50 Best Restaurants in Finland
Viisi Tähteä (“Five Stars”), a leading restaurant trade publication in Finland, has announced its 2009 list of “50 Best Restaurants in Finland,” with the award-winning Chez Dominique leading the way for the fifth straight year (they also appeared on Restaurant Magazine‘s highly regarded “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list in 2008).
Another prominent winner gaining international acclaim is Grotesk, featured in a New York Times December 2008 article. The restaurants are chosen through surveys of chefs and leading figures in the world of restaurants, the “movers and shakers” as identified by Editor-in-Chief Eeropekka Rislakki.
“Two main trends were clearly visible in the listings” explains Rislakki. “On the one hand professionals respect different classical aspects; on the other, it is only possible to reach the top rankings by questioning and adapting: showing innovativeness, updating the product, and assuming a broad vision of the field.”
Of the top ten restaurants, four have received coveted Michelin-star ratings – and no two are alike. Restaurants earning one star include Demo, noted for its sumptuous food and laidback-yet-energetic atmosphere and started by chefs Teemu Aura and Tommi Tuominen in 2003 (who also own the Grotesk); Carma, whose French cuisine and small, intimate setting make for a romantic atmosphere; and the sweets-oriented Postres, specializing in five-course meals with at least one dessert. Chez Dominique now has two stars earned for their creative culinary masterpieces based on Nordic and French flavors.
The other restaurants in the top ten are equally diverse, from Savoy – which opened over 70 years ago and continues to serve classic fine dining integrated with raw materials of Finnish cultivation – to Kosmos, whose dining room reminiscent of the 1930s is known as a meeting place for artists, writers and TV personalities. G.W. Sundmans, eponymously named for the naval captain whose house it occupies, and Atelié Finne, a spacious Bohemian restaurant located in the former studio of noted Finnish sculptor Gunnar Finne, each combine culture and cuisine in a distinct way. Also included are Olo, whose menu changes with the seasons to incorporate only the freshest ingredients in its food, and Mami, a new restaurant located in Turku’s historic downtown area along the banks of the Aura River.
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