My girlfriend and I will be staying in Helsinki in a couple weeks. We only have one night and we're basically foodies on a budget. Can anyone recommend a reasonable priced place with a tasty presentation of traditional/modern Finnish quisine?

What do you consider reasonable?

From value for price perspective you'd be best off having a prix fixe lunch at one of the top restaurants. A three course menu is around 30 euros, including service but excluding drinks. For the lunch option, my two favorites are Chez Dominique (2 Michelin stars) or Postres (1 star). The food is not "typical" Finnish but fuses local ingredients and French traditions. CD is one of the best restaurants in Northern Europe and the lunch is a great deal. Dinner there starts from around 50-60 euros.

For a top-notch dinner at a fairly reasonable price (40-50 euros per head), my favorites include Demo (1 star) and Ateljee Finne (no star yet, but a serious candidate). These two are probably the most Finnish of the high-end places. Ravintola Nokka also serves modern Finnish food from local ingredients. It is not quite as highly regarded as the above two, but it has never disappointed me. Dinner prices are in the same range.

Olo serves what they call modern Scandinavian and some people like it quite a bit (I think it got the Bib Gourmande), but my only experience there was a disappointment.

Hope this helps. If you can define your budget and preferences a bit more, I can try to make a more definite recommendation.

Cheers,
T.

Hmm, the places you mention are probably a bit out of my price range, though they do sound excellent! Unfortunately with the exchange rate being what it is and the fact that we have to eat for 2 weeks, these might be a bit beyond our means. I was thinking something closer to 30 euro a head for dinner. Not necessarily a Michelin star, but not a greasy spoon either. A non-touristy spot is a plus. Keep those suggestions coming.

You might want to try Kuurna -- it is tiny but has a fairly good reputation. The last time I ate there, dinner was something like 28 euros per head. (Sorry, just checked and they are closed until August).

There is a brand new place by a couple of up and coming chefs called Luomo (www.luomo.fi) that is a bit over your budget (38 euros per head) but the place should be interesting; they combine Finnish ingredients with international trends such as molecular cuisine...

Solna (www.solna.fi) is another option.

I strongly suggest you bite the bullet and spend about 40 euros per head; that way you can get some real quality. For 30 you can get OK food, but you probably won't get as much bang for your buck as in the other places.

For 30 or less, one option is Kolme Seppää (http://www.rafla.fi/kolmeseppaa) which is OK, but the food is international/California style.

Cheers,
T.

Just some examples about Helsinki prices. I'll take the Kolme Seppaa restaurant mentioned earlier as example because I know the owner tries to keep his prices moderate for Helsinki. This is considered a mid priced restaurant.

Snails Burgundy style (starter) 12 euro

Forest mushroom soup 11 euro

Mac'n'cheese with chicken 15 euro

Cheeseburger 15 euro

New York strip steak 25 euro

Cheapest White by glass 5,40 euro

Cheapest Red by glass 5,60 euro

Solna seems at an all time high, btw. Had a wonderful dinner there with a largish group some weeks ago. After good asparagus for starter the veal Wallenbergare they had as mains were absolutely brilliant in taste.

[QUOTE=Thalassa;11858839]From value for price perspective you'd be best off having a prix fixe lunch at one of the top restaurants. A three course menu is around 30 euros, including service but excluding drinks. For the lunch option, my two favorites are Chez Dominique (2 Michelin stars) or Postres (1 star). The food is not "typical" Finnish but fuses local ingredients and French traditions. CD is one of the best restaurants in Northern Europe and the lunch is a great deal. Dinner there starts from around 50-60 euros.
QUOTE]

I didn't know about CD's lunch before reading on this thread earlier - an excellent choice!! 3 course lunch at a 2-star restaurant at 30e is a steal - though if you take a glass of wine, some water and coffe, there goes another 30e. Mind, they have lunch only on Thursday and Friday (maybe Saturday, too?) as they open for Wednesday dinner. Mo & Tu closed.

New lunch menu every week.

I'd recommend 3 restaurants downtown - Lasipalatsi, Lappi (=Lapland) and Savotta. All of them are downtown. Lappi and Savotta could be described as "Finnish theme" restaurants and the cooking is good. No Michelin stars, but the OP is not after those :)

I'm not sure I'd second this. I haven't been to Savotta, but at least Lappi is really over-the-top touristy -- the decor is all log cabin, moose antlers and reindeer pelts (see website), and the menu (in about 12 languages) is similarly outre, with bear meatballs, snow grouse, reindeer steaks and all kinds of "Finnish" food that almost nobody actually ever eats. Now, this is not to say that the food is actively bad, it's just pretty darn expensive for what you get.

When I wrote "Finnish theme" restaurant, the word theme should've been in bold :D You are right, nobody eats bear meatballs (but I do eat reindeer). OTOH the OP is a tourist so touristy places could be considered as well. I'd even go as far as "when in Finland once in your life, why the heck go and eat French/Italian/whatever cuisine? Where else can you get reindeer, bear, etc?" (except for Sweden and Russia)

I usually try to sample the local offerings wherever in the world I happen to be, with the full knowledge, that the dishes I eat might not be on the dinner table of Local Joe every night.

A few of the "classic" Helsinki eateries with Finnish cuisine:

Savoy - Back to (refined) basics on a constantly high level. An August crayfish dinner can be spectacular.

Lehtovaara - A bit out of the centre. Best bet is the Sunday brunch/lunch buffet.

Sea Horse - Could be found on Manhattan. Urban Helsinki at it's best with workman's fare.

Salve - Ditto, with a maritime twist.

Kosmos - Traditional artists haunt, nice mix of Russian, French and domestic influences on the menu.

Elite - Similar to Kosmos, but with an excellent, romantic summer terrace.

Personally I'm not a big fan of Lapland cuisine but would guess the showcase places in Helsinki are at least acceptable.

But that's the thing -- the food at Lappi is not really Finnish cuisine, most of it is a tourist's fantasy of Lappish food. Creme brûlée, carpaccio and risotto do not magically turn Finnish just because you throw cloudberries, reindeer and barley at them.

If you want "real" Finnish grub, check out some of the cheap canteens like Kahvila Suomi or VPK, or some of the classic traditional restaurants like Cosmos, Elite etc, or just go wander around the open-air markets or market halls. Or, if you want modern Finnish cuisine, go to Chez Dominique and its Michelin-star buddies, which bring new life to Finnish ingredients. But eating at Lappi and thinking you're getting real Finnish food is kind of like going to Taco Bell and thinking it's authentically Mexican.

Had a dinner there a couple of weeks ago. The beef tenderloin was one of the best steaks I've ever had in Finland (wondering who supplies the meat... cannot be of Finnish origin). But the service hasn't improved a bit from the LSC days which makes me very reluctant to go back anytime soon.

I second these recommendations. Also Kolme Kruunua on Liisankatu in Kruununhaka offers a similar experience to Sea Horse and Salve. Maybe it should be noted that the above mentioned places differ quite a bit regarding the price levels (and "gourmet levels" too. Lehtovaara, Elite, Kosmos and especially Savoy can get heavy on your wallet.

I grew up eating reindeer meat every week (my family got own reindeers actually). I haven't eaten at the Lapland theme restaurants in Helsinki except once at Lappi with an American friend -- both of us were rather disappointed with the food (I bother not to comment the interior at all). Since then I've usually taken international guests, who wanted to try e.g. reindeer stew, to Salve or Sea Horse. Somewhat surprisingly especially many of my Japanese friends have been very happy with those restaurants.

To ORD Finn - are all or most of the above recommendations close to the Hotel Kämp? Thank you for your assistance and guidance.

I was invited there by a Finnish colleague a few years ago. The food was pleasant enough, but I mostly remember the price of the French wines, especially a Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame that was priced at the same level as in a French supermarket ... ^ Sadly, the accountants from my colleague's institution have removed this restaurant from the list of approved venues ... :(

Savoy is just across the park (1 min walk). Kosmos is about 5 min, Sea Horse and Kolme Kruunua 10-15 min by walking. Elite and Salve are still walkable, maybe 15-20 min. Lehtovaara is still a bit further away.

You can find the addresses (also shown on Google Maps) at
http://eat.fi/en/helsinki
(Kämp is at Pohjoisesplanadi 29)

Added: Public transportation is fairly efficient in Helsinki. Check out this journey planner:
http://beta.reittiopas.fi/en/

That must have been a pleasant surprise...And quite rare in northern Europe to find reasonable prices for quality wines.

But yes, Lehtovaara has a lot of Old World charm. At lunchtime, you get a gourmet buffet for an acceptable price so maybe convince your partners to head there for lunch instead. ;) Sundays are especially nice and you get the habitues coming since decades.

Another classic restaurant with a loyal clientele and Sunday lunch buffet("buffet anglais") is the Rivoli downtown near the West Harbour. The lady who founded this gem and still owns it pioneered French cuisine and seafood in Helsinki.

For both, I'd do a reservation to make sure enough tables are available.

Went to the new fine dining place Luomo (www.luomo.fi) for dinner last night.

Run by two ex Chez Dominique guys (Jouni Toivanen who runs the kitchen and Mika Mattila who runs the front), Luomo aims to combine local ingredients with cutting edge cooking techniques (including molecular gastronomy). Given that the restaurant has only been open for six weeks or so and yesterday was their first day after the Summer holiday period, the effort was quite impressive.

We had the seven-course menu with recommended wines. Portions were sized just right and we did not feel gorged even after the petit fours.

The amuse-bouches was a tribute to Kauppatori (the main market place) and included meat pastry ice cream, a seagull bomb, and smoked herring. Rather interesting was also the "coffee" served with the amuse-bouches which was made from black olives.

First course was chantarelles served with boiled egg yolks, rucola, and parmesan coupled with a robust Crozes Hermitage white.

Next came a miniature crayfish party -- crayfish tails and crayfish icecrean, dill foam (which was amazingly good), akvavit jelly, and marinated toast crumbs. Quite appropriately, the crayfish was accompanied by a beer (a specialty beer developed by Adrian Ferran).

Next came palm heart filled with shredded goose, served with goose liver snow. This dish was served with a nice, crips German Riesling.

The fish course was an impeccably braised halibut with miso and japanese noodles, served with chilled sake.

Before the meat course, as blueberry granita and sorbet was served.

The meat course was lamb's neck (did not ask, but I suspect it was cooked sous vide) with Moroccan spices accompanied with a young (2006) Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru.

The two desserts were a strawberry assortment and a chocholate with caramelized onion. A Moser-Lenz Trockenbeerenauslese and a Tawny Port were served with the desserts. The strawberry dessert was excellent, while the chocholate being really the only letdown of the night.

Technically, all the dishes were impeccable. In some of the dishes, the chef might have been better off with a slighly more restrained approach to the different flavors, as some of the highlights of the night were a bit crowded by a few ingredients too many.

The seven-course menu cost 58 euros per head, which is a good value considering the quality. At 69 euros, the wine package seemed a bit expensive given the wine choices, though.

If Luomo can keep up this level of quality and innovation, I'd be very surprised if they do not get a Michelin star in short order, possibly even next year. With a little polish and smoothness that can only come with experience, we potentially have a second two-star place in town in Luomo in the next few years.

The ambition level of Luomo is certainly at least two-star; I do not recall a new restaurant in Finland that has aimed at this level of sophistication from the very start. Execution-wise Luomo is a solid one-star performer, which is quite an achievement for a brand new place.

Overall, Luomo is a very welcome addition to the Helsinki fine dining scene and a place that can at some point give Chez Dominique a run for its money.

Cheers,
T.

Dropped into Kahvila Suomi last Thursday, and was quite surprised to find that this former dock workers' lunch joint has clambered a bit upmarket ambiencewise: a few decorative curlicues, menus in cursive Finnish (translated versions available) and even souvenir T-shirts. Fortunately, the prices have only increased a bit, and portions are as huge as ever. We had the Jansson's temptation (a potato-and-anchovy casserole, 9 EUR) from the daily menu and the meatballs for the permanent menu (10.50 EUR) and while both were good, the meatballs were positively kick-... -- big, meaty, juicy, served with cream sauce, real mashed potatoes and a couple of veg. And, this being a Finnish lunch joint, all meals include non-alcoholic drinks and the salad bar. Strongly recommended ^ and I even picked up their Kekkonen T-shirt -- imagine a Che Guevara-style blue-and-white print of this:

http://www.niinku.net/foobar/teinitesti/kekkonen.gif

While the location is a bit of walk from the city center, it's a pleasant enough stroll in the tony bits of the city, and it's within easy striking distance if you're going to eg. the Design Museum or Kaivopuisto Park.

I started reading this thread for nostalgic reasons and became engrossed. I spent 4 years in the early 80's commuting between Australia, Helsinki and Stuttgart on business and have very happy memories of my Helsinki times. Now, regarding this thread....
1/ I have no knowledge as to current restaurants but I must say that in the 80's the lunch buffet at the Helvetia was the best (at the time) I had ever eaten. I hope the hotel is still maintaining it's standards as it would be my reflexive choice as where I would stay when I return.
2/ An earlier poster sang the praises of a fried sausage & a beer after a sauna. I endorse this heartily, especially if it is at the museum/memorial to the 3 classic architects a few miles outside Helsinki. I was lucky enough to be taken there one night for a sauna and I will never forget how good the sausage (& beer) tasted and how my life flashed before my eyes as I jumped into the hole in the ice in the frozen lake.
3/ A little off thread, but in those days, the big hotels had night clubs (we would have called them dinner dances) and us visiting firemen were encouraged to ask the local ladies to dance (etc - grins). There was a lot of talk along the lines of - we live on bread & cheese for 6 days but on the 7th we get smashed. I presume that in this politically correct age this has changed.
4/ And finally, Stockmanns was (and hopefully still is) one of the finest department stores I've ever shopped in. They had a wonderful English language bookshop that had books in paperback that we (in Australia) had not had in hardcover.
I hope I get back to see Helsinki again real soon.
Thanks for the thread
Dave

Helvetia? Not Hesperia?
 

You sure it was called Helvetia? Having lived all my life in Helsinki area I cannot recall a hotel by that name. Could it have been Hesperia? It just recently became Crowne Plaza so you are more likely to find your old favorite spot with that name. IF that is the one...

:eek:
:eek: :eek:

Heh, same thing here as well. I was there a few times in '07 and typically ate with my friends and their families. Impressions in general, from someone who went on FF miles and would not have dreamt of spending 50 euros on one dinner:

1. Hesburger isn't as good as McDonald's, but you do get those little packets of flavored salt that sort-of redeem it. Those are cool. McDonald's portions aren't as big as they are in the States.
2. Servings are tiny in most places, actually. I took to ordering 2 entrees sometimes...
3. Popcorn at Finn Kino, on the other hand, is the same size as it would be at a US theater.
4. Try salmiakki. You never know, you might get a taste for it. My Finnish friends were a bit disappointed that I liked it...
5. No restaurant there can compare to makkara (sausage) cooked over a wood fire by the lake. A lot of restaurants here can't compare to that, either.

But the one absolutely spectacular culinary experience of my time in Finland: Blueberry pie ice cream. Tastes exactly like Grandma's blueberry pie, but mixed into vanilla ice cream. You know how good ice cream is on blueberry pie, but I bet you've never had the two in one frozen delight before... I don't remember the brand name but we bought it in some little grocery shop. It wasn't particularly expensive but it left me wishing for a way to bring it back to the States.

And the latest...
 

http://tinyurl.com/FinnMichelin

cheers,

Henry

I know this doesn't really apply to restaurants.. but the best food I have had by far in Helsinki is home-cooked.

Try to befriend a Finn and have dinner at the home.. you wont regret it! It will taste better and be tons cheaper!

Chez Dominique was selected as the 23rd best restaurant in the world in the annual San Pellegrino awards (down two places). Their three course lunch is still only €29 - a heck of a deal.

The only Scandinavian restaurant to top CD was Noma in Copenhagen who got a historic #1. Congrats, Noma!

See full list at: http://bit.ly/aPtDLz

Cheers,
T.

Inspired by the recent news about Chez Dominique, I took my better half for a lunch there this past week. We had their normal three course lunch:

Amuse-bouche: pickled herring with a soft-boiled quail's egg and cucumber spaghetti -- a bite-sized explosion of taste.
Appetizer: beef carpaccio with dried capers and three parmesans (foam, icec cream, and very lighty grated). An inventive yet restrained version of a classic.
Main course: steamed pike-perch with pepper and herb crusting, spring vegetables and lobster sauce. Delicate tastes and textures, prepared to absolute perfection.
Dessert: Sesame & Nougat. Sesame sorbet and sesame seed chip with nougat/chocholate confectionery. Very good and balanced. Was slightly surprised by the texture of the sesame seed chip as it was very soft and treacly instead of crunchy as I had expected. Not sure if that was intentional or a flaw.
Petit fours: a financier biscuit with forest berries and a liquorice macaroni (which was über-delicious even though I normally do not like liquorice.

Over all, I am happy to report that the quality keeps going up at CD. There is slightly less gimmickry and more emphasis on ingredients and tastes. Preparation and presentation are still top notch and the three course lunch is a fantastic value at 29 euros.

The only caveat is the price of everything else. We had two glasses of champagne (Deutz basic cuvee) -- 22 euros a glass. Two coffees -- 6.5 euros per person (although coffee did come with very tasty petit fours).

To me, this remains the best high-end meal value in town.

Cheers,
T.

Sent an e-mail to a friend about Helsinki in which I added a few restaurant (and other) recommendations, thought I'd copy some parts here:

Let's start with a few restaurants, I'll give you a few of my favorites starting from more casual. One of my great favorites in Helsinki is Carelia, http://www.carelia.info/index_en.php, which is located on along tram line 4 about 5-10 minutes tram ride from downtown. Carelia is a casual brasserie with great food and an excellent wine cellar. Sundmans Krog http://www.royalravintolat.com/sundmansKrog/ is another casual favorite, Scandinavian food by harbor. For seafood I recommend Havis http://www.royalravintolat.com/havis/index_eng.asp which is situated next to Sundmans Krog.

For something little more upscale I also have a few recommendations. Some of these restaurants offer also great lunch deals. lower prices but same great experience. Helsinki's best restaurant (only with two Michelin stars) is Chez Dominique http://www.chezdominique.fi/home_cd2? . My other favorites are Carma http://www.carma.fi/indexeng.html, a small restaurant with fantastic food and service, Postres http://www.postres.fi which is bit bigger with a great location by the central esplande and naturally the more casual Demohttp://www.restaurantdemo.fi/. Nokka http://www.royalravintolat.com/nokka/index_e.asp is a more classic Finnish restaurant, like this one a lot too. On a beautiful Summer night restaurant Särkänlinna http://www.palacekamp.fi/in_english/...t_sarkanlinna/is another great choice, it's situated on a small island just south of Helsinki.

As you only have three days in Helsinki I wouldn't head outside Helsinki as there will be lots to see in Helsinki anyway. On a beautiful day take a 15 minute ferry ride to Suomenlinna http://www.suomenlinna.fi/en which is an old fortress island south of harbor. On morning head first to the old indoor market in Hakaniemi district http://www.hakaniemenkauppahalli.fi/...alli_flyer.pdf to buy food and then enjoy a nice picnic on Suomenlinna island. This indoor market hall is a treat in itself, I often walk there on Saturdays to buy food from smaller producers. A great place!

For something uniquely exotic and Finnish there's a common sauna in Kallio district http://www.kotiharjunsauna.fi/press/...na_web_eng.pdf . Exploring districts of Hakaniemi, Kallio and Sörnäinen (where I live) 2-3 kilometers northeast of downtown is a treat with a more down-to-earth feeling than the touristy business district. Punavuori area just west of downtown is marketed as "design district" http://www.designdistrict.fi/design_district with many cool shops and bars.

One of the Michelin-starred restaurants in Helsinki, Carma, is shutting down and the chef Markus Aremo will start a bistro-type restaurant La Table in the same place.

In the article in Kauppalehti, Aremo tells that he is not comfortable with the direction Carma has gone since the star (mainly style-wise) and wants to go back to basics with La Table.

I don't find this very surprising; in my opinion, Carma was clearly the least inspiring (and inspired) Michelin-starred place in town and will not be missed much. However, a good bistro is always a nice addition, as we sorely lack those.

Will try to report on La Table soon after it is opened.

Cheers,
T.

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. :cool: 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 - :D - 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

Traditional dining in town
 

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!