Groen - Siilinjaervi

We had decided that we were going to spend more money than is sensible on food on each of the four nights we were in Helsinki. Every night we visited a different highly recommended restaurant. The third night we visited Gron and were blown away, both by the quality of the food and hospitality. The chefs served some of the courses themselves, which gave the place a very warm and cooperative atmosphere (In contrast to the cold and stuffy Savoy we visited the previous evening). The portion sizes were perfect, and the extra bread provided was a lovely touch of generosity. Below is how I'd rank each of the restaurants we visited, from lowest to highest: 4. The Savoy 3. Kuu 2. Olo 1. Gron If you go to one really nice restaurant in Helsinki, pick this one!

We were three people. We ordered two normal summer menus and out of curiosity one vegan menu. So everyone had the opportunityto taste both menus. They were both great. In vegan menu for some portions tastes were even fresher than in the summer menu. All in all whichever menu you end up ordering it will be great. Wine pairings were good, too. One pairing was with special beer…not so suuccesfull to my taste. I would ask to replace the beer by wine.

The restaurant served small portions of 13 dishes which were nothing special and not enough to fully taste. The wine cooler was located in the restroom, which was quite unusual.

I don’t know how anyone could complain about anything from this experience. I’ve eaten at a number of theworlds50best.com, including four of the top five in the past 18 months, and the food here stacks up well and the service was NOT overwhelming (as some have indicated). It’s rather casual and only 20 seats and all that is part of the charm. One of the most important factors to me is the portion size. Too often you get two-thirds of the way through and have to start thinking about what not to eat because you’re getting so full. Portion sizes were perfect and I finished every bite without discomfort. And for about $300 US including wine pairing, it’s practically a bargain

This restaurant offers one of the best gourmet experiences in the city. The service is superb and the kitchen creates innovative dishes using local seasonal ingredients.