I will be in HEL over the weekend. Are some of the earlier posting still valid? I've searched a few and found the restaurant, but is the food the same? Suggestions? Is CD still the place for lunch (what is the attire for a Sat lunch?)

Also, I see bear and reindeer listed frequently. I imagine that reindeer is like venison but have no clue what bear would taste like. Is it any good? Or should we skip these types of places as tourist traps? e.g., I believe an earlier thread mentioned a place called Lappi as real tourist driven? Are these items on the menu for us tourists only? What about Saslik and its bear menu? Saslik

In a nutshell, we're looking for local, mid-range-ish+ non-tourist food.

Last question: Is there a Finnish drink that I should make sure I get a few of during my trip? (e.g., akin to drinking a caipirinha in Rio) - or should I stick to beer (vodka?)

Cheers -

Finnish beer in general isn't really very good, I'm afraid, compared to, say, the Czechs or the Belgians or the Germans. There are a number of small brew-pubs ('panimoravintola') with some lovely beers -- ask around -- but the 'majors' are nothing to write home about. I suppose you should try a Lapin Kulta, just for kicks (but it's not even made in Lapland any more).

Contrary to popular belief abroad, the national drink is not 'Finlandia'. Rather, it is a spirit called Koskenkorva. It is available in a range of strength, including 60% (or "120-proof" in American reckoning) and 40% versions labelled as 'vodka', as well as 38% and 32% versions called 'viina'. There are also several flavoured varieties. Because alcohol is highly taxed in Finland, the strong stuff is too expensive to be popular; what the locals mostly drink is the watered-down 32% version.

Another Finnish favourite is a candy called Salmiakki. It is basically a salty licorice.

So, if you really want to push the boat out, I suggest that you try the Koskenkorva Salmiakki (32%).

cheers,

Henry

The decor and clientele at Lappi is overwhelmingly touristy and it's rather overpriced, but the food isn't actually bad. Bear is more of an oddity/luxury than a touristy item. I've only tried it once -- at Lappi, as it happens! -- and given the rather extravagant price I was somewhat disappointed: it could have been beef as far as I could tell.

Saslik is a Russian restaurant, not a Finnish one.

So, for "mid-range local", I'd recommend Kahvila Suomi (former dockworkers' greasy spoon, slowly heading upmarket, mildly inconvenient location) and Kosmos (old-school, traditional, very central and pricier but not ridiculously so).

A minimal Finnish menu reader:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Finland#Eat

You can't say you've been to Finland unless you've tried the lonkero and the salmari. Cloudberry liqour (lakka) is also worth a shot, preferably as dessert (it's very, very, very sweet).

Smart casual is fine at CD. I've been there in anything from jeans and t-shirt to full regalia. Their saturday lunch is slightly different from the normal affair and the lunch menu is 35 �.

In addition to the other suggestions, I might add the following:

Atelje Finne -- not open for lunch but most excellent three course dinners at around 40 �. Simple, well-made food from fresh local ingredients. One of my favourites right now. Definitely not touristy. Can't recommend this place enough. (http://www.ateljefinne.fi/)

Salve -- a traditional restaurant known for its fish. Rather below mid-range but atmospheric and non-touristy. Perhaps better for weekday lunch than weekends, though. (http://www.ravintolasalve.fi/40.html)

Cheers,
T.

Fast and on target ^ - thanks a ton.
I'll take a look at the drinks and the restaurants suggested

Is wiki correct and is this something that is added to coffee? That sounds good

Also, is anyone in HEL this weekend and want to try out a few of the mentioned beverages?

You can have the liqueur in a coffee in a manner similar to Irish Coffee (sans the cream) but I would recommend having them separately - coffee is likely to mess up the berry aromas in the liqueur.

In addition to cloudberry, you may want to give arctic bramble (mesimarja) liqueur also a try.

Cheers,
T.

On my visits to Helsinki, I've followed a theme of eating in places favored by the late Marshal Mannerheim who was a keen culinarist and actually wrote a cookbook together with his sister.

So far I've been to Savoy, Bellevue and Seurahuone, which all seem amazingly well preserved with their pre WWII appearances. Also they all still seem to have some of Mannerheim's favorite dishes on the menu! At Bellevue, my waitress even noted that they were playing some of Mannerheim's favorite Russian songs as background music.

If someone knows of this famous person's other favorite eateries that are still well preserved, please let me know.

My short - too short - weekend in HEL was fantastic. We didn't have the chance to eat at CD (hockey game Sat; closed Sun; next time it is a must do) but Salve and Manala were more than we could have asked for. Sauteed reindeer, potatoes and lingon berries - yummy! (Of note, finding a place to eat on a Sunday night is not the easiest task). Pickles and honey. How did someone figure that one out? Doesn't matter because the combo made a nice appetizer. The beer was even good - nothing wrong with a cold Koff. And the lakka. That was very nice to finish of a meal and a few bottles made it back to the USA with us. What else as I try not to ramble too much. Breakfast pastries with rice, cheese/meat and a cup of strong coffee = more good stuff ^. Speaking of coffee, not a bad cup all trip; strong but not bitter or burnt (e.g. Starbucks). Lastly, we stopped at a street vendor booth on the way home one night and picked up one great hamburger - not quite sure what was on it, but it was good.

I must thank the folks here for their suggestions - - and if anyone wants a few more details from the short time tourist perspective, send a pm.

Cheers

I'll second this recommendation. Mrs999 and I had dinner there recently and were very pleased; it is what it is. The 'non-touristy' element is emphasised by the fact that some menu items -- food and wine -- are discounted for customers who have an S-kortti (which, for those who don't know, is one of the major Finnish 'loyalty' cards.)

The following day we had lunch at CD. I would recommend it for anyone who is (as we were) curious about the 2-star experience -- but we won't be going back any time soon. Maybe my expectations were too high, but (a) service was decidedly casual and (b) we have had better food at 1-star restaurants in Paris.

cheers,

Henry

Hi,

We will be flying in to Helsinki on the evening of the 26th of December this year which is a Sunday. We arrive at about 8.30pm so i was wondering how late the restaurants in town stay open (realistically we could check into a hotel in town and get to a restaurant about 10pm). If they will not stay open late then we may as well stay near the airport as we fly out at 8am the next morning.

If the restaurants are open late, can anyone suggest a nice traditional finnish restaurant that is in a picturesque part of town where we could possibly take some photos of Helsinki at night after dinner?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Cheers!

Manala was open late on Sunday and well worth the trip. You might want to confirm its hours. Not sure if it is picturesque enough though (we ended up on the wrong road and arrived via back streets)- the locals can probably offer more assistance.

Cheers -

Welcome to FlyerTalk, AUSSIEFOODIE.

Thanks for clarifying that; otherwise, we might have thought you meant 8am in the evening.

I'm not sure if / how it will affect your plans, but you should be aware that 26 December (Tapaninp�iv�, or St Stephen's Day) is a full holiday in Finland. Public services, opening hours, etc. might well be different from those of an ordinary Sunday.

cheers,

Henry

You are pretty much out of luck -- most places worth visiting stop serving dinner around 10 even on normal nights and Boxing Day won't make things any better.

I'd stay at the airport Hilton and try to get some sleep.

Cheers,
T.

Thanks guys, maybe we will try Manala then if that is nice. I emailed Helsinki Tourism and they sent me a long list of Restuarants/Bars/Clubs that were open on 24th/25th/26th December last year and the times they were open to. Manala was open from 6pm - 4am on the 26th last year so no problems there but there were other restaurants that were open until 11pm or later. Is Manala close to an area where we might be able to take some nice photos around town after dinner? Or any other suggestions are welcome!! These were some of the other restauarants that were open late according to the Tourism Office, are any of these any good food/location wise?

Belge, Kluuvikatu 5, tel.010-766 3590 11-23
Kynsilaukka Garlic, Fredrikinkatu 22, tel.651 939 (garlic) 13- (entr. before 23)
K�mp Cafe, Pohjoisesplanadi 29, tel.5840 9530 11.30-01
Lastu/Scandic Continental, Mannerheimintie 46, tel.4737 2207 17-23
Makasiini/Scandic Grand Marina,
Katajanokanlaituri 7, tel.09-16 661 18-23
Manala, Dagmarinkatu 2, tel. 580 77 707 (Fin-nish/home-cooking) 18-04
Savotta, Aleksanterinkatu 22, tel.7425 5588 (Finnish) 17-23
Salve, Hietalahdenranta 11, p.603 455 14-23
Teatteri, Pohjoisesplanadi 2, p.6811 1311 11-01
Zetor, Mannerheimintie 3-5, t. 010-7664 450 (Finnish, tractor theme restaurant) 12-24

Thanks again for your help!

Based on the address, I would say that the Teatteri has the best location regarding picture taking (Senate square, the Esplanade). The K�mp comes second (on the same street) and includes the advantage of a great hotel in the same location.