Came by for dinner the other night and it was a phenomenal world class experience. Natura is…read morelocated in Helsinki on a pedestrian walkway and is featured in the Michelin guide with a green star. Had dinner on Vappu and was offered the set menu for €69 with 8 courses. Opted for the caviar option for 12€ and water was a 2€ surcharge. I loved the vibe of the restaurant featuring an open kitchen. Staff throughout the evening were hospitable. Started off with a tasty amuse bouche and bread course before moving on to the fish course. The fish was poached to a perfect rare with the skin on. This was served with buttermilk and topped with herbs. The next 3 courses consisted of some carrot Tagliatelle, and pancake topped with berries and cheese. These were decent. I wasn't a fan of the blood Sausage course. The highlight of the dinner was the wild duck with super fresh mushrooms and asparagus. Flavors from the wild duck were world class. I wasn't a fan of the cheese course although I loved the dessert course served with a topping of snow. The 3 hour dinner was very enjoyable and relaxing

Fabulous tasting menu with local Finnish ingredients. We tried the 7 course tasting menu, they also…read morehave a 5 course and an "all in" for everything on the menu. We started with wine and a mocktail with bread and an amuse which were in addition to the 7 courses. They even brought me house made gluten free multigrain and seed bread, warm and delicious. The bread came with a spiced and browned butter spread and a sip of a miso type vegetarian soup for me. Next was smoked salmon with roe, white fish tartar, cauliflower with semolina and peach, oat risotto with mushrooms and lemon, celeriac stack, beet and smoked cream, duck with apple and sweet onion, local cheese with carrot jam and seed and fruit bread ( a bit like a deconstructed carrot cake) this was an extra course my husband ordered and I also tried; and almost finally, their signature snowy tower of fluffy iced cream - like a very fine shave ice that melts in your mouth. The ice was covering fruit compote in my case and fruit and cake for my non-gluten intolerant husband. They also brought a mini cake bite and a truffle at the end of our dinner. This is a must visit for innovative locally sourced ingredients composed in interesting and highly complimentary blends. Reservations are required unless you want to dine late or at opening time.

I had passed by Il Birrificio a few times and unable to get into another spot walked around the…read morecorner and gave it a shot. You order at the counter then find a seat which can't be simpler. All the in house beer info is also easily found on the wall and the menu is simple; mostly based on their also homemade sausages. Not wanting a full meal, I went with the Poutine which has all the things I love - sausage, fries, cheese curds, and a light and slightly tart gravy. All yum, and all gone from the plate within minutes. I would think all the other menu items are equally worthy but if you just want a great beer, this place will do it too.

The people behind old favorites La Torrefazzione and Fratello have moved beyond serving good coffee…read moreand brunches to also expand into beer and proper restaurant food. In the space of a previous garlic restaurant they have opened up a restaurant where they serve up simple dishes from nice ingredients. The menu is refreshingly short, all in all around 10 dishes out of which 5-6 are mains and then there are a few snack dishes and some dessert. The food I had has been very good, uncomplicated but with flavors that really fit together well. In addition to serving good food they also brew their own beer on site as well as serve other good craft beer. The beer is very nice and a lot of interesting types of beer can be sampled (served in either small (0.2l) or regular (0.4l)). Nice and friendly service adds to the appeal of this place. Orders are places at the bar so can at times be a bit busy but not really an issue. The place is also nicely designed in a mix of rustic wood and white tiles behind the bar. The improvement would be to try to reduce the noise level in the bigger room as it got rather loud (and the tables are big so people sit fairly far from each other resulting in louder and louder conversations).

This was our favorite place for fish soup after being in Helsinki for 3 days. The order did take a…read morewhile to come out, but thankfully we had some wine to sip on. The soup itself was very tasty and creamy, with lots of fish, making it a good portion to share.

A great breakfast spot in the harbor district of Helsinki. The food was fresh and authentic…read moreFinnish fare. The place is charming.

I had an excellent introduction to Finnish thinking through ingredients at Vinkkeli. The…read morereasonably-priced 58,00 euro four course menu was wonderfully complemented by polite and attentive service. DO NOT MISS IF YOU ARE IN HELSINKI.

I had a delicious dinner here, a delicate pike perch in a mushroom sauce paired with potatoes and…read morepickled cucumbers with a touch of horseradish. The fish was really nicely done, just the right texture. The dessert of rhubarb pie with vanilla cream sauce and lemon meringue pieces on top was also excellent. The service was very good and the food came out right away. It was a little on the pricey side but so good I almost wish I ordered the four course meal. Highly recommend.

Make him here at the recommendation of a friend who lives in town, based on her love of large…read morecinnamon rolls. Hailing from the US, and specifically the Midwest in the recent past, a big cinnamon roll is literally the size of a dinner plate to us. This was unfortunately not the experience, but nonetheless the cinnamon rolls were lovely! They basically had the same cinnamon rolls that are available at nearly every other bakery, but to be fair, they were slightly larger. They had lots of additional pastries and desserts, which the little dudes loved! Everything we got was very good, presented nicely and priced like we were in Europe! We ended up with a number of pastries, one cinnamon roll and a couple of sandwiches. It was a really nice brunch and a good chance for everybody to rest for a little bit. The caffeinated drinks were also good. I had a simple latte, and it was just fine. My best half had tea and thoroughly enjoyed it. The place definitely has a little more upscale vibe, so coming in with a few kids seemed a bit out of the ordinary, but overall nobody seem to really care that much. And while the cinnamon rolls were not as large as we had hoped, Everything was as delicious as advertised. Definitely a good spot to check out if you're in town!

This lovely restaurant is on the second floor of the café located below. It is a beautiful room…read morewith large windows, tons of light (at 8pm on a June evening), and the warm feel of someone's house. The wait staff was welcoming, even to those of use with ignorant questions about some of the dishes on the menu. They also made some excellent wine suggestions which really hit the spot. Our entire table ordered from the set menu - 3 courses including dessert. It was a choice of some typical Finnish dishes and was an excellent introduction to local cuisine. Toast Skagen (Shrimp salad on toast to us Americans) was terrific and a nice way to start the meal. Not too heavy and with the wait staff suggested dry Riesling it served as a gracious starting off point. Roasted Char was terrific - expertly cooked with crispy skin and perfectly medium on the interior. The potato terrine was very delicious, light, and nicely crunchy on the outside. Finally, the hit of the dinner for me was the Blueberry and Oatmeal crisp with fresh local blueberry's and a surprisingly pleasant sprinkling of salt throughout. This is an excellent place to get away from the crowds and enjoy a pleasant and pleasing meal.