Helsinki Dining: Finnish/Russian
Maximize your culinary experience on your next trip to Helsinki by trying Finnish, Russian, or pan-European cuisine.
Jan 3, 2007
Dining in Helsinki can be hit or miss if you do not have restaurant recommendations from a trusted source. Friends who have lived in Helsinki longer than I tell me that Finland does not have a long tradition of restaurant culture and dining out is a relatively new concept that has taken off in the past 15 or 20 years. Finnish cuisine developed out of the cold, harsh climate of Finland and the bounty of its waters and forests. Food is prepared with minimal flourish and few herbs or spices. Quintessential Finnish dishes are pickled herring, salmon, boiled potatoes, and reindeer stew.
Finns eat early by European standards, with the dinner rush between 5:00 – 7:30pm. Many restaurants close by 10:00pm, unless the restaurant has a nightclub. You will quickly figure out that “ravintola” in Finnish means restaurant. Reservations are always recommended.
Restaurants in Helsinki are generally more expensive than comparative restaurants in many North American metropolitan areas. While there are not many restaurants I would recommend that fall into the mid range quality and price category, the restaurants below are recommended. But, be prepared to shell out more than a few euros.
FINNISH and PAN-EUROPEAN CUISINE
Ravintola Lappi, with a rustic wood beam and brick interior, features the cuisine of the Sami people indigenous to northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The Sami live in Lapland, in the Arctic Circle, and traditionally live a nomadic lifestyle, following reindeer herds across the arctic landscape. Smoked or cooked reindeer, roe, salmon pastrami, grilled elk, reindeer stew, Lappish farm cheese with cloudberry jam, and mushroom salad are some of their specialties. Address: Annankatu 22, Tel: +358-9-645 550.
Carelia Restaurant and Wine Cellar, across from the Opera House, serves pan-European food in a dining room converted from an old fashioned pharmacy. The mussels and crayfish (when in season), stuffed cabbage leaves, and arctic char are their most famous dishes. Address: Mannerheimintie 56, tel. +358 9 270 90 976. Ravintola Sipuli is known for Nordic cuisine. Located near Helsinki’s Russian Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral in a restored brick warehouse, they have an extensive wine and cocktail list. Address: Kanavaranta 7, tel. +358 9-622 9280.
RUSSIAN CUISINE
Restaurant Bellevue claims to be the oldest Russian restaurant outside of Russia, established in 1917, the year that modern day Finland gained independence from Russia. The blinis, pelmenis, and mounth watering chicken kiev are popular choices for diners in this classic, traditionally Russian spot. Address: Rahapajankatu 3, tel: 358 9 179560.
