One of the most beautiful panoramic restaurants in Helsinki with a magnificent view of Eteläesplanadi and the Cathedral attracts gourmets from all over the world with its impeccable classics both in food and in design.
For over 80 years Savoy has been a welcome place to meet and hold life’s most significant events.
Savoy’s History
Savoy Restaurant was opened on June 3, 1937 in a building designed by the architect Walter Jung in conjunction with the Ahlström Corporation. Special pride of Savoy is its interior, designed by one of the most important representatives of Scandinavian design, the “father of modernism” of Northern Europe, Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino Aalto, together with textile designer Dora Jung and cult furniture brand Artek.
The interior of Savoy still follows the Aalto plan, which divides the place into a large, atmospheric restaurant space and terraces that surround it on three sides.
The reconstruction of the restaurant carried out in 2020 by Artek, who participated in the creation of the original interior in cooperation with the Helsinki City Museum and the Alvar Aalto Foundation, was primarily aimed at preserving the atmosphere and all the design details of the Aalto space. Interior designer Ilse Crawford and her company Studioilse are responsible for the interior of the restored Savoy.
Savoy occupies two floors of the building. On the eighth floor there is the main restaurant hall and a glassed-in terrace that is open all year round, as well as an open summer terrace-garden, where plants for the kitchen are grown.
The Savoy party floor is located on the 7th floor and includes a hall for special occasions and receptions, as well as dining and conference rooms for private events and banquets.
The first Savoy restaurateurs were Swedes Gustav Rasmussen and Runar Björklund, and since March 1999 the restaurant had been owned by a large Finnish restaurant chain Royal Ravintolat Oy. Since May, 2019 Savoy has been run by Financier Group, company that operates 3 restaurants in Helsinki: Savoy, Palace and Espa. The Finnish Gastronomic Society — Suomen Gastronomien Seura — Savoy was twice selected as “Restaurant of the Year”, in 1999 and 2007. Savoy is also awarded the Swan Label (Joutsen merkki) which is Scandinavian eco-label.
The significant style of the restaurant can be traced not only in the interior, but also in the tableware. Finnish ceramic designer Karin Widnäs, together with the restaurant’s chef Kari Aihinen, who was head of the restaurant’s kitchen at the time, developed specially for Savoy a 16-piece handcrafted tableware. The entire series of tableware (white and plain) is part of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 project.
Helena Puolakka’s Signature
Since March 2019, Savoy has been run by Chef Helena Puolakka, one of Finland’s most renowned and respected chefs. Helena has worked abroad for over 20 years (seven of which at three Michelin-starred restaurants). In the fall of 2020, her book “Kuin kiehuvaan liemeen” — “As in boiling oil” — about her incredible travels around the world of haute cuisine was published. Helena strives to create experiences that reflect the Savoy’s history but remain relevant to this day.
Savoy’s tradition and reputation is largely based on its loyal guests. The most famous was the Finnish Marshal Karl Gustav Mannerheim, who dined at the restaurant for the first time two days after its opening and since that has become its honorary customer.
In the photo: Classic Marshall’s Vorschmack
In Savoy, you can still sit at the marshal’s table (the table is in the corner of the restaurant) and enjoy a Vorschmack, the recipe of which Mannerheim himself brought from the Warsaw Officers’ Club. In the summer of 1977, a photograph of him and a small tile with a picture of his loyalty card were placed above the Marshal’s table.
“Mannerheim is part of the history of the restaurant, he brought many of his recipes and a Russian flavor to Savoy cuisine,” — continues Helena, “his Vorschmack recipe (served with pickles, pickled beets and sour cream) is very popular among restaurant guests.”
Vorschmack goes with Mannerheim ryppy — a strong drink based on vodka, gin, aquavit and vermouth. “I also made my lighter version (smiles) Vorschmack-Pelmeni in borsch broth with homemade sour cream, — Helena is telling — these two dishes are always on our menu and they are our classics.”
Grande Menu
Along with the à la carte menu, Savoy offers two Helena Puolakka’s signature menus — Grande menu and Grande menu vegetarian.
Grande menu, or as it is called in Finnish “Pitkä menu”, consists of five courses, for each of which head sommelier Aleksi Mehtonen provides a special wine paring.
In the Photo: Smoked salmon, smoked salmon mousse and capelin roe.
“Our wine cellar is one of the largest in Finland, which is also the pride of our restaurant,” — says Aleksi.
A glass of white wine Toni Jost Riesling Devon S 2009 / Mittelrhein 95 is an excellent addition to a light fish appetizer.
In the Photo: Pork aged for 1,5 years with truffle cream and steam ban with onion filling.
“Since the very beginning, Savoy has been focused on classic French cuisine based on national Finnish cuisine, the philosophy of which has been preserved and is now respecting local culinary traditions and ingredients,” — says Helena Puolakka.
In the Photo: Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin red wine.
A special complement to any dinner or lunch is a basket with freshly baked Bread from the oven and whipped butter.
In the Photo: Lobster in light champagne sauce, served with a glass of Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 2018.
Helena Puolakka: “We grow many herbs and berries on our own terrace, we even have a few apple trees and bees live on the roof of our restaurant, which bring 300 kg of honey a year.”
In the Photo: Rabbit meat roll with gooseberry sauce, porcini mushrooms and truffle.
As wine pair, Sommelier recommends Anna Maria Abbona Barolo 2015 / DOCG Barolo, which is decanted beforehand.
In the Photo: Wild strawberries with vanilla cream and honey based on black currant, served with a glass of dessert wine
“Our team is very friendly, some have been working for many years. We all love and appreciate our work and try to convey our love in everything we do, — says Helena, — We also treat the interior of the restaurant with care. We have a lot of flowers (on the terrace, in the hall), we change them according to the color scheme depending on the season, which creates a special comfort and atmosphere of every season.”
In the Photo: Dessert wine Weingut Nittnaus Beerenauslese Exquisit 2015 / Burgenland
At the end of the dinner — a compliment from Chef: Handmade marmalade and chocolate cubes, which are offered to enjoy with Tea infused with herbs from the own garden.
Savoy has always been a meeting place for business and cultural figures, lovers, families, relatives, friends. They love music, art, literature, conversation, fun and good atmosphere — and the Savoy provides the foundation for it all.
SAVOY Helsinki
Table reservation by phone or on the website: +358 (0) 9 6128 5300; savoy@savoyhelsinki.if
Address: Eteläesplanadi 14, Helsinki
Opening hours: 8th floor: Wednesday-Friday 11: 30-15 & 18-24; Saturday 18-24; 7th floor: Monday-Friday 9-24
Instagram: @savoyhelsinki
Editor-in-chief: Patricia Kolari
Technical Director: Evgeny Fedorov
Text writer: Marina Timoshevskaya Photos: EATWEEK
