The real low end of Finnish food can be tasted at any Fazer-Amica, Sodexho or whatever cafeteria (you can find one in most major office buildings).

Fine, but not fine dining, restaurants in Helsinki are e.g. Salve, Seahorse (aka "sikala" = pig barn) and Manala. All have been mentioned earlier (with addresses etc.).

A view shared by the Guide Michelin who provided Demo one of their coveted stars in the 2007 European Cities edition. Another restaurant mentioned in this thread, Postres got a favourable mention and seems on it's way to the stars as well.

Quite an interesting article in The Times on the rise of Finnish/Scandinavian cuisine at Helsinki restaurants in the footsteps of the culinary revolution in Britain.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/...cle1493852.ece

With 82 messages in this thread, I can't believe no-one has mentioned KYNSILAUKKA, in Frederikinkatu. Granted, it's not for everyone -- all the dishes on the menu involve garlic! We haven't been there recently, but from '92 to '02 we went at least once or twice a year and were never disappointed. I always liked the little chalkboard in front, updated daily, which says (paraphrase) 'Since we opened on xx.xx.19xx, we have used X kilos of garlic'. It was fun to watch 'X' increase from one visit to the next; I wonder what it is today? Damn, I'm making myself hungry -- we need to go back there!

cheers,

Henry

On the positive side, Kynsilaukka has been a beacon in the empty sea over many Christmas hols when most hotels and restaurants in Helsinki remain closed. I guess they still employ the "open 365 days" policy.

But on the other hand, the interior is in worse and worse wear, service on the sloppy side and the food mediocre at most. I know this used to be different but they seem to count on the old reputation.

Of the steak restaurants mentioned earlier in this thread, the Johan Ludwig in the SAS Royal hotel recently underwent refurbishment and re-opened with the revealing name/slogan Grill It!

From May it's morel season again and it might be worthwhile to ask on availability at the better Helsinki eateries. That poisonous mushroom turned delicacy through careful preparation is present in many forms in local cooking: soups, stews, pies, sauces...

Got to agree with mosburger here; Kynsilaukka (the name, by the way, is an old Finnish expression meaning garlic) is very hard to recommend -- a tired one-trick pony at best.

On the bright side of things, there is a new, relatively inexpensive pasta place in town. Don Corleone is located on the basement floor of the Kamppi shopping centre and their pastas are very, very good. The place is small and crowded and the decor is a bit clunky, but you get a great bang for your buck.

Now, if we only got a decent Vietnamese place here (had fabulous Vietnamese in NYC last week), and some modern Indian (went to Amaya in London some time ago, just great), I'd be a happy man.

Cheers,
T.

My latest Helsinki stint in a culinary perspective:

Great fish and seafood sandwiches at lunchtime in the Old Market Hall at the E.Eriksson store. Had an open river crayfish one with cocktail sauce. Just watch out for the overtly aggressive seagulls who try their best to snatch your food.

There will be a high class Italian opening soon in a central location. Could this finally mean Helsinki gets a decent eatery a'll Italia? Haven´t really been impressed with the present offerings apart from the scruffy Villetta.

The newish Bali-Hai in the trendy Punavuori district has a lot of urban charm on a summer day. The dishes resemble upgraded Helsinki school lunches and once they manage to provide some shade for lunchtime terrace customers it's an almost perfect lunch meeting spot with friends.

And the Helsinki Dining Guide is proud to present: Two withdrawals and two openings

Yume has unfortunately lost it's founding Japanese chef and is now run by a Finnish - Filipino combo. I'd be cautious before heading out to dinner. Also Markus Maulavirta, the slow food guru in charge of the restaurants at Hotel Klaus K has decided to move to Lapland to promote reindeer meat and his former eateries will be outsourced to a group of investors.

On the other hand, the man behind Chez Dominique, Hans Valimaki is opening a largish bistro & deli opposite the main entrance of Stockmann. Should be good with take away promised. Another Michelin starred restaurant, Demo, is also expanding into bistro territory at the former Via restaurant just next door to Helsinki Design Centre.

I second the warning... Yume's offerings have definitively gone downhill. Kamijukkoku-san left in April supposedly after disagreements with Palace Restaurants' management. A rumor said that he moved to Copenhagen to work at Ebisu (Terence Conran's fairly new restaurant) -- can anyone verify this? Haven't been to CPH for ages...

Many other chefs have also deserted restaurants operated by Palace lately.

Another ethnic vibe coming to Helsinki. Filmmaker Mika Kaurismaki, after 15 years of residence in Brazil, is opening a Brazil/Latino themed restaurant called Bossa in November. The restaurant which is co-owned by a Brazlilian musician will have both bar and dining sections, Brazilian food and drinks and latino live music weekly.

And it's that time of year again...Let's see what's on offer.

Elite, a traditional haunt for artists, journos, politicians and everyone else, is offering a trad style buffet from Dec 10th at lunchtime. Think cold fish starters, meat cuts, winter salads, Christmasy entrees and a dessert buffet.

Havis, specialized in local fish, is offering a wide variety of cold fish starters and several fish entrees includng the (in)famous Lutefisk Very happy to see a good selection of my favourite Austrian wines on their list.

Saaga is offering Christmas dishes from Lapland with a focus on reindeer and arctic fish.

Rivoli, the grand old lady of the Helsinki fine dining scene (like her proprietor) offers an upscale Christmas menu with French and Mediterranean touches.

Brief report on a couple of relatively new openings in Helsinki:

Restaurant Grotesk -- a new relaxed dining type effort by the owners of Demo. Press reviews have been generally favorable, but my own experience was a huge disappointment. Indifferent, unprofessional service and uninspiring food. To be avoided, IMHO.

La Société du Cochon -- the much-hyped medium-price restaurant owned by Hans Välimäki of Chez Dominiqué fame. No personal experiences, but my better half was far from impressed: mediocre food and even more mediocre service.

Apparently finding good restaurant staff in Helsinki is a major problem right now.

Cheers,
T.

Hmm, this thread is a find. I will offer Kruo Thai on Mechelininkatu- very authentic food, and better prices than the other more known Thai options.

Hey, that's my neighborhood joint! Personally, I wasn't too impressed by the authenticity, but after a year in Bangkok I have ridiculously high standards and in HEL you certainly could do worse.

New openings
 

Erottaja area has suddenly become the new hot spot in Helsinki's nightlife after the openings of Rymy-Eetu and Cuba!.

Rymy-Eetu tries to bring Bavarian Brauhaus atmosphere into town. Food isn't bad if you like the German fare and they do serve HB and Spaten in one liter jugs. This quite big place seems to get busy even on weekday nights with people from the all walks of life. The age distribution of the patrons is unbelievably wide for Helsinki's nightlife. Fun place to go with a group of people. I recommend going in the afternoon and enjoying "pitkä lounas" (long lunch), which is served with beer and appropriate schnapps, and later when the live band starts playing (8 pm) enjoying dancing on the tables! :p

Cuba! has taken over the space of the former Filmitähti restaurant (of Klaus K hotel). The location is right opposite of Rymy-Eetu. This bar attracts the younger crowd. No food served, AFAIK, unless you book their private party room (some catering available then).

Long lines to both of these places on recent weekend nights...

AFAIK, Cuba! is the only bar in the world that features "Personal Jesus" on its drink list -- you can get a guy dressed as Jesus pour you and your party wine all night long. There is also a menu item for trashing the whole place -- at a steep price.

Cheers,
T.

Would any of the resident experts recommend a couple of currently nice places for early April:

1) A relaxed biz lunch venue with old friends. Private, no need to impress and we all like food. Not too far from the Kamppi area.

2) Somewhere to go out with equally old friends on Saturday night. Preferably a place for talking and maybe some bar food & quality beers on tap I have an afternoon longhaul flight in the next day and will be coming directly from a domestic flight if that clarifies the situation.

This is the best "restaurant Guide" www.ravintolaopas.net
Only in Finnish, but you get links to most restaurant pages which are also in English

1) Strindberg or
Lasipalatsi http://ravintola.lasipalatsi.fi/page.php?language=3
2) This is more difficult: I do not know any gastro pub in there. maybe Belge
http://www.belge.fi/frontpage_belge.html

Yes, Belge should fit most of your criteria. Great selection of Belgian beers (and then some), decent pub grub, and a fairly good selection of different rooms to hang out in (try the "library" on the 2nd floor). It may get quite busy and thus noisy on a Saturday night though.

Two new Michelin star restaurants in town:

* Carma
* Postres

Star taken away from G.W. Sundmans. Demo retains their one star and Chez Dominique their two stars.

Cheers,
T.

For #1, I'd think about a few choices:

* Don Corleone (in the basement floor of Kamppi Center). It is *very* informal and busy, but the pastas are some of the best in town.
* Gastone (Korkeavuorenkatu, near Eteläesplanadi) -- reliable Italian, prix fixe menu. More private and upscale than Don Corleone.
* Also, if you really like food, the prix fixe lunches at either Carma or Chez Dominique are excellent value for money (if not exactly relaxed).

One further option might be Nuevo (Spanish/Mediterranean) on Sofiankatu.

For #2, I think Belge is right on.

Cheers,
T.

The 50 best restaurants in Finland 2008
 

Viisi Tähteä magazine has again polled the chefs, food writers, and other professionals to find out their favorite restaurants in Finland. The full list is available at http://www.viisitahtea.fi/content/view/2905/1/

The top 10 are:
1. Chez Dominique, Helsinki
2. Demo, Helsinki
3. Savoy, Helsinki
4. Olo, Helsinki
5. Postres, Helsinki
6. Carma, Helsinki
7. G.W.Sundmans, Helsinki
8. Atelje Finne, Helsinki
9. Näsinneula, Tampere
10. Sky Ounasvaara, Rovaniemi

No big surprises here, in my opinion, except maybe Atelje Finne. It is a very good restaurant but maybe not top 10... yet. Sky Ounasvaara I haven't tried but have heard a few praises.

At the top I would put Olo, Postres and Savoy ahead of Demo. Savoy, though, scores a lot points in my mind for its nice upscale but relaxed atmosphere and the best service in town. Congratulations are in order to the guys at Postres for their Michelin star! Carma definitely belongs to the top too -- Aremo got his star back this week, too.

Further down the list Sasso's continuing popularity (12th) keeps surprising me. Also what comes to Japanese places (none of which are good by the Japanese standard) I definitely would not rank Kabuki very high. It is a fun place with a bigger group but the food... well... (I prefer Koto foodwise).

Thank you a lot for the suggestions. Belge looks good for Saturday and I will forward the lunch spots to my local friends.

Very interesting "best of" list for 2008 regarding Helsinki. More local food taking over which is always good but sad to see Palace Gourmet slipping. If they found an investor and excellent chef, the location and views could easily guarantee two to three Michelin star status.

Well, I would say #9 is quite a big surprise. We have gone to Näsinneula about once or twice a year for the past ten years, whenever we have first-time visitors from out of town. The food has been so regularly disappointing that after a few years I gave up all expectations; now we go there simply for the view, and to give our guests the experience.

On the other hand, maybe this is not really presented as a list of the best? If the food writers, etc. were asked for their favourites, then maybe I can see how Näsinneula got in the top ten. I mean, there are a lot of categories where I have 'favourites' which I would never try to pretend were actually the best in their class.

cheers,

Henry

Well, after all the lunch meeting was pushed back to 3pm so I called another friend and we had a buffet lunch at the Hotel/Restaurant Helka near the House of Parliament.

Very interesting Artek style decoration and almost uber-Finnish/Nordic. They offered a salad buffet, soup of the day and three mains plus water and coffee for a reasonable price. What I was delighted to see were proper condiments like olive oil, vinegar, pepper from the mill and various hot sauces on offer. The food was quite ok and the place seemed very popular with an office crowd.

On Saturday evening we ended up on the southern tip of Helsinki and in the restaurant Central. Just had some pizza and a few beers but the crowd was enjoyable, looked like a mix of artists/media people and local residents at dinner and chatting. Could well recommend this place for meeting friends. Will try the Belge next time...

Had lunch with a colleague in Carma last week. Food was well-prepared and nicely presented but not really inspired (nor inspiring). Three-course lunch for two with mineral water came to 80 €. Service was friendly but slightly sloppy.

Michelin star worthy? Probably (if only just).

Good value for money? Sadly, no.

Cheers,
T.

Chez Dominique came in at #39 on Restaurant Magazine's annual World's Best Restaurants list. While CD slipped four rungs on the list, the result is still pretty impressive. CD came in as #31 in Europe and #2 in Scandinavia, topped only by Copenhagen's Noma (#10!).

Not surprisingly, the list was topped by El Bulli, The Fat Duck, and Pierre Gagnaire. The French Laundry slipped one place to #5 but still reigns as the top-ranked restaurant outside of Europe.

If you haven't tried CD yet, their business lunch is one heck of a deal -- try it!

You can find the full list here.

Cheers,
T.

We had a largish group for crayfish lunch on the terrace at Savoy some weeks ago on a stopover in Helsinki. I found the service good but not as quick as would have expected.

The young sommelier seemed very knowledgeable and the female maitre both professional and friendly.

Starters were of course domestic crayfish with toast and dill plus still water and a nice Alsatian Riesling. We had six per head to reduce cost but I think around ten would be more ideal.

Then I had the traditional Vorschmack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorschmack) while others were evenly divided between fish (zander) and steak (entrecote of veal) choices. I have to say Savoy makes an outstanding version of this classic dish.

AFAIK, Savoy chef Kai Kallio tries to source local, organic ingredients whenever possible.

Dessert options were tiramisu or Finnish arctic berry compote but as a big fromage fan I chose their plate of French cheeses instead. A pity no local options were offered. My fellow diners seemed satisfied with ther sweeter choices.

Total cost came to just over 100 euros (aka a bit over 150 USD) per head due to the relatively few crayfish ordered.

I recently managed to sample all the Michelin star restaurants in Helsinki during a relatively short time. My informal ranking:

1. Chez Dominique -- head and shoulders above the rest (as a two-star should be)
2. Postres -- not by much, but still better than my sentimental favorite Demo
3. Demo -- the Demo guys seem to have started to play it safe after the star. Smart, perhaps, but a bit boring.
4. Carma -- technically well prepared but rather uninspiring food. I probably need to give Carma another chance.

Also, comparing these restaurant with the half-dozen or so starred restaurants I have visited outside of Finland recently, my conclusion is that they hold their own very well and offer typically better value for money than most international high-end restaurants.

Cheers,
T.

Beware in Sweden
 

I have visited quite many starred restaurants and I fully agree.

One of the most expensive countries in Western Europe is Sweden because they over charge alcohol. The price of alcohol in the stores in Sweden is high but it is quite the same as in Finland. The restaurants however charge a lot more.

Quita amazing, but I just heard they are doing bargain lunches for a limited time starting from 19 euros for two courses and 27 for three. This due to celebrating their tenth anniversary.

Must be the cheapest two star lunch ever!

Quite true. Since my office is a scant 50 meters from CZ, I am trying to line up my VIP clients for lunch next week ;-)

Cheers,
T.

Had a chance to check out some old & new restaurants on my recent visit.

Postres, http://www.postres.fi/: First visit, dropped in here for lunch with a friend. Siika (whitefish?) tartar as a starter, hauki (pike) mousse with Lappish potatoes as the main, lakka (cloudberry) sorbet as dessert. Very impressive: "pure Finnish" ingredients, perfectly prepared with modern methods. Only the dessert was a little bit lackluster. Three-course set lunch was 29 euros, which is a steal for a Michelin-starred restaurant! :-: ^

Umeshu. We were going to eat dinner here, but the test platter of sushi was so terrible (dry non-Japanese rice, mediocre fish) :td: that we gave up and moved on to nearby...

Tokyo55, http://www.tokyo55.fi/ . Run by Japanese chefs and it shows, this is easily the best Japanese food I've had in Finland. Sushi was competent, with a few reasonably executed Finnish twists (smoked salmon rolls with dill etc). Beef tataki was quite good, even the tempura was OK, and a few sakes and Japanese beers to sample. Completely packed to the last table on an ordinary cold and rainy Tuesday evening too. ^

(Calibration note for the above: I'm not saying this is world-class tastebud detonating Japanese, because it wasn't. But for Helsinki, where I've never had even halfway decent sushi before, it was a real surprise.)

Elite, http://www.royalravintolat.com/elite/. Oldie but a goodie. We caught the last day of their season game menu; the duck consomme was unspectacular, but the grilled liver (from the standard menu) was done to perfection. Not cheap though. 0.5 x ^

Belge, http://www.belge.fi/. This is a place to go for beer, not food, and they delivered on the drinks. Tried a pot of moules et frites for old times' sake, and it was alright. Appetizer platter of misc. deep-fried junk was pretty sad though. Drink ^ Food :td:

Have had a few good experiences recently in the newish Primula restaurant and bar. The location is on the southern tip of Helsinki and customers mostly consist of the local well-do population.

Also nice pizza served in the next door pub side. Among the best in Helsinki, IMHO. Oh, and special mention to the excellent and affordable cheese selection and bread.

Just found this thread: I have not been visiting too often Travel & Dining forums...

Anyway, in 2008 I had something like 50 dinners in downtown Helsinki area, some with customers but mostly with own money. My favourites are here:

• Kuurna - my favourite 'hole in the wall' restaurant in Helsinki and huge value for money. Three course dinner around 35 euro and wine list is also reasonably priced. Small (20+ seats) and a bit grungy look, but beautifully prepared simple mainly scandinavian food. Tends to loud and homely so don't expect quiet dinner. Same owners as with Atelje Finne (which is bit more upscale) but I like this more.
• Demo - Still my favourite in Helsinki although they have been getting more conservative now with the Michelin star. I recall times couple of years ago when they were still the 'hidden secret'. Modern scandinavian with international twist.
• Chez Dominique - Already mentioned here several times. I still think that CD lost it's 'soul' when they moved to a much larger room but still reliable.
• Mai Thai - For good Thai food, I go to Mai Thai. Nice place especially if you are just dining with own money. Comfort food.
• Olo - Chef Terävä has impressive resume in Finnish restaurant world and he delivers modern nordic cooking well. High quality with relaxed atmosphere.
• Juuri - recently reviewed by NY Times, traditional Finnish food with pride. Speciality is 'Sapas' = Finnish 'tapas'.
• Särkkä - best summer restaurant for crayfish party late in August (I had in total 5 crayfish dinners in NJK, Särkkä, Saari and Klippan this year with friends, relatives and customers - too many). Great atmosphere, great view, great old castle, great small ferry ride back to Kaivopuisto (as long it is a warm dark August night)
• Villetta and Benjam's bistro - best 'hole in the wall' Italian restaurants in Helsinki. Both close to my regular hotel Crowne Plaza in Töölö. For me, Villetta is for pizza and Benjam's for pasta.

Chez Dominique on the rise
 

The 50 Best Restaurants in the World list was published again and Scandinavia did well with places 3, 21, 32, and 50.

The Danish Noma continues its meteoric rise and now grabs the third place. Our very own CD is the third highest riser, up 18 places in the very respectable 21st place.

Swedish Oaxen Skärgårdskrog och Mathias Dahlgren also made the list.

Not surprisingly, the top two were the molecule meccas El Bulli and Fat Duck.

The list is here.

Cheers,
T.

What's the latest word on Sundmans? I was there with the missus before they lost their star, and it was a very memorable evening.

I haven't been to Sundmans in many moons, but looking at the scene and buzz in town, they have all but disappeared.

I am taking a few clients and friends to upscale places for lunch in the next few weeks and Sundmans hasn't really even crossed my mind -- I can easily name ten or so places that are more exciting and more highly regarded right now.

CZ has a three-course lunch for 29 euros and Postres a four-course lunch for 29 euros which are both excellent deals.

Cheers,
T.

I assume many of you reading this thread may have already come across the article in May-09 BA High Life in flight magazine on Nordic/Finnish Cuisine. I tried to locate the article in the online version, but couldn't, so if you haven't seen it yet, look out for it on your next BA flight.

And this enterprise proved to be short-lived. LSC was sold to my friend who re-opened it with a slightly more American influenced menu but keeping the staff. The burgers should be rather good as well as the steaks.

New openings include the Moroccan-Mediterranean La Medina in the heart of central Helsinki. Reviews, as I understand, have not been that unfavourable.

http://www.lamedina.fi/home.php?lang=eng

I actually had dinner at the new incarnation of LSC, now called Kolme Seppää (The Three Smiths, named after a nearby statue). A pleasant surprise actually. The menu was quite reminescent of California, the food more than OK and service friendly. Not gourmet, but a nice option for a casual meal in a very central location.

Also had dinner at the Atelje Finne last night, came away very impressed, indeed. The place has garnened rave reviews and it is easy to understand why. Good, fresh local ingredients (Finnish asparagus!), excellent preparation, and impeccable taste. My artichoke raviolis were tangy and tasty, the pork belly rolls some of the best meat I have had in a long while and the liquorice creme brulee was delicious (the crust could have been a bit firmer, though). My companion, who is a well-traveled and experienced eater also liked his food a lot.

AF got seventh place in a recent restaurant critics' vote for the top restaurant in Finland. Based on this experience, I would place it actually in the top five.

Highly recommended!

Cheers,
T.