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High taxes on alcohol make Norway one of Europe's more expensive places to sink a beer. But as Steve Davey finds out, this doesn’t seem to stop anyone - and on Friday and Saturday nights the cool bars of Oslo are buzzing.

With these drink prices, what you don't want to do in Oslo is have to duck into a bar and buy a round of drinks to find out if a place is any good. Neither do you want to end up in some generic Irish theme pub on the pedestrianised Karl Johans Gate where all of the tourists hang out. There is a place for Irish pubs and it is Ireland, not Oslo. So here are a few suggestions of some watering holes where you can hang out and party with the locals.

One characteristic of the Oslo bar scene is that things tend to get busy quite late – in most places you will be dodging tumbleweed until well after 11pm. Mainly because of the high prices, people have pre-parties at home, where they get together, have some food, and a few all important drinks to get them in the mood before hitting the town.

I didn't know any locals and didn't fancy having a pre-party all on my own in my hotel room, so I headed to the one place that does get busy early. Oslo is in the process of regenerating its old harbour front and there are cranes and building sites all over, but the Aker Brygge complex next to the Town Hall is finished. In summer (and even in winter) people head here after work to enjoy an alfresco drink on the terrace of one of its many bars and restaurants. The actual place you end up in doesn't really matter; it’s the views and the company that are the draw here. I found a lively bar, with a good view across the marina to the Oslo fjord and just sat on the terrace to relax into the evening. Try Åpenbar which has outdoor seating all year round, with heat lamps and warm blankets provided in the winter months, or Bar1 with its extensive drinks menu including more than 450 types of cognac.

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