Finland may be a nation that favors simple homemade dishes, but that doesn’t mean that the capital city of Helsinki doesn’t still have plenty of fine dining restaurants for top quality meals prepared to Finland’s notoriously high standards. These are some of the best fine dining establishments in the city to go for a night out.
Boulevard Social
Bistro, Mediterranean, $$$
The owners of this restaurant and bar have used their culinary experiences from around the world to open Boulevard Social, combining dishes from Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Morocco. This makes it the first restaurant in Helsinki to focus exclusively on Mediterranean cuisine, while maintaining the atmosphere and décor of a laidback bistro.
The accompanying restaurant of the high-class Hotel Kämp, Brasserie Kämp has been providing luxury service in Helsinki for over 100 years. The restaurant serves lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, and afternoon tea and the menu includes everything from salmon to veal.
Located next to Espalanade Park, Bronda is a homey and social restaurant serving mostly Italian, Spanish, and French-inspired dishes using local Finnish ingredients. The lounge bar is open late and a DJ plays easy going music during weekends.
EMO recently relocated to new premises, but is still serving the same modern European and Nordic cuisine that it is known for. Dishes include king crab soup, Finnish lamb, and Icelandic cod, among others.
This is one of Helsinki’s most popular restaurants for southeast Asian cuisine, so popular in fact that they have even released their own line of cookbooks. The menu includes mostly Thai dishes such as green curry, chicken skewers, and grilled tiger prawns, making the most out of quality Finnish ingredients. Farang also received a Bib Gourmand rating from the 2017 Michelin Guide.
Helsinki is well known for its quality seafood, and Finlandia Caviar near the south harbor is one of the best places in the city to try it. The tasting menu includes a selection of different roe, oysters and caviar paired with appropriate drinks, and the accompanying shop also has a range to take away. If you have never tried caviar before, it is a highly affordable place to get your first taste.
This modern Asian restaurant combines dishes from Japan, Korea, and Northern China in a warm, inviting space made up of long communal dining tables. The menu includes tasting dishes for sharing as well as favorites such as miso salmon, dim sum, tempura, and yakitori, all paired with matching drinks.
A quality casual dining restaurant and bakery, Levain’s main draw is the freshly baked sourdough bread prepared in a traditional stone oven, which can be purchased separately or enjoyed as sandwiches or pastries. The bread is served in the restaurant alongside seasonal menus sourced from local specialists.
This restaurant and garden bar serves classical food, including a Scandinavian tasting menu, for a full culinary experience which is not just another night out. The Creative Kitchen, served on Friday and Saturday nights, recently won the best food tourism product in Finland 2017 award. This is truly one of the best restaurants in Helsinki for food connoisseurs.
Ora is a small modern restaurant with a rapidly changing seasonal menu. This includes food from all over Finland, such as whitefish from Inari, lamb from the Åland Islands, and cloudberries from Lapland. It is one of the best places in Helsinki for a quality Finnish dining experience.
Located next to the Senate Square, Savotta is a high class yet nostalgic restaurant serving the best of traditional Finnish cooking. Currently the restaurant is offering a special menu to coincide with Finland’s 100th anniversary, which includes lake fish, bark bread, lamb pot roast, and buttermilk pastries. No matter what time of year you visit this restaurant, you are always guaranteed something uniquely Finnish.
