Michelin stars | Restaurant Palace finally received its second Michelin star, the first Finnish star for a Turku restaurant outside of Helsinki

Today the Nordic top experts in the restaurant industry have been awarded in the Stavanger Hall, Norway. There was plenty of excitement at the awards night, and the evening was glorious in a Finnish way, even historic.

It was a particularly wonderful evening for the restaurant Palace, as it received its second Michelin star. The restaurant has been awarded another star for at least two previous years, but it has not been awarded. Now the chef Eero Vottonen and his team’s long wait was rewarded.

Palace is located in Helsinki in a building with a wonderful view from the tenth floor. In 1987, it was Palace that received Finland’s first Michelin star.

Until now, the Finnish Michelin star history has been made by the restaurant Chez Dominique. Hans Välimäki the restaurant has received two Michelin stars. The restaurant stopped operating in 2013. Now Palace is settling into this winning continuum.

Palace success was not the only Finnish victory of the evening. The Kaskis restaurant in Turku received its first Michelin star. Chef Erik Mansikan and Simo Raision created menu received recognition.

The place also received another award, when the restaurant Christina Haukka was awarded the Sommelier Award. The Michelin inspectors praised Hauka’s professional service.

Finland’s Michelin reviewers have been criticized this year for, among other things, their focus on Helsinki. Only one Michelin guide of the current Finnish restaurants is located outside of Helsinki, in Turku’s Kaskis.

In other Nordic countries, restaurants have been rated in a wider area than the capital region. Now the first Michelin star in Finland proper also brings Turku’s restaurant culture to the awareness of a wider number of people, deservedly so.

Finland also received the Michelin Green Star, awarded to the Natura restaurant. In addition to the traditional Michelin stars, the institution also awards Michelin Green Stars. You get a green star when a restaurant takes the environment particularly well in its operations.

Also last year was wonderful for Finns, when Helsinki’s Finnjävel Salonki received its first Michelin star. On the Salonki side of Finnjäveli you can get fine dining food, on the Sal side the portions are more simple.

Finnjävel specializes in Finnish food. The place is owned by restaurateurs and chefs Henri Alen and Tommi Tuominen. Tuomi has two Michelin stars. In addition to Finnjävel, he owns the Demo restaurant, which has had a star since 2007.

Read more: Finland got a new Michelin restaurant – Finnjävel Salong’s offering praises grandma’s cooking

Today in the award day started in a surprising mood for Finns. HS told me in the morning that the Michelin star was awarded restaurant Inari will be closed. However, the restaurant will not close completely, but will open its doors again in another location.

“In the fall, we will see various pop-up restaurants to give the public hints about our new direction and advanced ideas for the new Inari. I’m going back to the drawing board with a beginner’s mind,” Inari restaurateur Kim Mikkola says in his announcement.

The new nominees of Finland’s Michelin guide are Boulevard and Shelter from Helsinki, but neither of them were awarded stars. It remains to be seen whether they will still get stars in the future.

In a story published last year by Helsingin Sanomat it was bet that since Korona had closed the restaurants for such a long time, the stars would not be lost very easily. Corona has affected the organization of the event in the past two years. This year, however, the stars could be handed out on the spot again.

Michelin stars can get a total of three. If a restaurant is particularly good in its category, it is worth one star. It’s worth coming to a two-star restaurant, even if you add extra kilometers to your vacation trip. A three-star restaurant is already an attraction in itself. The quality of the raw materials, the method of preparation, the compatibility of flavors, personality, value for money and the stability of the quality are factors on which the restaurant is evaluated.