Taste the New Nordic Trailblazer at Olo

Olo opened in 2006 and earned its Michelin star in 2011, joining a line of starred Helsinki kitchens that began with Palace Gourmet in 1987. Menu Olo Selected starts at EUR 109, the full Menu Olo with drinks pairing runs to EUR 358–455. Olo's sommelier team curates the list with a focus that bridges Nordic restraint with international depth. Olo proved Helsinki could compete with Copenhagen and Stockholm — and the wine program is how it closes the gap. Pohjoisesplanadi 5, overlooking the harbour.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Find the 1817 Yellow House Olo Calls Home History · Free

   Where: Pohjoisesplanadi 5 — the peach-yellow townhouse on the harbor, 50 meters from the Presidential Palace. Stand on the esplanade side and look up at it.

   What: This building is older than Finnish independence by exactly 100 years. Lampa House was built in 1817 when Finland was still a Grand Duchy of Russia. The herring-market tradition at Kauppatori behind you goes back to the 1700s. Helsinki already had Michelin stars, starting with Palace Gourmet in 1987, when four Finnish restaurateurs opened Olo on Kasarmikatu in 2006; it moved into this house later. In 2011, the Michelin Guide gave it a star it has never once surrendered in 14 consecutive years.

   How: Before you walk in, pause on the esplanade. Face the harbor. The building to your right is the Presidential Palace. The yellow house in front of you is where Olo cooks today. Take that in.

   Backup: If approaching from the Market Square side, find the Havis Amanda fountain (installed 1908) and walk north — Olo is the yellow building immediately ahead.

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2. 2 Book the Pairing and Let the Sommelier Pour Wine · Price: high

   Where: Your table at Restaurant Olo.

   What: Olo pours a drinks pairing with both of its menus.

   How: Book the drinks pairing when you reserve — not at the table, it needs to be pre-arranged. With Menu Olo it costs EUR 169, or EUR 266 for the Selected pairing; with Menu Olo Selected, EUR 99 or EUR 149. If you want only one add-on from the entire evening, let it be this.

   Backup: If you skip the pairing, ask the sommelier team about one wine they chose this season — they'll tell you why.

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3. 3 Taste Reindeer with Lappish Almond Potato Wine · Price: high

   Where: Your table. This reindeer and almond-potato course is on both Menu Olo Selected (EUR 109, 9 items) and the full Menu Olo (EUR 189, about 11 courses plus sweets).

   What: Sautéed reindeer — poronkäristys — is the dish the Michelin Guide names when it describes Olo. Large-scale reindeer herding began in the late Middle Ages in western Norway, reached Finland through Enontekiö and Muonio, and was established across northern Finland by the 1700s; here settlers and farmers herd reindeer as well as the Sámi. Olo's version features Lappish almond potato, a small oval variety grown in Lapland and in Northern Ostrobothnia; only potatoes grown and packed in Lapland may carry the protected name 'Lapin Puikula'. The mash it makes is unlike any other potato on the planet. Chef Mikko Pakola's version goes further: the almond potato comes with smoked reindeer heart and truffle.

   How: When the course arrives, ask the server where the reindeer came from — they will tell you the specific farm or region. Eat it slowly. Notice that the almond potato mash tastes different from any mash you've ever had — slightly nuttier, more silken. That's 67 degrees north latitude and a very specific soil type doing its work.

   Backup: Menu Olo Selected (EUR 109) includes this dish. If you're coming for a first visit without the full commitment, this is your entry point — book it.

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4. 4 Request the Chef's Table and Eat Inside the Story Adventure · Price: very high · Optional

   Where: The chef's table — a front-row seat inside the Olo kitchen, beside Chef Mikko Pakola and his brigade.

   What: This isn't a counter you watch from behind glass. You're at a table inside the kitchen itself — every course arrives from hands to table in seconds, and the conversations are with the people who made your meal. Previous guests describe it as 'an incredible evening of good food, service and chats with the kitchen crew.' The Lampa House has four separate dining rooms upstairs, but the kitchen table is the layer below — the one that doesn't appear in the travel magazines.

   How: Email or call when booking (olo-ravintola.fi or +358 10 3206250) and ask specifically for the chef's table. It's not listed as a booking option — you have to ask. Combine with the Selected drinks pairing (EUR 266) for the full experience: the sommelier's wine paired with the dish Pakola is cooking inches from your face.

   Backup: If the chef's table is unavailable, request a window table overlooking Pohjoisesplanadi. On a winter evening with harbor lights and frost on the glass, the four dining rooms upstairs have their own magic. Ask specifically — it matters.

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