Highlights of Helsinki

Great start to the day: Breakfast at „Way Bakery & Wine Bar“ in Kallio - homemade sourdough, porridge with caramel of apple vinegar, Comte, Finnish ham, hard boiled eggs, homemade butter, carpaccio of celery, yoghurt with berries and raspberry leaf oil and persimmon with honey and flowers. Weekly changing menu, top quality in products and lovely presentation by Toni Kostian, Lauri Pippinen, Toni Feri and Lauri Kaehkönen.

They also offer yummy pastries and well selected wines for lunch and dinner...

That’s the view from one of the most traditional restaurants in town: „Savoy“ at Eteläesplanadi, in the heart of Helsinki

Chef Helena Puolakka - who used to work for guys like Pierre Koffman, Gordon Ramsay and Pierre Gagnaire in London for 25 years - has recently taken over this hosting institution of Helsinki. And she is already setting new benchmarks with dishes like this. An interpretation of „Vorschmack“, a classic Finnish stew of beef, lamb, herring, onions and garlic, that she turns into tasty pelmeni in a deeply flavored Borschtsch.

Say hello to Eero Vottonen! Spent an extraordinary evening at his „Palace“ thanks to this guy and his way of combining the best products of the world with perfect preparation and the most elegant flavors of Nordic cuisine.

This was my favourite of his: grilled Norwegian king crab, reduced tomato and king crab caramel. Out of this world!

Quick stop out of town. At chocolate factory „PH7“ in Tuusula where you can watch these gorgeous macarons and more amazing sweets being made - and of course get your own big mouthful to try.

And here‘s my favourite Finnish man! Chef Sauli Kemppainen of „Savu“ in Berlin. Always a pleasure to wine n dine with him. And in this case: to travel and eat our way through his hometown together!

Dillkött. Or the more than sophisticated version of this traditionally at military or in school canteens consumed dish. By chefs Tommi Tuominen and Ismo Sipeläinen who digged up historic national recipes and turned them into something brutally locally tasty. There‘s a hell lot of fermenting, smoking and curing going on at „Finnjävel“.

Nice on top: „Finnjävel“ is placed at Taidehalli Helsinki. So first art - then eat.

No way of visiting Helsinki without stopping by at Vanha Kauppahalli - the Market hall right in front of the harbour. Check out that salmon selection!

And finally dinner at „Inari“ Helsinki. Chef Kim Mikkola of famous „Noma“ in Copenhagen has returned home and sorted out one of the most interesting openings in town of the last decade. Combining Nordic Cuisine with Asian flavors and being very unique in and extremely good at it. Try the Duck pancakes.

Try Melanzane. The Asian way.

Or Chawanmushi. Glazed mussels.

And don’t forget to talk to Kim. He’s got his own way of looking at things - and is definitely fun or at least interesting to hang out with.

Here for example. „Grotesk Bar“ sits right in between the bustling commercial and hip design district of Helsinki. Perfect mixture of great drinks, vibrant atmosphere, old school hip hop and tales of a famous Basketball star who loved the Interieur so much he was trying to buy it on the go.