Ravintola Palace in Helsinki has been named Finland's best restaurant for the fourth consecutive year. The restaurant industry professionals voted Palace as the winner of Finland's 50 Best Restaurants list. BasBas from Helsinki was ranked second, and Kaskis from Turku was third.
All of the top 10 restaurants on the list were located in Helsinki, including Bistro Bardot, Vinkkeli, Luovuus kukkii kaaoksesta, Savoy, Grön, Café Savoy, and Alexanderplats.
The awards were announced at the Spring Fair, which took place at the Helsinki Exhibition Centre on March 30th.
Helena Puolakka, the chef patron of Savoy, was awarded the title of Professional's Professional by the Exhibition Centre. The Estrella Damm beer-sponsored Best Change-Maker award went to chef and restaurateur Kim Mikkola, while Café Savoy was named the newcomer of the year. Luovuus kukkii kaaoksesta won the award for Most Innovative Restaurant.
The annual Finland's 50 Best Restaurants list and survey are conducted by Viisi Tähteä, a media company that covers the hospitality industry. The main partner of the survey is the Helsinki Exhibition Centre. Other partners include Wihuri Metro-tukku, the Quandoo reservation system, and Estrella Damm beer.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and political decisions were evident in the survey results. Helsinki reinforced its position on the list, with 33 of the top 50 restaurants located there, compared to only 17 from other parts of Finland. The number of restaurants from outside the capital on the list has decreased compared to last year, which Rislakki attributes to the pandemic and the resulting challenges that restaurateurs have faced.
The results also reflected a breakdown in the sense of community that used to exist in the industry, with restaurants competing against each other to attract staff. "There's no end in sight for this. Thanks to the government, officials, and the media who repeated their message that restaurants were at the heart of the pandemic problem, an entire industry was demonized without any evidence," Rislakki said.
This year's list also saw Tampere win the traditional Turku vs. Tampere battle, with six restaurants from Tampere making the list compared to five from Turku.
Nearly 400 hospitality professionals from across the country participated in the survey, which is considered the most significant restaurant list in Finland. The voters had to justify their choices of the five best restaurants they suggested for the list and name the winners in eight different categories. Their identities are not disclosed, but they represent the top tier of the Finnish restaurant world.
The list highlights the restaurants and the people behind them, including their dedication to their craft, ideas, expertise, food culture, service, business acumen, philosophy, creativity, and design management. It evaluates the restaurants' concept, service, food and drink, experience, and ambiance more rigorously than consumers do.
Detailed comments on each of the top 50 restaurants can be found on the Viisi Tähteä website. The restaurants that made it to the 51-100 spots are also listed on the website.
Finland’s 50 best restaurants in 2023
- Palace, Helsinki
- BasBas, Helsinki
- Kaskis, Turku
- Bistro Bardot, Helsinki
- Vinkkeli, Helsinki
- Luovuus kukkii kaaoksesta, Helsinki
- Savoy, Helsinki
- Grön, Helsinki
- Café Savoy, Helsinki
- Alexanderplats, Helsinki
- Boulevard Bar & Seafood, Helsinki
- Olo, Helsinki
- Finnjävel Salonki & Sali, Helsinki
- Kuurna, Helsinki
- Muru, Helsinki
- Bona Fide, Helsinki
- Nolla, Helsinki
- Kajo, Tampere
- Brasa, Helsinki
- Demo, Helsinki
- Mami, Turku
- Smör, Turku
- Pastis, Helsinki
- Elm, Helsinki
- Mat Distrikt, Helsinki
- SicaPelle, Porvoo
- Wellamo, Helsinki
- Ravinteli Huber, Tampere
- Nokka, Helsinki
- Paulette, Helsinki
- Kosmos, Helsinki
- Albina, Helsinki
- Hella ja Huone, Tampere
- Aito, Helsinki
- Aanaar, Inari
- Ego, Helsinki
- Kakolanruusu, Turku
- Vår, Porvoo
- Fiasco?, Helsinki
- Bistro O Mat Tapiola, Espoo
- LiV, Tampere
- Ravinteli Bertha, Tampere
- Lily Lee, Helsinki
- Plein, Helsinki
- Spis, Turku
- Apaja, Tampere
- Roux, Lahti
- Ragu, Helsinki
- Paakari, Kangasala
- Viinibaari Apotek, Helsinki
Finland's 50 Best Restaurants -voting winners
2023 Palace, Helsinki
2022 Palace, Helsinki
2021 Palace, Helsinki
2020 Palace, Helsinki
2019 Grön, Helsinki
2018 Grön, Helsinki
2012 Olo, Helsinki
2011 Farang, Helsinki
2010 Chez Dominique, Helsinki
2009 Chez Dominique, Helsinki
2008 Chez Dominique, Helsinki
2007 Chez Dominique, Helsinki
2006 Chez Dominique, Helsinki
2005 Chez Dominique, Helsinki
2004 Chez Dominique, Helsinki
HT
