What tourists should do in Helsinki: Eat and drink is a good start

Dine.Eat.Drink.Feast

Dine.Eat.Drink.Feast
Helsinki is a foodie destination. The chefs and their restaurants are globally acknowledged for their creativity and ingenuity because the people of Finland are really into food, wine and spirits. The restaurants are busy from late morning to late evening and because this a town full of local bon vivants visitors get to enjoy creative and delicious culinary experiences. It is difficult to leave this city with an empty belly.

The city is chockfull of memorable dining experiences and the best include:

โ€ข The Story.

Foodies who do not want to separate dining from shopping and looking for a seamless experience will point their feet to the Helsinki waterfront and open the doors to the Old Market. Just about in the middle of the space (filled to overflowing with delicious kiosks selling sausages and pastries)โ€ฆthere is Story. Is it a restaurant or a cafรฉ or what? It really does not matter! What is important is that it is the very successful collaboration between Anders Westerholm, Matti Sarkkinen, Teemu Aura and Markus Hurskainen, important Finland restauranteurs, who offer home-style dining options that focus on fresh and flavorful locally-sourced raw materials and almost magically create dining options that are joy to the eye, memorable to the palate and gentle on the credit card.

The space has been artfully designed by interior architect Joanna Laajisto who has selected eye-pleasing natural materials that enhance the dining experience. Look for relaxing tones of ash, and materials of leather and stone. The tables are locally produced by Tebian and the interesting and unique lighting fixtures have been designed by Laajisto in cooperation with Zero Lighting.

While the entire menu is genuinely wholesome, do not leave the premises without trying the salmon soup, mussels, overnight slow-roasted pork sandwiches and the caramelized pork salad with tomato salsa and honey vinaigrette. The wine list features small locally sourced vineyards. restaurantstory.fi

โ€ข Olo.

Olo means being or feeling in Finnish to the point of being existential (the experience of existence). Olo opened in 2006 by Pekka Terava and Petri Lukkarinen. Three years later (2009), the Finnish gastronomical society selected Olo as the restaurant of the year and two years later (2011) it earned one star in the Michelin guide.

Olo is located in a 19th century house on the Helsinki waterfront and itโ€™s austere but gourmet dining experience is a necessity for foodies. The menu is fixed by the chef and no amount of cajoling will turn a menu selection into something else. (Not being fond of uncooked food I tried to convince the chef to turn tartare into a warm, juicy burgerโ€ฆI was totally unsuccessful). Each course is theatrically presented at a chef-controlled pace. An extensive wine list is available, and the sommelier is happy to recommend appropriate pairings.

As the menu is chef-designed, guests with food allergies and dietary restrictions should call the restaurant in advance to discuss potential flexibility in the menu. olo-ravintola.fi

โ€ข A21 Cocktail Lounge.

In many parts of the world, the cocktail bar/lounge is likely to be part of a larger palate experience. At A21 โ€“ the cocktail is the experience (no food is available). With limited seating (advance reservations are required), and zones sectioned exclusively for you and your guest(s) โ€“ the cocktail is the prima donna. Unpretentious to down-right stark, the interior design space would not even meet the basic requirements for a design-school drop-out. The seating/reclining zones are definitely no-frillsโ€ฆand it appears not to have been a budget issue โ€“ the decision was made so that guests focus on the cocktail (and perhaps on their drinking buddy).

You can peruse the drink cards, but the mixologists prefer engaging in conversation to determine what YOU want, what YOU like to drink and what YOUR taste buds are screaming to experience. Plan on at least 10 minutes of conversationโ€ฆand then the mixologist disappears. When he reappears it is with a beverage – just for YOU! Made with top-shelf spirits, organic and locally sourced fruits, vegetables and spices โ€“ the bespoke drinks are made to be savored and become a topic of conversation. At A21 the cocktail has been elevated way beyond a beverage to drink โ€“ think of it as a liquid mix of art and craft.

The tailor-made infusions will add nicely to your credit card debt but most followers have determined that the experience is worth the priceโ€ฆand return again and again. a21.fi

โ€ข Kuurna and Atelje Finne and Puttes Bar and Pizza Restaurants

Chef Antto Melasniemi is more than the Chef/Owner of three of Helsinkiโ€™s outstanding dining options, he is a larger-than-life personality that dominates a dining room the way an academy award winner owns the red carpet. Formerly a rock star (sax and keyboard), and noted for the HEL YES! pop-up restaurant in London (2010), at 40 years old Melasniemi looks at food as a cultural experience; integration of ideas with installations that are related to eating and restaurants.

Starting at the age of 16 (when he dropped out of school), Melasniemi knew that he knew he wanted to travel and cook. This passion brought him to world capitals that included London, Paris and Amsterdam. Melasniemi believes that the restaurant combines theatre and art with food. Once upon a time, food was just food. Now it is much more, and in 2005 he opened his first Helsinki restaurant, Kuurna, with the menu centered on the freshest of fish (many personally plucked from cold Finland waters), venison and raw ingredients available in local forests.

As a self-proclaimed master of hospitality, Melasniemi looks beyond the food on the plate to create a dining experience and that includes cutlery, color, ambiance and lighting. He looks to the source of the food and how it influences people and their cultures. His passions become a benefit for his clients who fill the small 22 seat Kuurna night after night.
kuurna.fi
puttes.fi
ateljefinne.fi

Other Spots for Dining. Drinking.

โ€ข Chef and Sommelier. Michelin 1-star dining; noted for organic ingredients and creative/innovative dining options. chefetsommelier.fi
โ€ข Brasserie Kamp. Elegant, European influenced brasserie-style diner with unique drinking options that focus on champagne, wine and beer. Noted for Sunday brunch. Heated terrace enables outdoor dining in the chillier seasonsโ€ฆthink Paris in Finland. brasseriekamp.fi

โ€ข Bar Chaplin. Enjoy a value-price beer, listen to rock music, play billiards and pinball machines, meet local Finns. barchaplin.fi

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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