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.