Came here on 2 separate occasions. Since it was near my hotel. The food wasn't anything crazy and a…read morelittle pricey. This place is known for their fried herring. First few bites of this were pretty good. Salty and flavorful that comes with mashed potatoes that helps reset your taste buds when it gets too salty. But after halfway, I got tired of the taste. Wasn't enough variety. The salmon wasn't anything crazy. The shrimp tartar sauce that came with it was really tasty.

First meal in Finland, after checking into the hotel checked Yelp for a real Helsinki style…read morecuisine. This came up and we took Uber and arrived 10 minutes later. We tried quite a few things, my buddy wanted to sample their different looking items as well. It was fun trying their seafood, their unique sauces that accompanied them, the lamb, the mystery fish which I couldn't find in google translate, the wild mushroom soup, and to top it off was that excellent cloudberry cheesecake. Had to google was 'cloudberry' was and this was the definition "Cloudberries are very juicy, and they taste a bit like a cross between a raspberry and a red currant". We were sold! So unique and different at the same time had to upload a picture so one could see what they look like before turned into a dessert. For sure would return to this place, great service, excellent tasting food which is so different from other countries.

Ravintola Konstan Mölja offers a buffet of traditional Finnish food in a cozy, decorated dining…read moreroom. The friendly server explained to us all the different dishes, starting with the huge array of cold appetizers. There were three different kinds of pickled herring, mashed boiled eggs, butter, beets, lingonberries, caviar, red onion, sour cream, pickles, quinoa salad, mushroom salad, cucumbers, sauerkraut, potato salad, pickled artichokes, several kinds of breads, and Karelian pasties (a potato filling baked in a rye crust). The soup of the day was the traditional Finnish creamy salmon soup, made with chunks of salmon, potatoes, and lots of different vegetables and herbs in a milky broth. For the hot entrees and sides, the Slavic Chicken Stew was made with chicken, potatoes, peppers, leeks, and other vegetables in a sweet and savory sauce flavored with blue cheese; and the Sautéed Moose was made of shredded moose meat flavored with warm spices including bay leaves and juniper berries. The sides included Barley, Mashed Potatoes, and Honey Roasted Root Vegetables (carrots, beets, green beans, and parsnips). The drinks included the standard coffee and tea, served with both dairy and oat milks; but the most unique drink was the 1% homemade ale, which had a sweet, fruity taste and light consistency. My favorite items from the huge selection of dishes included the mushroom salad (chopped mushrooms in a sour cream dressing) and the sautéed moose (which almost tasted like meaty, lean beef), but everything was high quality, delicious, and came at an unbelievable value for lunch. Definitely a great restaurant for sampling a bunch of different traditional Finnish foods!

I always wanted to go to Finland because it was a mystery country for me, the northern lights, the…read morenorth pole, the artic circle but never I thought that the food will be a highlight of my trip. Konstan Molja is the way to go if you want to try a variety of traditional finish food!

Excellent service and food. The atmosphere is cozy and upscale. I cannot say enough about the…read moredishes. All were very good - not a single misstep. Cannot say that very often.

What an absolutely wonderful dining experience. It is obvious that the staff work together and…read moreenjoy presenting unique and interesting flavors.

The dining experience here is really lovely. A comfortable dining room with high ceilings,…read moreattentive service, and good local beers. It's only pre fixe it seems which isn't my favorite but each dish was quite nice. Though the first course was my favorite, so it started out phenomenal and the rest was a little less memorable. That said, the oxtail ragu and polenta is stupid good, beautiful textures and the sauce brings it all together.

I was invited to dinner here and liked it very much. I would have given it 5 stars if the food had…read morebeen a bit better. The ambience was amazing and the service was excellent. The value for money here is also very good. The restaurant is split into two parts the front and the conservatory in the back. The conservatory is in my opinion much more cozy and charming. Floor to ceiling glass but very warm and cozy. The tables are covered with crisp white linen and coloured water glasses. The setting was really nice and posh. The menu has a la carte or you can try the 3,4 or 5 course surprise menu. We all chose the surprise menu of 4 courses. The bread was fabulous and the first course was nice. The Jerusalem artichoke soup lacked the punch and the lamb main was beautiful however the orange polenta took away from the dish. The buttermilk with orange for the main was also unnecessary and did nothing to enhance the dish and made it to orangey. The dessert was also nothing special in my opinion. The wine pairing was ok and nothing special. Service was very good and they were quick to the table and very helpful and friendly. All in all a great experience and I will give this place another go before finally making up my mind. It's modern Finnish cooking done well.

My hotel recommended this place for the Reindeer steak. It was featured on the lunch prix fixe…read more First course was a creamy chantelle mushroom soup with herb oil and sunflower seeds for crunch! It was perfectly seasoned and featured a harmonious suite of flavors. Second course featured reindeer (cooked rare on request) with celery root foam, brussel sprouts with shitake mushroom and a potato galette. The server recommended that the reindeer be cooked no more than medium rare as it will become tough and have a livery note. The slight bitter from the brussel sprouts balanced the slightly sweet potato galette. The foam added richness to round off the earthy reindeer. Normally, I tire of a dish like this midway but I found myself amused to the end. They have a tartare version at night which I have no doubt be delightful. Third course was a raspberry cheesecake that was too gorgeous to eat. And, as I do not have much of a sweet tooth, not my thing. The servers are patient, warm and knowledgeable. Do book a reservation if you come during regular meal times. I went mid afternoon and snuck in--but the dining room filled towards the end of my meal.

Aino is one of the restaurants in pure Helsinki center serving innovative, high-quality Finnish…read moredishes. The most traditional one, the sauteed reindeer on mashed potatoes as known from Lapland is my favorite, and the chefs of Aino have skills to cook it into perfection with a sufficiently modern twist yet respecting the authenticity. The red wine recommendation was perfect although this food goes well with local beer, too. The restaurant has a cosy indoor section, and very nice and peaceful patio area at the other end. The service was professional and friendly. I will definitely repeat this one.

Came by for lunch the other day and it was a tasty experience. Karl Johan is located away from the…read moretouristy areas and seems to cater to locals. Reservations are not accepted for lunch. They have a rotating lunch menu and I opted for the tenderloin lunch special for 25 euros. Ordering and payment is done at the counter. Complimentary salad, bread, and water are self service by the bar next to the cashier. Staff bring out entrees and also bus the tables. To my surprise, the tenderloin was excellent. The medium was a perfect medium rare and it was seared on the outside to perfection. This was served with some flavorful grilled vegetables that were seasoned to perfection.

I was rushing by looking for a restaurant that no longer existed due to Covid. I decided to go to…read moreKarl Johan instead and it was a great decision. The lovely server immediately gave me some bread with the best tapenade I've ever eaten. It was a combo of olives and dried tomatoes with tons of flavour, but very little salt. I started with the traditional Finnish Vorschmack. It takes three days to make this delicious beef and fish mush. It's served with chopped onions, beets, pickles, sour cream and a large dollop of mashed potato's. It's the perfect comfort food and I could get seriously addicted to Vorschmack!!! Everyone around me was happily ordering pork schnitzels. I ordered the green risotto. It had a lot of vegetables in it: green beans, arugula / rocket and fresh peas. I found it bland and missing a taste direction. I do not recommend the chocolate dessert, it was the least impressive part of the meal. I think they need to up their dessert game. Based on the description, I thought it would be a chocolate mousse, but instead a dense hard cube of chocolate ganache arrived with a Basil flavoured green whipped cream. Toasted Quinoa was sprinkled on top which led to an unpleasant, gritty taste sensation. Totally unnecessary addition to the dessert.

What an amazing way to say good-bye to Helsinki, Finland. I could've gone to a much more…read moreaffordable eatery around town, but wanted to treat myself with one of the best restaurants that's been around Helsinki, Savotta. It's been a staple for years, serving classic Finnish food. If you come with a large party, you can make a reservation online, which they recommend as the place is very popular. I happened to be there the night of school graduation, so there were a ton of families out celebrating; however, no one wanted to sit outside on the back deck, which was perfect for me. The space isn't the largest, so can get crowded and stuffy, but the back patio has a nice ambiance and is much cooler for the summer nights. The menu features all the favorite Finnish foods, including salmon soup, which was what I planned on getting. However, they had an anniversary special menu, featuring three courses for a set price, which was the best option. I wanted to try reindeer before leaving Finland, which was the main dish, and for my appetizer, I had a plate/board of different Finnish meats and sides from around the region. The dessert was a French toast, which was different than what we have in the U.S. for breakfast. I first started with a cocktail, the original long drink, which was invented during when Helsinki hosted the Olympics in the summer, which provided a refreshing drink for the visitors and is a Finnish classic today. It's grapefruit with gin over ice, which was indeed, refreshing. It was fitting for a sunny day. The food though was outta this world. Truly, I really enjoyed everything I tried, especially with some of the items being consumed for the first time. Who knew mushroom salad could be so delicious? The reindeer steak over potatoes with lingonberry was the best thing I ate here though! If you come to Savotta, this is a must order. In addition to the delicious food, the service was outstanding with friendly staff despite how busy they were. Located near the Senate Square in Helsinki, it's THE place to eat at in town. Wonderful!

The vibes of the place were very traditional and fun, and one of the servers was an absolute…read moredelight. They made us laugh and smile throughout our time there, making the experience even better. The food was very different for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed it (for the most part). We started with the Supreme Savotta appetizer, and we found almost everything on this platter not only edible but delicious. The bear salami was at the top of our list, and it was a unique and flavorful experience. We also tried the bear tidbit, but unfortunately, it wasn't something we would order again. It had a very particular flavor that wasn't for us, but other tables around us seemed to devour it. The reindeer steak was the highlight of the meal and was a 10/10. It was tender, delicious, and just perfect. We highly recommend it. For dessert, we had the Finnish Trifle, which was light and delicious, perfectly balanced between sweet and tart. Overall, I couldn't recommend Restaurant Savotta enough. The traditional vibes of the place, along with the exceptional service, made for a wonderful dining experience. The food was unique and flavorful, and the reindeer steak was a must-try. If you're ever in Helsinki, be sure to check out this restaurant.

Amazing restaurant from all points of view and it should be one of your (pricey) stops in…read moreHelsinki. The location is beautiful and curated in all details including the reuse of broken dishes that are transformed into artsy bread dishes by a local pottery maker. The food (yes I had reindeer meat although it's summer!) is wonderfully prepared, nice wine list with wines to match all your desires. Service: they go above and beyond and our waiter even took our toddler for a tour of the restaurant so that the mom could enjoy her dish! Super kid-friendly! Absolutely not to be missed!

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a phenomenal experience. Ravintola Nokka is featured…read morein the Michelin guide and is facing the water. The restaurant also features a green star. Service started off with a complimentary coat and jacket check before being shown my table facing the open kitchen. Opted for the Taste of Nokka tasting menu for 139 Euro and it was phenomenal. Started off with the truffled potatoes with fish roe and the flavors were excellent and world class. Moved on to the bread course and the bread was tasty. The zander fish course was excellent. The fish appeared to be poached to a rare and was presented in a small portion served with some apples and sauce. The potato brioche was excellent and this was served with vendace roe which had some cream on the bottom. Another excellent course. The king crab course was also excellent. Delicate and precise cooking. For the mains, I was very impressed with the elk and reindeer. The elk was cooked to a perfect medium rare and seared on the outside. Meal ended off with the sea buckthorn which was a light and refreshing way to finish dinner. Service throughout the meal was excellent with super attentive service by the waitstaff, clearing plates, and go over each course.