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| My Best Helsinki Restaurant Reviews 2 | ||
| Wherever
we go, we eat
out all the time. We love good, creative and well prepared food and
good wine, in both formal and casual restaurants. We particularly enjoy dining with groups of friends and family. These are some of the restaurants that we and our friends have visited and liked in Helsinki: |
| ON THIS PAGE (click on names): | ||
| CHEZ DOMINIQUE, FAROUGE, MAXILL, MEKKA, NOKKA, PALACE GOURMET, SANTA FE, SÄRKÄNLINNA, SUNDMANS, SUNDMANS KROG, TORNI, CARLITOS | ||
| CAFES: AALTO, CHAPMAN, CARUSEL, CARUSEL ESPLANADE, EKBERG, ENGEL, ESPLANADE, FAZER, SENAATTI, URSULA, TAMMINIEMENTIEN KAHVILA | ||
| VILLA ANGELICA CLOSED: LA COCINA A few links to different RESTAURANT LISTS |
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MORE
MY BEST
HELSINKI: HOME
RESTAURANTS 1 RESTAURANTS 2 RESTAURANTS 3 PHOTOS 1 PHOTOS 2 PHOTOS 3 PHOTOS 4 HELSINKI ARCHITECTURE
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Many
top
restaurants in Helsinki are closed during the whole month of July, some
for even longer. If
you
are planning a "foodie vacation"
in Helsinki during the summer, July is probably not the best time to do it. July, which usually is the warmest summer month, is "vacation month" in Finland. Most Finns start their vacation around the 21st-24th of June, when "Midsummer Eve", a huge holiday in Finland, is celebrated. Check in advance. |
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RESTAURANT NOKKA is located in the beautiful Katajanokka neighborhood, on Kanavaranta (=Canal bank), in one of the restored 19th century warehouses, by the water. The same space used to be home to Restaurant Kanavaranta, now long gone. The Uspenski Cathedral is a block away. The name, “Nokka”, stems from the name of the neighborhood: Katajanokka. Loosely = Juniper tree Peninsula From the getgo, "hand-picked, clean, and high-quality raw materials", have been the guiding ideas of this ambitious restaurant. We dined here soon after the opening and found the familiar, warm rooms pleasantly pared down. As a result the space is more elegant and calm. The ambiance is very pleasing. The restaurant was still struggling with some glitches, mostly having to do with the service, but the over all experience was promising. In July 2002, we dined here in a group of three. My husband now found the restaurant very romantic and said he would recommend it to anyone who wanted to take his date for a romantic evening. Since the service was excellent and the food is very good, I agree. We had a very pleasant and enjoyable evening. Some of our choices for the evening: Appetizers:
-“HERRING CAVIAR” WITH DARK ARCHIPELAGO BREAD CHIPS -LIGHTLY
SALTED BEEF SLAKED WITH
CALVADOS, SUMMER VEGETABLE PICKLES Main
courses: -CRISPY
PAN-FRIED PERCH
FILLETS, SMALL FINNISH MORELS AND NEW POTATOES -RIVER
TROUT FROM PYHÄMAA STUFFED
WITH CRAYFISH, FENNEL SAUCE Dessert:
-MERINGUE,
BOURBON VANILLA
ICE CREAM AND WARM COCOA BEAN SAUCE Barbadillo, Pedro Ximenez ”Extra Rich” July 2003: A lovely dinner on Nokka's summer patio, by the water, confirms the praises above. Address: Kanavaranta 7, 00160 Helsinki Tel: +358-9-687 7330 Nokka's summer
patio:
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is
a beautiful restaurant located in an old
mansion-like building (empire style) located next to the harbor. It is a very romantic spot for a dinner for two, but it is just as delightful for bigger groups who want to enjoy a world- class meal in a stately setting. Over the years, we had visited Sundmans several times, since it is practically next to our hotel. We had fallen in love with the restaurant after one strikingly good dinner for four. The service was friendly and professional, and the food, from the starters to the main course (we had mostly fish) was remarkably good. In July 2001 we dined there again. We were in a group of four. The atmosphere was very upbeat and welcoming from the moment we walked in through the downstairs main door and up the stairs to the beautiful restaurant. We were seated in the lovely main dining room. Our waiter who was a friendly, very professional and good-humored gentleman, (who returned Lawrence’s New York humor and repartee with admirable speed) helped make the dining experience perfect. Both the starters and the main courses were truly excellent. The wine list was, in our experience, one of the very best, if not the best, in Helsinki. A recent review of their current list, available on the web, shows an amazingly thorough representation and is even stronger than we remembered from our visit. Their Champagne selection is also compelling. Since we talked so much about wine, our waiter told us about Sundmans’ wine cellar and arranged a tour for us after our dinner. We discovered why the staff sounded so proud while mentioning the wine cellar: The beautiful, vaulted cellar has a broad selection of fine wines and a long, handsome table and chairs in the middle of the room, for wine tasting and other events. It can be privately rented. This was an absolutely wonderful and satisfying evening that left us wanting to come back soon. Several later visits during the past years confirm previous statements. Sundmans has had a Michelin for years and has won the American Express Service Award three times. Address: Eteläranta 16, 00130 Helsinki Tel: +358 - 9 - 622 64 10 |
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MECCA
Chef:
Petteri LuotoCasual and
fun, multi-faced (and faceted)
restaurant
(& bar & lounge / partyspace),
serving good food. People who are trying to pin down the cooking style / ethnic origins are out of luck. It's all a big, inspired mix. The menu changes often, the cooking thrives to be experimental even playful, and thinking outside the box. Why is it
not surprising that this place offers,
among other
choices a "Mystery Trip "menu.
(Although,
to me it sounds just like a new namess
to the
"good old" tasting menu).
Mecca received a Bib Gourmand mention in the 2010 Michelin Guide. The restaurant has been popular from the start. Address: Korkeavuorenkatu 34, 00130 Helsinki Puh. 09-1345 6200, tables@palacekamp.fi |
is
a charming -and very different- gourmet
restaurant, open during the summer season only. It is located on the tiny, historic fortress island, Särkkä. (Which is a part of the Suomenlinna Fortress Island). The taxi boat ride off the Kaivopuisto/Ullanlinna shore to Särkkä takes abut 5 minutes, and costs 5 Euros per person. (Before ending your meal, ask the staff when the next boat back leaves. That way you can linger indoors a little longer, if necessary. Of course, if the weather is nice, its nice to take on the view from the pier). . |
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Helsinki skyline.
Taxi boat from Katajanokka to Särkka.
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hostess to do
what our waitress was supposed to do.
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Palace Hotel Terrace Bar. Helsinki South Harbor. Click for larger view:  Palacenkatto Roof Top Terrace, open from Monday to Friday
11AM - 23PM.
Now that Palace Hotel sadly has closed, the bar and the restaurant (below) are the only way to enjoy these stunning city & harbor & island views. |
That detracted
from our dining experience.
The food was still very delicious, but not as superb as the previous summer. The restaurant is open from May 1 to September. Reservations are highly recommended. Address: Särkänsaari, 00130 HELSINKI tel. +358 9 1345 6756 Download
the taxi boat schedule & PRICING.
Sorry, only in Finnish. Merenkävijät Ry. Nice image of Särkkä |
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PALACE
GOURMET
Finnish-French, global cuisine, with modernist touches. Make sure to reserve one of the window tables that face the South Harbor. Address: Eteläranta 10,
00130 Helsinki
Tel: +358. (0)9 1345 6715.
Second
link
Now that Palace Hotel sadly has closed, the restaurant and the bar (above) are the only way to enjoy these stunning city & harbor & island views. Gourmetpizza Carlitos Kluuvikatu 4, 00100 HELSINKI Phone: (358) 9- 13456749 Email: carlitos@palacekamp.fi The name says it all. See images of the delicious pizzas second link Cocina served food
that is strongly inspired
by Catalan and Basque cuisine and fans of this "real deal" are left scratching their heads over why this gem of a restaurant did not survive. (The chef de cuisine, Sami Rekola, who already was quite well known and respected in the culinary world, traveled in Catalan and Basque regions, tasting, learning & getting inspired, among others, by one of the foodie-world’s “cult” chefs, Jean Arzak (of 3 star restaurant Arzak, in San Sebastian). Chef Rekola has also worked in top restaurants both in London and in Helsinki, before becoming the master of tastes at La Cocina.) La Cocina was located in the GLO hotel on Kluuvikatu. |
SANTA
FÉ
serves, you guessed it, Texmex ( & Cajun and international foods).The prices are low and the plates are large. The food is pretty good the prices. The space is pretty cozy, despite it’s size. It seats 240 people in its different rooms. They serve drinks, international beers, cocktails & wines. The wine list is short and includes mostly low wines. The most expensive wine being (in Feb., 2007) a Montecillo Gran Reserva at 43 Euros. (Vintage not mentioned.) All the other wines are in the 27-31 Euro range. It’s a fun, very popular place among locals, for a casual snack together with friends or family. Address: Aleksanterinkatu 15, 00100 Helsinki Tel +358 9 4242 6010 second link  |
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“Amazing
Race”.
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HELSNKI
(WINTER) PHOTOS 4 -page.
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RESTAURANT KLIPPAN
An absolutely wonderful setting for a summer restaurant, on a tiny island in the South Harbor. A must.  Click photo for larger view and place names. second link location on map |
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RESTAURANTS & CAFES ON SUOMENLINNA
(SVEABORG) ISLAND, which is a wonderful picnic and/or excursion destination. Take advantage of the info, destinations of this list. If you go sightseeing anywhere outside the center in Helsinki, Suomenlinna should be it. |
on the historic Suomenlinna Fortress Island serves surprisingly
good fare both indoors and in their back
yard garden. We absolutely love this unpretenitous cafe/restaurant and make sure to have lunch in their garden every time we visit the Suomenlinna Islands. |
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A
few good links:
50
BEST RESTAURANTS IN FINLAND
unfortunately in Finnish. But scroll down the pages, and click you will see the names of the restaurants and the cities they are located in. HELSINKI restaurant guide has
an extensive list
of Helsinki restaurants, bars & cafes. In Finnish. But scroll trough the restaurant names & contact info, and/or click on the name of your choice of restaurant to get to their website. RESTAURANT LIST by City of Helsinki. Readers vote on their favorites. In Finnish only. But the stars speak for themselves in all languages. |
These
are a few of the many good
CAFETERIAS IN HELSINKI: Cafe
Aalto, in the Akateeminen Bookstore.
Delicious
espressos, salads,
sandwiches and pastries. Cafe
Ekberg an
old classic on Bulevardi.
Always popular. Address: Bulevardi 9, 00120 Helsinki Tel +358 9 6811 8660, email: ekberg@cafeekberg.fi second link |
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Address:
Merisatamanranta 10, 00150 Helsinki
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... CAFETERIAS IN HELSINKI, continued: Tamminiementien Kahvila Tamminiementie 8, 00250 Helsinki Tel: 0500 603 378 (close to the entrance to Seurasaari Open-Air Museum) Villa Angelica Tamminiementie 3, 00250 Helsinki Tel: 0500 603 378 Café Antin Kaffeliiteri (Café Antti's Coffee Shed), on Seurasaari Island. Address: Seurasaari, 00250 Helsinki For more information, see: Seurasaari Open-Air Museum Remember, in Finland the dates are marked: day /mo / year. |
Tel:
358-9- 622 4522, carusel@carusel.fi
Cafe Carusel Esplanad on South Esplanade, across the street from the Havis Amanda statue & fountain. We have enjoyed their sandwiches and salads several times. Great location, good quick, tasty bites. Friendly service. Lots of magazines. Eteläesplanadi 2, Helsinki Phone: ( 09) 678 224 Email: info@espa2.fi In the Kiseleff building, Senate Square Aleksanterinkatu 28, 00170 HELSINKI Phone: ( 09) 602 462 |
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For years, Finland has been one of our top destinations partly because of its excellent and constantly evolving culinary scene, that encompasses not just the Scandinavian way of cooking, but also integrates international flavors and styles. Every time we travel back to Helsinki, there is something new and exciting going on in the restaurant scene. The culinary know-how and the skill level of many of these chefs is truly impressive and often delights even the most demanding and spoiled patrons. We live in New York and are spoiled rotten by the multitude of high culinary skills, both in "fancy" and casual restaurants here, but we still find dining in Helsinki restaurants quite enjoyable. And just like everywhere else, of course there are also bad restaurants in Helsinki. But to hear someone Bash the culinary skills of all Finnish chefs, based on one or two bad experiences (or based on ignorance), is just plainly silly. |
General about wine pricing in Helsinki Restaurants: Be aware that Finnish restaurants generally appear to mark-up their wines to a higher degree than comparable American restaurants. For example, it is not uncommon to see a wine that would retail in a wine store for $15 in the US, selling for over $50 on a menu in Finland. An example: We saw a Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2002, Rioja for 42 Euros (= $ 55.5 in Feb., 2007) on the wine list of a casual restaurant in Helsinki. In New York the retail price for this wine ranges from $13 to $14 The Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2001 (that has an IWS rating of 90 points) sells between $10 to $14 in New York. Also good to know: a smoking ban in Finnish restaurants took effect June 1st, 2007. |
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