Ravintola Jason — Restaurant in Helsinki sub-region

Easily one of the best set menus in Helsinki at the moment. The service was really relaxed and so professional, we felt very warm and welcomed from the first moment.

Overall the food was excellent and the first two dishes just exploded with nuanced flavors and set the bar really high. Unfortunately, the two dishes of pikeperch–even though excellent in flavor, presentation and execution–could have delivered a better experience if our expectations had been different. Let me explain. Both dishes were presented as pikeperch being the main ingredient on them. However, on the first one the pikeperch was more like the underlying canvas of the dish and the fresh peas took the main stage. If we had expected that to be the case then the dish would have been superb but now we were expecting the pikeperch to be the main thing and thus the dish fell short of what was expected. The same was with the second pikeperch dish where the grilled cabbage was so smoky that it overpowered the fish. If that dish had been presented as, let’s say pikeperch on a smoky cabbage bed, then that would have met the expectations. But wait, did I mention the bread? That malty sourdough loaf was to die for. And the fennel seed sugar glaze on top was absolutely spot on. Needless to say, we were all giddy from the amazing flavors and the finesse of the dishes.

The restaurant can be a bit noisy at times if you are, let's say on a date, sitting opposite to your companion, you need to lean in to hear them.

Nevertheless, a great dinner all-n-all and we will...

Finland and Japan are smitten by a mutual love affair. That affection is clear here, in a high-art, delicious fusion of East and Nordic food.

This is mindful eating at its most excellent. Each small dish on the prix fixe menu is a story in itself, with an artfully tattooed waiter on hand to deliver and spin the tale, sometimes pulling up a chair to join for a chat!

A vegetarian menu is on offer, and I was thrilled that our waiter didn't bat an eye when I mentioned I was gluten-free. They already have alternatives-including poppy seed bread to replace the brioche in one of the series of haute cuisine small plates.

And when I and a fellow diner asked for an alcohol-free cocktail, the water asked what kind of taste profile we were looking for, and the bartender whipped up individual drinks. Delicious!

The service is fabulous, yet unpretentious, with the restaurant tucked, speakeasy-style, in what looks like an unassuming residential building.

Great for a date night or a business meeting, sure to start conversations and...

Absolutely incredible food. Probably best I've ever tried, and the price was very reasonable considering the quality of the food and I could easily have expected to pay double for what I'm pretty sure will soon be a Michelin star restaurant. The only thing that could had been better is the atmosphere as the music and acoustic treatment overall didn't match the thoughtfulness of everything else in the restaurant. The seats were also placed in a way where a couple people at the nearby tables almost can't avoid but look directly at a person from another party as they are directly opposite which was a little uncomfortable and felt like someone is just staring until I realized it was just the positioning of the chair which made with unavoidable. Very tiny details here that I'm only sharing as I can tell that everyone at Jason are perfectionists and these might be easy solves. All in all I couldn't recommend this place any higher (and I'm comparing it to the Michelin star places...