UPorridge is an obsession in Finland, found at petrol stations and schools. It’s also served on the national airline flights. But Helsinki’s gastronomic offerings are a lot wilder, featuring reindeer, moose, pike perch, salmon soup, herring, seaweed – and even bear meat. Finns are known for their deep love of nature, and from summer to fall, they combine organic local produce with wild berries and mushroom. The menus will feature playful fusions of flavours and textures, all straight out of the land.
The Nordic capital of Copenhagen is quickly catching up to its neighbours in the foodie world. Enriched by immigrant chefs, the youthful, turbocharged culinary scene now abounds in excellent mid-range restaurants with affordable tasting menus – although wine prices are steep (from €10/£8.60 for a 120ml glass). Non-alcoholic drinks are also available, including many that are berry-based. Vegan and vegetarian options are also omnipresent. Locals are unostentatious, there are no tips, and the dining begins at 5pm. Finland is a country where you can enjoy your meal in the sauna.LonnaThe Ferris wheel is a great way to get high in the air (SkySauna).
Eat, sweat, swim – go Finn!
Nolla
Nolla (“zero”) has the highest ranking in terms of zero-waste credentials. They even have a designer waste composter at one corner. It serves regularly changing taster menus (four courses €59, six courses €69) in an old townhouse with a relaxed, hip vibe. Albert Franch Sunyer (co-owner and chef of the 70 seater) is a proponent of localism and upcycling. Old curtains and sheets are used to make staff uniforms, and the base a wine bottle can be turned into a butter dish. The restaurant does not waste anything, be it leftover bread or coffee grounds. (These are then used in the roasted-hay ice cream). The goose is a new innovation that’s roasted with hazelnut crumble and parsnip puree. Finncattle Carpaccio has a tomato and radish harissa dressing. With a Michelin green starNolla is a winner because of its easy-going atmosphere and strict environment policies.
restaurantnolla.com
Muru
Muru, a French-style café that has been around for many years, is located near Nolla in the heart of Helsinki. Samuil Angleov is the mastermind behind this intimate restaurant, which has a rustic, slightly worn edge, and eccentricities, including a wine shop at the top. The changing menus (four courses €59, two courses €39) are chalked on a blackboard in Finnish, which any waiter will translate – English is virtually a second language in Helsinki. The menu changes seasonally. A starter of lavaret with pickled cucumbers and dill, followed by a nettle and rhubarb risotto (Muru’s specialty) and ending with a delicious pannacotta with strawberries is available.
murudining.fi
The Room
This is where the Middle East comes to Finland – dramatically. In a closed-off room, 14 diners gather around a kitchen counter to watch Kurdish Chef Kozeen Shiwan tell his gastronomic story. This is represented by 14 meticulously conjured courses – from a single richly decorated olive (“Made in Suleymaniah) to a spicy quail’s leg buried in flowers (“Flora’s Quail”). The chef introduces each dish with witty banter. Kozeen is also covered in gold whether it’s on his teeth, necklace or the platter of glittering potatoes with amba and roe that are then dipped into mayo, saffron & olive oil sauce. It’s a memorable dining performance (€159), but make sure Kozeen is present on the night you book, and choose wine by the glass rather than the €119 wine pairing.
kozeenshiwan.com
Finlandia Hall
Helsinki is impossible to visit without paying homage Alvar Aalto 1898-1976, the pioneering architect who brought functionalism into Finland. After three-year renovation, his magnificent Finlandia HallThe sleekly designed cafe and bistro of the events centre that opened in 1971 are now included. The building’s entire interior, including the lighting, furniture, and brass fittings is designed by Aalto. This is explained in a permanent exhibition. On the food front, the bistro (open for dinner Thursday to Saturday) offers typically creative Nordic cuisine with Mediterranean accents (four courses €59, six courses €69, plus à la carte) in a moody interior. For more luminosity, or for lunch, head for Finlandia Café&Wine (open all week), with terrace views over the bay. Self-service snacks and drinks are backed up by a daily lunch special (€14.70) or a copious breakfast (€19.90) – porridge included, of course.
finlandiatalo.fi
Nokka
Nokka is located in the South Harbour, next to a row of restaurants. The warehouse, which is large, contains nautical artifacts and enlarged drawings of wild animals. Ari Ruoho’s philosophy, as a hunter-fisherman, is to put Finland’s unrivalled “wildness” on the plate. The emphasis is on organic vegetables, as well as wild meat. There are three menus (four courses €89, vegetarian €74, eight courses from €129) and à la carte options. The smoked bream mousse starter with pickled cucumber, cucumber sorbet and a crispbread combining fish skin with dried roe and pumpkin seeds (€24) is a revelation, as is tender roasted reindeer, seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes with grated elk heart. The food is perfectly executed and ambitious. It easily deserves its Michelin Green Star.
nokkahelsinki.fi
Lonna
The Gulf of Finland is home to thousands of islands, so there is no excuse to not hop on a boat for the 10-minute trip to Lonna. Recycling is done in a unique way, with old military buildings being transformed into a restaurant, bar, and terrace with views of the Baltic. A beach, a sauna with a modern design and a view of Helsinki complete this idyllic escape. Open from May to September, the 60-seater Lonna Restaurant is low-key, with bare walls and beautiful Finnish tableware. Excellent-value menus (three courses €39) change monthly, offering local organic produce and plentiful vegetarian options, such as oyster mushrooms with barley and smoked tomato, or a meaty option such as organic pork with bok choi and trout roe.
lonna.fi
Bona Fide
In an elegant residential neighbourhood, this quirky little restaurant offers a four-course menu (€48) tweaked every few weeks. Ilpo Vainonen is one of two young chefs that are co-owners along with sommelier Johan Borgar. As do many of their peers they also make their bread which is served with a black-olive dip. The presentation of each dish is superb: a starter with hazelnuts, cream, and cherries in between fresh and semidried tomatoes, or ice cream in olive oil, served alongside a pan of poached stone fruits in rum syrup. Then, suddenly, a spoonful pink-peppercorn-coated raspberry gelée appears. Divine.
bonafide.fi
Lunch on the run…
Helsinki’s summer means outdoor eating. Many ice-cream stands are located throughout the city. lippakioski The wooden kiosks from the 1920s provide snacks and drinks. Countless cafes include quaint Café RegattaA terraced old fisherman’s shack on the water. Market Hall, a popular tourist attraction, offers a variety of food options from Asian fast-food to salmon soup and reindeer salami. Inside OodiYou can also enjoy a set lunch at a discount or bring snacks to the terrace of Helsinki’s central library. As everyone has the right of foraging, head to Central Park for dessert to fill your pocket.
