A Helsinki-based reader reminded us of Ateljé Finne—housed in the former studio of sculptor Gunnar Finne—after she visited for dinner recently.
We first heard about the cafe from Kitka's Juli and John Baker, who stopped in on their trip through Finland. The building's layers are reminiscent of its past life as a simple clay studio: large glass doors open into a gallery-white plaster-covered brick, and the fare is as Nordic as it gets: Baltic herring confit, buckwheat crisps, lingonberry mousse, and licorice crème brûlée.
Visit Ateljé Finne for more information; the restaurant is located at Arkadiankatu 14 in Helsinki.
Photography by Juli Baker (except where noted).
Above: Photograph by Satu Palander for Monocle 2010.
Above: Plein air seating during the summer months.
Above: White asparagus soup served in a bleu chine dish.
Above: Chrysanthemums artfully past their peak in a reused wine bottle.
Above: A Gunnar Finne piece hangs in the back of the dining room. Photograph courtesy of Ateljé Finne.
Above: Chef Antto Melasniemi, photographed by Satu Palander for Monocle 2010.
N.B.: Traveling to Scandinavia? Take a look at our Finland, Sweden, and Norway in our City Guides.
