind of restaurants across the globe, and you know you are in for a real treat.
