Carelia

Carelia is one of those places that has been where it is for a long time. It is an old apothecary turned restaurant almost 20 years ago located in my childhood neighborhood of Töölö. A popular venue among opera-​goers and athletes as it is located near to the stadium and the Opera of course. I can’t believe that this was the first time I visited as it for sure will not be my last.
We were invited for dinner by an old friend of mine, who is also the sommelier of the restaurant. She had picked an apéritif for us, a bottle of Pierre Gimonet Oenophile Première Cru 2008. I peaked at the menu and noticed another Gimonet (Cuis1) only around 13 euros for a glass, that is a definitely a fair price here in the Nordics. For food (starters) we ordered the beef tartar and asparagus with Hollandaise accompanied by some semi-​sweet Riesling. Both dishes were very good, but I must say the asparagus was perfect, a simple dish with no compromises.
For mains we had the classic entrecôte with Bernaise, fries and salad, and some tasty small chicken (why is it that the smallest are always the tastiest?). The meat was wonderful and made exactly like we ordered, medium rare (almost mooing). To accompany the mains the sommelier selected a nice Pinot Noir from Chambolle-​Musigny. For dessert we shared a platter of cheese, the rhubarb sorbet with almond and rosemary sauce and the Tarte tatin.
After the dinner things started getting «out of hand». I am not talking drunken wild, just that we ordered a great many wines for tasting (we ordered one glass of each and split them by four people). The staff were very friendly and understanding of our extensive wine tasting needs, so they arranged several glasses for everyone ans stayed to chat about the wine. We tried several Rieslings from Auslese and a Muscat de Rivesaltes Grand Guilhem. The Rieslings were served from beautiful Magnum bottles and tasted fresh and fruity. The Muscat was interesting with light notes of port wine but a very low alcohol content. A nice dessert wine. To end the evening, we moved to the bar (to get out of the way from hungry opera goers) and ordered another bottle of bubbly: Blanc de Blancs (2007) from Lilbert & Fills (awesome!).
All in all Carelia is a beautiful restaurant. The wine list is awesome with closer to 30 different champagnes and prices are not a rip-​off. Of course champagne is always quite pricey, but Carelia has clearly positioned its self as a place for wine-​lovers, and most wine-​geeks will stay home and drink from their own cellar if the restaurant aims to rob you blind. I must say I had similar feelings or reasonable pricing at Sinne Helsinki, so it seems like the Helsinki wine-​scene is really starting to get on its feet. The food is nothing innovative (it does not aim to be), but it is classical dishes made extremely well. My salute to the kitchen! Last but not least, the sommelier at the place is really something, so if you visit, I recommend leaving your wine-​adventure into her capable hands.

The scallop appetizer was very good and served in a pleasing shell dish. I had the beef steak with potatoes because I was too chicken to try the reindeer. The meat was tender but slightly over cooked. The potatoes were disappointing with heavy salt and grease. The staff were wonderful and spoke very good English.

This is a nice brasserie that was near our hotel on Mannerheimintie. I went here once for dinner, once for coffee, and it strikes me as a safe, reliable option – nothing will necessarily blow you away, but everything is good, and nothing will let you down either. The service is very good, and the atmosphere is pleasant. They’ve preserved some of the original décor from the original pharmacy that existed in the space since the 1920s, but the feel of the place is modern. (There is an actual Carelia drugstore around the corner on Runeberginkatu).
We had the fish, the veal, and the steak frites, all of which were good. The only thing I’d say is that there are not a lot of options for vegetarians, but for a single meal, most people will still find a good choice. (Also, I didn’t ask about it, so it’s possible the chef would prepare an off-​menu vegetarian option). They also had a nice sourdough bread, and I had an apple sorbet that tasted exactly like an apple. A little bit on the pricier side, but I think worth it if you are looking for a good meal in the area.