Nokka

The story

Nokka Helsinki – Modern Finnish Cuisine at Katajanokka | Michelin Recommended

Nokka: Pure Flavours from the Finnish Wild

For two decades, Nokka on Helsinki’s Katajanokka peninsula has been a clear-sighted pioneer in responsible, wild-grown dining. The restaurant’s philosophy is simple: place the purest ingredients at the centre. Wild fish and game, foraged mushrooms and berries, and responsibly farmed organic produce come together in a kitchen that respects nature’s rhythms.

Chef Ari Ruoho has earned national renown not only for his cooking but for diving to harvest bladderwrack from the outer archipelago’s rocky shores. This seaweed appears on the plate, a taste of the sea that few restaurants source themselves. The menu changes with the season, featuring ingredients like wild reindeer from Salla, Baltic herring, and forest mushrooms at their peak.

Nokka’s commitment to whole-animal and nose-to-tail cooking is evident in details like their moose-bone porcelain plates, a tangible link from forest to table. The restaurant’s dedication to pure flavours and ethical sourcing has earned it a Michelin Recommended status, a recognition of its consistent quality and clear vision.

The dining experience is anchored by a carefully curated wine list, with a strong selection of Champagnes, Burgundies, and artisanal producers. Non-alcoholic options, developed by cold brew master Iina Peltonen, are designed to complement the natural flavours of the dishes.

The Menu

The Menu Nokka distils the kitchen’s philosophy: seasonal wild fish, game, herbs, and berries paired with responsibly sourced ingredients from small producers. A vegetarian Menu Green showcases the best of the season’s vegetables, mushrooms, and local cheeses, built around foraged and organic produce. For a deeper exploration, the Taste of Nokka is an eight-course journey into the heart of Chef Ruoho’s cooking, available in limited numbers.

The à la carte selection changes with availability. Starters include brioche with vendace roe, sour cream, and red onion, or reindeer tartare with XO sauce. Main courses feature seared wild reindeer with dark lingonberry sauce, wild fish with king crab XO sauce, or a fried hemp-quinoa tempeh with cauliflower. Desserts like cloudberry-white chocolate mousse with sea buckthorn or artichoke ice cream with dark chocolate ganache finish the meal.

A Helsinki Classic

Nokka remains a Helsinki classic, a restaurant that has stayed true to its concept of wild, responsible, and delicious food. The atmosphere is welcoming, the service attentive, and the food a direct expression of the Finnish landscape. For those seeking modern Finnish cuisine in its most authentic form, Nokka is a destination.