Culinary Back roads
Taking a culinary backroad offers travelers a more authentic, adventurous experience. It might mean traveling to the countryside to visit a manor house, a farm, or a charming remote village. It is what some might call traveling off the beaten track. Options are plenty and there is something for everyone - from families to couples, and certainly for single travelers. Culinary adventures in Finland go hand in hand with our four seasons, as each time of year has unique features that are reflected in our cuisine.
Restaurants in the countryside and small towns
Several small towns in Finland are prime examples of delicious provincial cooking.
Brasa - Porvoo
Brasa is a newly opened restaurant situated within a gold club in Porvoo´s Kulloo village. It calls its cuisine innovative and strives to use organic and locally produced ingredients. Three course menus 42€-52€.
Golftie 119, 06830 Kulloonkylä
Tel. +358-(0)45-121 1716
brasa@smartdine.fi
Holvi Restaurant - Mikkeli
Restaurant Holvi is considered a front runner in provincial restaurants. Its á la carte menu showcases the best local products by giving traditional ingredients a twist. The restaurant is located in the arched cellar space of the Mikkeli Theater building and features menus that are tied to the plays shown upstairs.
Savilahdenkatu 11,
50100 Mikkeli
Tel./Fax +358-(0)15-210 663
ravintolaholvi@ravintolaholvi.fi
Holvi Restaurant
Hospitz – Savonlinna
Hospitz is a family-owned hotel next to the famous Olavinlinna Castle. The hotel was built in 1933 and offers unique rooms decorated with great respect for old architecture. Hospitz’s restaurant is famous for its abundance of fish dishes that are rolled in front of diners in a big boat.
Linnankatu 20, 57100 Savonlinna
Tel. +358-(0)15-515 661
Note! The hotel is closed 23 December 2009 – 30 April 2010.
Hospitz
Hvitträsk – Luoma
Located at the Hvittrask museum, this á la carte restaurant offers delicious, high quality food influenced by Finnish-Scandinavian tradition. Hvitträsk was built from 1901-1903 and was designed in the national romantic style by three famous Finnish architects: Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren and Eliel Saarinen. Hvitträsk is also the childhood home of the world famous architect, Eero Saarinen, who has designed buildings and monuments such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.
Hvitträskintie 166, 02440 Luoma
Tel. +358-(0)9-297 60 33
myynti@ravintolahvittrask.fi
Hvitträsk restaurant
Hvitträsk
Matala Oulu
The food in Matala is based on traditional preparation methods influenced by contemporary style. Bringing good basic flavors and seasonal ingredients into focus is the stronghold of the restaurant. Kitchen staff is often seen mingling with diners giving friendly advice on food and wine choices. Matala’s surprise menu, featuring local seasonal ingredients, changes twice a week and has already gathered a loyal fan base.
Rantakatu 6, OULU
Tel. +358-(0)8-333 013
myynti@matala.fi
Pöllövaari – Jyväskylä
Restaurant Pöllövaari, which claims to be the best restaurant in Central Finland, is located in the boutique hotel, Yöpuu, at the center of Jyväskylä. Dishes are based on high quality Finnish ingredients, which vary seasonally. Pöllövaari offers a memorable dining experience in a historic building, accompanied with first class service.
Yliopistonkatu 23, 40100 Jyväskylä
Tel. +358-(0)14-333 900
myyntipalvelu@hotelliyopuu.fi
Pöllövaari
Lapland Hotel Sky - Ounasvaara
The Restaurant at the Lapland Hotel Sky in Ounasvaara showcases a creative approach to food and drinks. The 300-seat restaurant offers diners personable service and a superb dining experience with a panoramic view of Lapland. The restaurant favors local, small producers from Lapland and fish from the Arctic Ocean.
Juhannuskalliontie,
96400 Rovaniemi
Tel. +358-(0)16-323 400
Skyhotel@laplandhotels.com
Lapland Hotel Sky
Säräpirtti Kippurasarvi - Lemi
Säräpirtti restaurant serves almost 30,000 diners yearly, despite the fact that it features only one dish. Särä lamb roast is cooked for nine hours in the warmth of a traditional Finnish wood burning oven. This “all you can eat” dish is baked with potatoes in a large birch wood casket and served with barley bread and home brewed mild beer.
Rantatie 1,
54710 Lemi
Tel. +358-(0)5-414 6470
info@sarapirtti.fi
Säräpirtti Kippurasarvi
Wolkoff – Lappeenranta
The Wolkoff house is one of the oldest wooden houses in the Eastern town of Lappeenranta – 160 years old. The restaurant serves dishes that have been influenced by both European and Russian cuisines. On the menu you will find, for example, blinis, grilled pike perch and organic beef – all accompanied with unreserved, friendly Carelian service.
Kauppakatu 26, 53100 Lappeenranta
Tel. +358-(0)5-4150 320
kari.sintonen@wolkoff.fi
Countryside mansions and hotels with great restaurants
Anttolanhovi
The restaurant in the Anttolanhovi Hotel and Spa celebrates fresh local ingredients. The fish and meat in the restaurant are purchased from local fishermen, and berries and wild mushrooms are harvested in nearby forests. Design aficionados are sure to be charmed by the hotel spa’s special Art & Design cottages that get their inspiration from Lake Saimaa and the four seasons.
Hovintie 224,
52100 Anttola
Tel. +358-(0)-207 57 5200
myyntipalvelu@anttolanhovi.fi
Anttolanhovi
Haikon kartano - Porvoo
The Haikko Manor is beautifully located by the sea in the historic city of Porvoo. Its roots go as far back as the 14th century. The restaurant is well suited for private dinners as well as for business or other group meetings. It also offers a gorgeous setting for weddings and other celebrations.
Haikkoontie 114, FIN-06400 Porvoo
Tel +358-(0)19-576 01
hotelli.haikko@haikko.fi
Haikon kartano
Hotelli Krapi
Krapi manor is located near Lake Tuusula, once a popular retreat for artists and famous composers like Sibelius. The estate consists of a hotel, a restaurant, and a traditional Finnish smoke sauna. The seasonal buffet restaurant, Krapinhovi, cherishes Finnish food tradition and seasonal flavors.
Rantatie 2,
04310 Tuusula
Tel +358-(0)9-274 841
fax: +358-(0)9-274 84210
myynti@krapi.fi
Krapi
Tertti Manor House
A great place to stop for lunch on a drive through Eastern Finland is Tertti Manor. Their lunch buffet, with various fish, meat and vegetable delicacies, is legendary. The moose stew baked with root vegetables is a favorite on the á la carte menu. The manor also has a gift shop that sells homemade products like honey and marmalades with ingredients from the manor’s own garden.
Kuopiontie 68,
50350 Mikkeli
Tel. +358-(0)15-176 012
Tertti Manor House
tertti@tertinkartano.fi
Westerby Gård - Inkoo
Westerby Gård is a great place to escape busy city life. The main building, built in 1857, is beautifully maintained and offers a charming setting for afternoon tea on the patio. The restaurant offers dishes typical of a rural country kitchen. This seaside estate also offers berry and mushroom picking trips, as well as fishing trips that end with smoking your freshly caught fish on beautiful Torrharun Island in the outer archipelago.
Västerbyntie 95, 10210 Inkoo
Tel. +358-(0)9-295 2589
mail@westerby.fi
Westerby Gård
Farm vacations
There are several farms in rural Finland; they offer a great way for you to familiarize yourself with the lifestyle and kitchens of the countryside.
Bovik Farm
Bovik farm is an organic farm located in the Southern Finnish town of Tammisaari. The farm rears native breeds of sheep and cattle: Finnish landrace sheep and Eastern Finncattle, also known as kyyttö cattle. Bovik produces lamb meat and beef, as well as goods made from wool and sheepskin. The farm provides a variety of hospitality services for up to a few dozen guests - you can organize seminars and retreats here, or ask for an individually tailored day trip. Bovik serves delicious food made from the farm’s own meat, supplemented with locally sourced fish, produce and baked goods.
Bovikintie 25, 10600 Tammisaari
Tel. +358-(0)-500-207 778
studio.sebastian@netlife.fi
Bovik Farm
Cottage rentals
One of the best ways to experience the Finnish countryside is to rent a cottage!
Lomarengas
Mökkiavain
Nettimökki.com
Mökkiloma.net
Huvila.net
Cottage in Finland.com
Country Stores
Benjamin Maatilatori
On addition to the meat counter offerings of this famous butcher shop, its country store sells various high quality souvenirs, handicrafts and other local products.
Heila Lähiruokatori
The Heila local food market has everything you need for a countryside vacation. Located off the main highway on your way to Eastern Finland, this is the place to stock up on local dairy farm products, crisp crusted breads and organic vegetables.
Työmiehentie 35,
18200 Heinola
Heinolan pohjoinen liittymä, 24
Tel. +358-(0)10-239 2399
toriemanta@heilan.fi
Eat&Joy Maatilatori
This country store in the middle of Helsinki offers products from over 150 producers. The store features a variety of products from small farms, bakeries, and from some of the best chefs in Finland.
Mannerheimintie 22–24,
00100 Helsinki
Tel. +358-(0)45-250 5333
