Saturday, September 29, 2007

Carelia, Helsinki, Finland

Mannerheimintie 56, 00260 HELSINKI
Tel.
09 270 90 976
www.carelia.info

Carelia is the place where I go to celebrate – and if there’s nothing specific to celebrate, you can always celebrate coming or recent birthdays, political agreements, bonuses that will some day be paid and many more things… Located just opposite the Opera in the premises of a former pharmacy, Carelia is Helsinki’s one restaurant that comes closest to a bistro. The service is friendly and personal, and the interior is cosy in a non-kitsch way.

Set Menus range from 30 to 41 €, a la carte main dishes from 16 to 24 €. The food is traditional bistro cuisine, with a Finnish touch. Thus, the menu features dishes like cream of chanterelle soup (8,50 €) or mixed steak tartar as starters, fried veal liver with blackcurrant sauce (18,50€) or sirloin of beef for main course, and apple crème brulée as dessert (8€). Fish people should try the fish of the day, which is always good.

Carelia also has an impressive wine list, and they organize wine tasting events in their wine cellar downstairs. I have visited Carelia probably 20 times over the last years, and never had to leave disappointed. If your schedule doesn’t allow to reserve in advance, you might be lucky to get a table during the opera performance (usually 19:00-22:00).

Visited: many, many times

3 comments:

ZML said...

By the way, yesterday's HS run a story about a new restaurant soon to be opened up in Helsinki.

It will be a two-story Brazilian place with coctail bar, A'la carte and featuring gigs of Latin music. The owner is the film director Mika Kaurismäki, who has lived already quite long time in Brazil.

As a sworn carnivore, I am eagerly waiting for this with hefty portions of juicy beef in mind, and propose that we'll go and check it out as soon as it opens! What do you think?

drjan said...

Sounds good - any information on where it will be, and when it'll open?

ZML said...

Annankatu 21 is the address, the bar will open in a few days, and the entire restaurant around mid-November.

Something for our team building?