Outo
Having cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Helsinki as well as Holland, Juho Saralehto has also hosted pop-up dining events – and experienced burnout. Now he is invested in himself, and his own unique restaurant experience. Outo (‘strange’) shakes up the usual formulas of how dinner should look.
Situated on Pengerkatu in the Kallio district, Outo stays true to the surrounding laid-back neighbourhood and resembles a mash-up of a quirky art gallery, underground weed farm, and a porn den. So, exactly where the neighbourhood’s art school students and post-hipsters might get together for late night afterparties.
Together with Lucas Ophorst – who heads up the kitchen – Saralehto serves ever-changing surprise menus of six to nine courses, with prices set between 69 and 109 euros, depending on the mood and ingredients.
No one is told beforehand what will be served, but typically the dishes are a blend of gourmet and relaxed cuisine with some inspiration from various Asian food cultures – and most likely something you’ve never tasted before, such as roasted beetroot tartare with a shrimp and coconut sauce, or squid-filled spring rolls with shiso oil. The drink package may include everything from natural wines to mandarin sake, umeshu, and homemade apricot beer.
Le Coucou Vert
Found on Bulevardi in the premises of the old-school pizzeria Dennis, the French bistro, Le Coucou Vert (‘the green cuckoo’), opened its doors in early summer. The menu is composed of classics such as pike quenelles, duck legs, snails, terrine, and ratatouille, as well as cheek meats from both veal and pike.
But the restaurant still doesn't claim to be purely French, as their menu includes influences from neighbouring countries too, such as is seen in the whitefish crudo and porcini pasta. While the presented French cooking skills and most notably the sauces are top notch, the kitchen steered by Teemu Aura and Janne Ahola also brings its own modern twist to the dishes.
Alongside Aura and Ahola, the core team also includes Riku Stenros and Maiju Åstedt. The team has previously collaborated with success at the praised and popular Albina and Mat Distrikt. Le Coucou Vert basks in a similar atmosphere of quality.
The tables invite guests to take their time with several glasses of wine, even enjoying the cheese selection before embracing the tarte tatin as the crowning point of the dinner.
Scolare
Numerous Italian restaurants can be found in Helsinki, but the classically stylish Scolare, which opened in autumn 2023, is at the top of the list. With a kitchen led by Kalle Tanner, chef of the year 2018, the main focus is on top-quality ingredients. The dishes are prepared with respect for tradition without leaning on unnecessary frills. Aside from pizzas, the menu includes all the most classic Italian dishes: arancini, vitello tonnato, cacio e pepe, risotto, parmigiana di melanzane, and saltimbocca.
The house pastas are made by hand, and the antipasti selection includes various types of carpaccio and tartare. Grilled sea bass and the bistecca alla fiorentina – meaning the classic t-bone steak — are menu highlights. One’s desired side dishes can be ordered separately, as is customary in Italy. Tiramisù to finish off, with gelato, sorbet, or granita as delightful further options for dessert.
The wine list is made up solely of Italian options. Sommelier Tiziano Mancini has made a whopping selection for the list consisting of 180 different varieties, from classics to interesting natural wines.
Le Ankka
Ilkka Lääveri, who previously worked as head chef at the Michelin-starred Olo, inherited his new restaurant premises from Sasu Laukkonen: the Michelin-starred Ora was previously found in the same location. As before, this Huvilakatu address continues to be known for impeccable dining.
While Le Ankka takes things down a notch from the finest of fine dining, the quality of the more simple and bistro-like dishes is truly superior, as is the humble ambiance. Like Laukkonen in the space before him, Lääveri, too, has the patience to respect the natural flavour profiles of his raw ingredients without falling into gimmicks and fuss. Finnish produce graces the menu – whitefish roe, black chanterelles, Finnish duck, but also wagyu beef – yet the kitchen’s love for traditional French cuisine skills makes the overall profile more classic than modern.
Still, Le Ankka is far from a rigid type of classic, as is underlined by the enjoyable ambiance created by the interior design, the lighting, and the petrol blue colour palette.
305
Having excelled for years in the kitchen of the Michelin-starred Grö in Hakaniemi, Janne Keskevaari took over the restaurant space left behind by the legendary vegetarian restaurant, Silvoplee, which is now closed. Kesevaari's first restaurant, 305, is a casual bistro leaning on seasonal modern Finnish food.
The ground artichoke porridge is served with preserved forest mushrooms and lingonberries, with a garnish of reindeer heart – perhaps as a Nordic version of katsuoboshi. Roasted root vegetables follow high quality Finnish meat and fish, and the dishes come together with tasty sauces and wild herbs. 305 is suitable for a glass or an individual dish off the list, yet the ultimate experience comes from succumbing to the comforting call of the three or five-course menu along with wine pairings.
The young team includes Dani Hänninen – who was behind the re-make of the legendary Wellamo restaurant – as well as the crew from cocktail venture The Bull & The Firm, meaning that the drinks are also top-notch. As is customary in the young and hip Kallio district, the wine list is fresh and interesting.
Le Coin
Found on the edge of the Hakaniemi Market Square on Siltasaarenkatu, Le Coin is another addition strengthening the presence of laid-back French-inspired bistros in the area.
Quality in raw ingredients and beyond is high here: the list features lobster soup, scallops, and fried duck liver with port wine sauce, for instance. The dishes are beautifully presented and classic cooking skills shine in dishes like beef tenderloin or tartare, roast lamb or roasted whitefish.
Despite the large windows, restaurateurs Eero Suhonen and Hanna Kaartoaho have managed to create a cozy and warm atmosphere in the spacious restaurant space without compromising on elegance.
Burn & Shine
Antti Asujamaa, Markus Murtovaara, and Anu Survo, all of Ragu restaurant fame, opened a restaurant specialised in barbecuing on Ludviginkatu, which relies on the ancient art of cooking with fire and smoke. Flavourful and smoky meats and vegetables find a balance with fermented and pickled sides and various sauces from aioli to cowboy butter.
The appetisers – oysters, scallops, tartare, ceviche – are built around the raw bar concept. In addition to the diverse wine list, Burn & Shine's smoking theme is also reflected in the house cocktails. The interior of the restaurant with its dark reddish tones is urban and international, and the revolving prints and murals bring splashes of pop culture to life. The general look and feel could be described as trendy and modern.
Murasaki
Murasaki, found in the depths of Hotel Helka, is Saki Tatsunori's one-man show from start to finish. Only eight people can sit at the restaurant's short counter at a time, and in authentic Japanese style, Tatsunori prepares all dishes in front of the customers.
The seasonally changing menu includes carefully prepared Japanese classics. For lunch, a selection of small dishes is served in teishoku style alongside the main course, and at dinner, small izakaya bar dishes can be freely ordered. Groups can also book the entire restaurant for a full omakase-style menu.
The restaurant's pricing is quite reasonable given the fact that Tatsunori does everything himself and, as is typical to Japan, the establishment is open six days a week, also on Christmas and public holidays.
Karppi
Karppi, which opened in the Punavuori district, represents an Asian fusion izakaya with modern fine dining and European influences. Many flavour profiles trace back to Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. While the mix may sound confusing, even the toughest fusion skeptic can rest assured that the delicate and divinely beautiful little dishes will charm any eater.
Karppi’s interior has fun and playful elements such as cardboard carps hanging on the walls, and the food – while prepared thoroughly with with a great deal of care – also features the same creative warm-hearted catches. Korean-style iberico bulgogi is served with grilled watermelon and kimchi, and scallops are plated with udon noodles fried in a marriage of dashi and beurre blanc. The same bold and experimental line carries through the cocktail list with proposals such as gin with jasmine syrup and cucumber juice.
Pobre
Pobre, which opened on Annankatu, has a starting point in the Filipino kitchen, but a successful fusion is found with Spain and its historical ties with the Philippines. The list therefore features Spanish classics with Filipino twists, such as octopus with roasted coconut sauce.
Influences for the carefully finished, beautiful, and tasty dishes have also been absorbed from other parts of the world in dishes like tuna carpaccio with wasabi-lemon sauce and scallops with lemon kosho and artichoke chips. In addition to seafood, iberico ribs and kare-kare beef skewers are available for a sturdier bite.
The wine list has a strong emphasis on small European producers, but at its most versatile, Pobre's fusion theme comes out in the extensive cocktail list.