Boulevard

The story

Boulevard Helsinki – Modern Nordic Seafood Restaurant, Michelin Recommended

Boulevard – Bar & Seafood in Helsinki

On Bulevardi, in the heart of Helsinki, Boulevard is a modern Nordic seafood restaurant that treats the ocean’s bounty with both reverence and a light touch. The restaurant describes itself as “a modern Nordic fish restaurant” — and every dish is an homage to the ingredient itself. The kitchen focuses on fresh, responsibly farmed and caught seafood, prepared with classical techniques but applied with bold, contemporary flair.

Boulevard is the shared dream of chefs Matti Wikberg and Sylvester Soisalo. Wikberg, a veteran chef and restaurateur, has always been driven by the desire to create something new. Soisalo’s career began in the very kitchen that preceded Boulevard, then took him through several renowned fine dining restaurants in Finland and abroad. The experience he gathered — a focus on the essential, a dash of creative madness — is visible in the restaurant’s details.

The à la carte menu is a celebration of the sea’s finest. Start with oysters from the Pacific, served raw, gratinated, or as a premium selection. Caviar — Black Label, Oscietra, and vendace roe — arrives with crème fraîche, chives, and toast. Snacks include a crispy Bikini toast with sesame-oil shrimp, Arctic shrimp with mayonnaise, and grilled Manzanilla olives.

Among the starters, a classic Skagen — shrimp, vendace roe, mayonnaise, and toast — sits alongside raw tuna with green chili, ginger, and finger lime. The creamy shellfish bisque with pastis-vanilla foam is a regular favourite. For sharing, a cold platter brings together oysters, tuna carpaccio, Skagen, and smoked salmon gubbröra. The shellfish tower, with ten premium oysters, tuna carpaccio, and cooked langoustines, is a grand gesture.

Main courses show the kitchen’s range. Dover sole meunière — pan-fried in browned butter with capers, lemon, and parsley — is priced by weight. Char is confit in browned butter with blood orange beurre blanc. Steamed cod comes with dashi butter and grilled shiitake. Grilled tuna steak is paired with béarnaise and rocket salad. There is also grilled lobster with américaine sauce and a risotto with heart mussels, parmesan, and sherry. For those who prefer land over sea, a celeriac schnitzel with truffle butter is a satisfying option.

A three-course “Menu Boulevard” is available at dinner, designed by the chefs as a complete journey through the kitchen’s best offerings. The menu can be adapted for the whole table, including vegetarian or meat options.

The restaurant’s recognition by the Michelin guide — a Recommended rating — speaks to the precision and care in the cooking. But Boulevard is not a stiff, formal space. The team’s philosophy is clear: while the cooking is serious, the experience should be fun. The atmosphere is relaxed, the service warm, and the setting on Helsinki’s leafy Bulevardi makes it a natural gathering place for those who love the sea.