Savotta

I had a very nice meal here; was glad I’d booked a reservation ahead of time because it seems to be the go-​to for tourists in town who want to sample good Finnish food. It was crowded when I was there. I was sold as soon as I saw they had bear on the menu, but I was a bit disappointed once I arrived and learned it only came as part of a sampler plate and in the form of dried meat, similar to pepperoni. Still, the lamb on the sampler plate was outstanding, as was the reindeer main course— three medium sized pieces with mashed potato. After the two courses I still had room for dessert. Service was good, quality was good, prices were fair to high and I’d have been disappointed if the quality wasn’t there, but it was.

Had lunch at a restaurant called Savotta on Senate Square that specialises in traditional Finnish cuisine. The friendly waitress put me at a window table with a view of the Lutheran Cathedral. I skulled a cranberry and lemonade then ordered something called the Log Floater’s Sparkling Cocktail — sparkling wine with Finnish raspberry liqueur. The waitress was back with the latter straight away, along with an amuse bouche of sour cream infused with herbs topped with a sliver of smoked vendace in a little coracle shaped cracker. Very tasty.
I followed the waitresses suggestions for entrée and main; a traditional Finnish salmon soup and roasted reindeer rump served with potato purée, scorched parsnip and cranberry sauce. The soup came in a little wooden bowl with a handle and was a delicious, buttery broth loaded with chunks of salmon and potato. Normally I add pepper to everything, but this is one of the few dishes I’ve had that was perfectly spiced as is. I’m not a huge fan of salmon, but I could eat this all day. Delicious. It came with a basket of mixed breads and soft butter. Oh, and if you’re wondering what the handle on the bowl is for, my theory is it allows you to get those last few drops of soup that you can’t quite get onto the spoon.
I’ve never had reindeer before and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Something gamey presumably, but apart from that, no preconceptions. It reminded me a little of venison which is not surprising in hind sight (no pun intended). The meat was very rare and tender with a lovely subtle flavour, not gamey at all. Never been a big fan of parsnips, but these were interesting — quite sweet. The potato was gorgeous; smooth and buttery.
Lovely meal and great service. My only regret? I didn’t have enough room to try the bear salami. That’s right. They make salami out of bears here. Gotta love the Finns…

This was my first visit to Finland and I couldn’t have been luckier to dine here. My friend who is Finnish and lives in Helsinki suggested it. I wanted to try Finnish food and there is no better place. It was so authentic, cozy, quaint and authentic. The food, especially the reindeer, was amazing! Everything right down to the china was spectacular. The waiter was dressed like someone from 100 years ago. I will post pics because a picture is worth 1000 words and no words can describe how awesome this restaurant is. If you visit Helsinki and don’t eat here, you are doing yourself a disservice. This restaurant will be one of my favorite memories of my life!

Had a nice fine finnish christmas dinner in Savotta Restaurant:) Enjoy the atmosphere and the environment so much. Great food, i would recommend the starter Supreme Sattova, which is a taste of different finish appetizers in small portions.

Had dinner in this wonderful cellar last night. The appetizer platter was a great intro to Finnish cuisine. I had the reindeer as a main. Their beer was excellent, and the red wine not bad.
Service was friendly and very competent if a bit slow. The place was packed, and we were a party of 10, so this may not be unusual under those conditions.
A thoroughly good time.

This is a cute little place where you can sit outside on a nice day. The menu offers various kinds of meat. They have steaks; which do you prefer Bear or reindeer? Well the bear was on the menu for for 37 Euro but they said that they had a different Bear on the menu that was 69 Euro, because bear is so hard to find. As bear is a game meat I have not tried, I ordered the Bear despite the cost. When the meal came, I would definitely say that the bear tasted like every bit of reindeer that I’ve had in the past. I asked the server Tommi to please confirm that this was bear. He said he’d ask the chef, but then he never came back to tell me the answer. Later the table next to us ordered the reindeer and we got to see it. The cut and size of the meat was exactly the same. I really think that the restaurant upcharged me for bear and then gave me reindeer, rather than just admitting they were out.
Other things about the place, the housemade beer is just thick and chewy, with an aromatic element like juniper berries. I did not care for this.
The reindeer soup was fantastic.
Service is overtaxed. Poor Tommi was covering 10 tables outside, with one of them having 10 people. He was running around like crazy.
Given my inferred chicanery of the chef in substituting reindeer for bear, I am giving the place two stars only on the basis of the reindeer soup

Savotta offers truly delicious Lappi food in an underground dining room. It feels a bit like an Epcot installation, with the silly outfits and the kitsch, but they didn’t seem to be joking. Their wine selection features an organic white from Italy, which paired very well with my entrée of small mushroom and onion pancakes (not sweet pancakes, such as we know in the U.S.A.). The mixed vegetables on the side reminded me of that dread canned thing known as Veg-​All, but only in appearance. The vegetables tasted quite fresh and they were a bit firm to the bite.
There is bear on the menu here! My man ordered it, and our server explained that, although listed as steak, the bear was in fact ground and mixed with beef to add some fat. It was served with a slab of pork belly and a small fried egg on top. The sides were pickled greens of some type and a mushroom gratin. My man said it was fine, but he should have got the reindeer.
Savotta is not a destination for anyone who has difficulty navigating stairs or tight spaces, but for everyone else visiting Helsinki who wants some localish flavor, it’s a good choice.

Part of the great Finnish adventure included lunch in Helsinki, and the only reason I went into Rivantola Savotta was in the dire need of an iPhone charger, and secondary need for food and tertiary desire to have something authentic and local. Luckily, Savotta provided all three.
First, related to the concept of the iPhone charger, I found the staff very friendly and attentive. I noticed that one server was rather short with other tables, ordering people where to sit and with seemingly little patience, but I had a good experience.
Second, the food was delicious. I had a small reindeer herder’s soup, which was decadent and filling and warming, and authentic, and exactly what I had been looking for. It also came out quickly, and paired quite well with the red wine I chose.
Finally, the location of Savotta is excellent. It’s tucked away downstairs, but given the desire to look like a timber camp, it’s necessary for the darkness and ambiance. The decorations are lovely, definitely put you in the spirit.
Overally, I was impressed. Lunch was a bit expensive given the portion size, but I’d heard how expensive Helsinki is, and knew I was paying for experience as much as anything. Definitely a good place to pop in for a nice meal.

If you’re looking for authentic lapland cuisine in a fun surrounding, this is the place to go. The homemade beer is worth trying. Have this with the what I think was the workman’s plate, a mixture of Lapland cheese and meats. I have to also give credit to their willingness to turn tables and seat us without reservation. If you go early they will tell you that there is only say and hour and half slot for you and that you’ll have to finish up by then. Hey, without a reservation, no problem, and kiitos!

Great location, on the Senate square, behind Esplanadi, but in a courtyard, so surprisingly quiet. It does look like a tourist trap with the old wood décor and the traditional Finnish costumes for the waiters and waitresses, but the patrons are actually mostly Finnish, not tourists.
The food is solid and they have a good selection of beers. I had a Finnish hard cider and it was good (rather light and dry).
We had the «long line catch», which is an assortment of fish-​related appetizers, plus a beet kareli pastry. Everything was nice.
My salmon soup (creamy soup with very little dill, lots of chunks of salmon, few chunks of potatoes) was OK; served with two nice breads and butter. Their soups come in 2 sizes, and the large one happens to be generous. So unless you plan on making this your entire meal, the smaller size might be enough.
My wife’s salmon «roll» (which is just a slice of cooked salmon) and artichoke purée was good. Maybe not consistent with the rustic theme in the décor and tableware (the menu binders are wooden planks, the appetizers were served on a rock, etc) as the dish presentation was actually refined and delicate.
I had a nice blueberry pie with some sort of blueberry jam on the side and a scoop of white chocolate ice-​cream. It was delicious but the pie was tiny. Literally two bites. So for Eu 11.20, I thought that was pushing it.
Overall, better than most other places I’ve tried in four days.

Savotta was the choice for a typical finnish meal on our last day in Helsinki
The restaurant in the cellars, decorated in woodlog theme is offering a warm and cosy atmosphere. The personel is warm and friendly and will make sure you be entertained.
The restaurant is serving finish specialties like reindeer and bear. The prices are high, portions relative smal, but of good quality
For me a minus point was the pushing for additional sales on drinks