During my trip to Finland, I must say I was very impressed by the quality of Finnish cuisine. I truly ate very well during these few days in this Nordic country, which is celebrating the centenary of its independence this year. I therefore wanted to present my Finnish food tour in a comprehensive article.
Seasonality and product freshness are very important points in their cuisine, and Finns appreciate simple, good things (just like me, actually!).
Table of Contents
Tasting Finnish specialties
To begin, here is a small selection of local specialties (not exhaustive, obviously!) to enjoy on-site or to bring back in your suitcases.
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Key ingredients
Here are some ingredients that Finns love and that are found throughout their cuisine: berries (they love blueberries, which you find in everything!), mushrooms, and wild herbs, as well as fish (the famous white fish, which we didn’t quite understand what it corresponded to…), game, and reindeer.
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Black bread
With meals, Finns always place black bread on the table (it’s a good thing, because I love it!), which is inevitably accompanied by a little butter.
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The Finnish breakfast
During my night at the Koti exhibition at the Finnish Institute in Paris (I mentioned it in my first article on Finland), I had the opportunity to taste a real Finnish breakfast. I’ll let you discover what it looks like in photos.
Breakfast is an important meal in Finland and it is often energetic and healthy to provide fuel to start the day well.
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Finnish beers
Whatever your destination, you will find all kinds of local beers to taste in Finland, which the Finns are fond of. If you are a fan, I highly recommend testing a few. I won’t make you a list, but I will put a few photos here of those I tasted.
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Other Finnish drinks
Also worth trying:
- Finnish cider, which doesn’t taste anything like our French cider (it’s much drier)
- long drinks, a kind of cocktail where a base spirit is lengthened with fruit juice or soda (see below for the address The Helsinki Distilling to taste them)
- Finnish gin (see also The Helsinki Distilling further down in the article)
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My good addresses in the Lahti region of Finland
During my trip to Finland, I spent a few days in the Lahti region, which is located north of Helsinki, in the lake region. Here are the addresses that I was able to test during my time in the area and that I recommend.
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Drink a local beer or cider at the Teerenpeli distillery
This factory produces delicious beers, but also cider and whisky (yes!). Definitely worth checking out! In the evening, the place feels a bit like a pub in terms of atmosphere, but in a Finnish version.
The tip: you can also discover and buy these beers in local supermarkets (about €3 per bottle)
Restaurant Bar Teerenpeli Vapaudenkatu 20, Lahti
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Restaurant Roux
This restaurant, opened in 2007 by the couple Kati and Sami Heikkinen (who also own another restaurant in Lahti, Popote), is located in a former pharmacy. It was actually voted restaurant of the year in Finland in 2016.
The establishment’s cuisine is fine, creative, and very well presented, and the high-end service matches perfectly with the quality of what is on the plate.
Restaurant Roux Rautatienkatu 7, 15100 Lahti, Finland primarily a restaurant open in the evening Price: evening menus between €55 and €78
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Café Sinne Store
Concept store and coffee shop, very pleasant for a little coffee and cake break in the city in the middle of a short walk to discover Lahti.
Café Sinne Store Vesijarvenkatu 20, Lahti
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Cafe Bar Shop Murtsikka
Another nice address in the city of Lahti to drink a hot beverage or to enjoy one of the many local beers from the region.
Cafe Bar Shop Murtsikka Aleksanterinkatu 13, 15110 Lahti, Finland
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The Kinnarin Tila farm
This family farm has existed since 1667, and you can even see old photos of its operation in the small tea room inside the shop. The latter offers both farm products for sale and many decorative items.
It’s the ideal place to take a short break, drink a hot beverage (you absolutely must try a very popular drink in Finland, made on-site with berries and drunk hot, Glögi Huuma – €13.90 per bottle), and eat some local pastries like the famous gingerbreads that Finns make during the holiday season.
Kinnarin Tila Farm Soramäentie 1, 15880 Hollola, Finland
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My good addresses in Helsinki
I have already talked about the city of Helsinki in a previous article, and here I take the opportunity to share a selection of addresses that I tested during my time in the Finnish capital.
The covered markets of Helsinki
In Helsinki, you must go for a stroll in the old covered markets, which are full of great local products. I had already mentioned the KauppaHalli Hakamiemen covered market in my previous article, and I also recommend discovering another covered market located by the sea, Kauppahalli.
You can have a cappuccino there accompanied by a small cinnamon pastry (super good, but I can’t remember the name – €2.90) at Robert’s Coffee.
Robert's Coffee old market hall Eteläranta, 00130 Helsinki, Finland
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Restaurant Shelter
This trendy Helsinki restaurant, which opened in 2016, offers creative and high-end cuisine with a very small menu that changes daily according to the seasonal products the chef procures.
It is one of the most fashionable establishments in the capital lately, so I advise you to book if you want to discover this address. It is clearly not cheap, but if you appreciate gastronomy and want to taste new Finnish cuisine, this is clearly where you must go!
Shelter Kanavaranta 7 Helsinki Price: €23 for a starter (€13) and dessert (€10) / chef's menu €43 for 3 surprise courses or €56 for 5 surprise courses / Shelter menu 4 courses for €52
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A21 Decades Cocktail Bar
This bar, which has existed since 2007, offers a selection of cocktails with typical Nordic ingredients.
A21 Decades
Annankatu 21, Helsinki
Price of Nordic cocktails: between €11.50 and €15_
The Helsinki Distilling
This place, which is both a gin bar and a distillery in the city, has set up shop in the heart of the abattoirs, the new trendy foodie neighborhood in Helsinki.
This spot, which was born from the project of 3 friends to produce quality Finnish spirits, is the perfect place to discover the grapefruit long drink, a Finnish specialty, or to test one of the cocktails based on Finnish gin from the menu.
- Helsinki Gin & Tonic cocktail
- Nordic Snapper cocktail
Range of Finnish spirits produced:
- Helsinki Dry Gin, a craft gin distilled with 9 plants and mixed with very pure Finnish water (price of bottle €42)
- Helsingfors Fiskehamns, aquavit (price of bottle €32)
The Helsinki Distilling Työpajankatu 2a R3, 00580 Helsinki, Finland
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Restaurant Nokka
We had lunch one afternoon in this restaurant, open since 2002, specializing in Finnish cuisine and which sources exclusively from small local producers. The establishment is located on a quay, right next to Shelter, which I mentioned just above.
In the kitchen, we find chef Ari Ruoho, who enjoys working with organic and seasonal products that he buys from local producers.
Restaurant Nokka Kanavaranta 7 F, 00160 Helsinki Price: dish of the day at lunch starting from €22 / dinner menu starting from €62
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Cooking class and dinner at Flavour Studio
This cooking school, located in an old warehouse in the Teurastamo district built in 1933 (the same as where The Helsinki Distilling, which I mentioned above, is located), allows everyone to discover Nordic cuisine from the inside. This district now houses a center for culture and cuisine, which attracts quite a few people.
The Flavour Studio therefore offers to take a cooking class with a Finnish chef, to prepare the meal yourself that is then eaten all together.
Flavour Studio Työpajankatu 2, 00580 Helsinki, Finland Price: about €59 per person for a surprise menu consisting of 4 courses + drinks included
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I hope that with all this I have made you want to discover Finnish culinary specialties, and if you too have your own favorite addresses in Finland, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on my trip to Finland in 2017 below:
⇒ All my articles on Finland
MY STOPS IN FINLAND
⇒ Practical Information on Finland
⇒ Stay in the Lahti region
⇒ Finnish Food Tour
⇒ Helsinki
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Melle Bon Plan (with the Lumix GX80K) Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's permission required before any use
