"Michelin-starred since 2011, Olo plates progressive Nordic tasting menus in a harbourside townhouse — book for a long, northern-produce celebration."
Olo opened in 2006, founded by chef Pekka Terävä and partners, and has held one Michelin star since 2011 — one of the anchors of Helsinki's modern dining scene. It occupies a yellow Empire-era townhouse on Pohjoisesplanadi, looking out over the South Harbour and market square. Today the kitchen is led by head chef Tuomas Vierelä, with the tasting menu priced at €175, or €276 with the drinks pairing.
The cooking is progressive Nordic, drawn from the north of Finland: produce-led tasting menus that feature northern game such as moose and elk alongside Arctic fish, berries and foraged ingredients. Dinner opens with a run of intricate snacks — the part of the meal Olo is best known for — before moving through savoury courses to dessert, with an à la carte option for those who don't want the full tasting.
The four small rooms are decked out in locally designed Finnish furniture, minimalist and understated, with the harbour and pier just across the road. Service is precise but warm, and the format — a multi-hour, paced tasting menu — is geared to an evening you settle into rather than a quick dinner.
For an anniversary, a proposal or a special evening in Helsinki, Olo is the harbourside occasion: a one-star Nordic tasting menu of northern game and Arctic produce, served in an intimate townhouse and paced for a long, celebratory dinner.
Not for a quick, casual or budget meal — Olo is a formal, multi-hour Michelin tasting-menu room at top prices, built for special occasions rather than a drop-in dinner.
Yes. Olo has held one Michelin star since 2011, making it one of the longest-standing starred restaurants in Helsinki and a fixture of the city's modern Nordic dining scene.
Olo was founded in 2006 by chef Pekka Terävä and partners. The kitchen is now led by head chef Tuomas Vierelä, who previously worked as chef de cuisine at the restaurant.
Progressive Nordic tasting menus built on northern Finnish produce — game such as moose and elk, Arctic fish, berries and foraged ingredients — opening with a sequence of intricate snacks, with an à la carte option also available.
The tasting menu is priced at €175 per person, or €276 with the drinks pairing, placing a full dinner firmly in the top price range. Reservations are essential.
Olo is in a yellow Empire-era townhouse at Pohjoisesplanadi 5, by Helsinki's South Harbour and market square, a short walk from Senate Square and the city centre.
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