Tradition with a capital T. That’s what you get at Lehtovaara. This is a restaurant that has been in Helsinki for decades. The fascinating thing is that this restaurant was actually opened in a different city; Vyborg. It’s no longer part of Finland as the city went to Russia in the second World War. However, we still have the restaurant.
It’s a pretty popular restaurant, so that’s a good sign that the food is good. My favorite is the Cœur de filet Provençale, which is a bit on the expensive side (and not THAT typically Finnish), but for me it was totally worth it. It is meant to be shared, so pick a friend who wants the same dish. Oh and a warning, it’s really really garlicky, so you might want to avoid interaction after that. It was just so delicious. And no need to worry, the rest of the main courses are less expensive.
The place itself in a way looks like a typical Finnish livingroom. Of course it’s bigger and more restaurant-like. But the decoration does have that Finnishness to it. One thing that I absolutely love about this place is the glass patio, which is open year round. It gives off the feeling of being outside, but you don’t have to care about the weather. It’s also pretty close to the Sibelius monument, so if you’re checking that out, stop by to eat here.
