Restaurant Spis
From restaurateurs Antero Aurivuo, Jaakko Kinnunen and Jani Kinanen and the Swedish word for ‘fireplace’ comes Spis, a grand Helsinki bow to its Nordic roots. Blending design, music, and fashion with traditional cuisine, Spis invites more than just foodies to its tables.
The tiny 18-seat café, which officially opened January 23, is appropriately nestled in Design District Helsinki, among boutiques, galleries and showrooms whose au courant aesthetics influence one another in a two-way current of cutting edge innovation. Rough, rustic walls of exposed brick and decaying wallpaper bolster Spis’ high ceilings, contrasting with its black and white tables and minimalist chairs.
Saluting Finnish appetites for homegrown inspiration, Spis features furniture pieces from Design House Stockholm, Hay and Woods, Nounou’s decorative glass jars, Marimekko hand towels and Hackman cutlery. Helsinki-based music veteran DJ Bunuel has collaborated with Aurivuo and Kinnunen to create a playlist made of purely Nordic artists, and Jenni Alava, a young Rovaniemian fashion designer inspired by the work of legendary architect Alvar Aalto, dresses the staff.
The menu, too, never veers far from home. Flavors like pumpkin, chestnut and artichoke seep in from farms both local and pan-Nordic. Though it focuses on vegetables, omnivores can expect at least one fish or meat dish per night, as well as an extensive yet non-overwhelming list of artisan wines and Nordic brews. Spis’ commitment to the freshest, seasonal ingredients inspires menu changes about ten times a year.
The second sitting offers a four-course surprise menu alongside the standard three-course listing. Sittings are expected to last about two hours or more.
So the next time you’re meandering around Design District wearing trousers fashioned by one of Finland’s hot young designers, bumping to tunes by the freshest of Swedish DJs and feel a sudden desire for white chocolate garnished with parsnip, Spis is just around the corner.
Or, take your devastatingly unhip American self to the trendiest of Helsinki hideaways and just pretend you belong there.
Restaurant Spis
Kasarminkatu 26
Helsinki, Finland 00130
358 (0) 45 305 1211
www.spis.fi