Ravintola Laivakoira — Restaurant in Helsinki sub-region

Updated: I went for a second visit with my mum and 7 year old niece and I must say the crew has really stepped up their game since my first visit! I loved it the first time, don’t get me wrong, but as with all newly opened restaurants, there was some sharp edges that needed some softening so to say. Firstly, the service was very attentive and kind and our 7 year old gourmand was greatly taken into consideration and really enjoyed having the chance to be listened and talked with by every waiter that came to our table. Also some modifications were made to her dishes and she gave full thumbs up for the food -especially the whipped butter and the bread which I couldn’t agree more - was absolutely delicious! I ordered the menu plus the Mac and cheese crocket (which was insanely delicious by the way -also if you asked our 7 year old who doesn’t like cheese supposedly but loved this). What I paid attention through out the menu was how beautifully balanced everything was. Unlike the first time when there was some overpowering use of acid in certain dishes, this time every single dish was absolutely beautifully balanced and extra mention to every sauce that touched these plates -extraordinarily, very rarely you can taste such mastery in sauce making through out the menu. I cannot really say any highlight because I think the whole menu was just one big highlight, also the very attentive but not intrusive service and absolutely brilliant wines! Can’t wait to come back again!

What a beautiful interior Laivakoira has! Super atmospheric for a winter night dinner. Super friendly and accommodating service from start to finish. I went with a friend that is celiac and to our joy found out that basically the whole ala carte menu is gf, which meant we could share plates which doesn’t happen very often, so big points for that. The restaurant is fairly new so for sure there are points to improve, but that’s what you should expect from a restaurant that has only been open for a while. Personally I thought the tuna crudo was delicious, but just slightly over powered by its acidity and lacking tiny bit of something salty to balance the acidity at least. The same I thought with the sauce of the celeriac main dish, that what otherwise absolutely delicious, but a tiny bit less acidity would have made it a perfect dish. However the chicken liver mouse with rhubarb was amazing, maybe the best dish if you ask me. Also the pumpkin and ricotta dish, as well as the sorrel and meringue dessert were outstanding, very balanced dishes. Definitely will be back...

We visited the opening of Laivaloira, a restaurant offering European cuisine, located on Tehtaankatu in the former premises of Sikke's. Unfortunately, the experience did not live up to our expectations, and the dinner left much to be desired in several areas.

Food: 3/5 The food itself was decent but nothing remarkable. The flavors were safe, and the European theme was present in the dishes, but nothing stood out. The portions were balanced, but a bit lacking in character.

Service speed: 1/5 The service was extremely slow. We waited nearly three hours for our meals, and the dessert took a long time to arrive. This lengthy wait significantly detracted from the overall enjoyment of the evening, and it’s something that definitely needs to be improved.

Temperature: 1/5 The temperature inside the restaurant was unbearably hot and stifling, making the experience uncomfortable. It felt as though the heat was near 60 degrees, which made it difficult to enjoy the food or the company. This had a major impact on the overall experience.

Overall: 1/5 While the food was acceptable, the slow service and excessive heat made the experience extremely unpleasant. The restaurant has potential to improve, but as it stands, I cannot recommend Laivaloira. I hope they address these issues, as the location and concept suggest it could be...

I dined alone at the bar. Service was knowledgeable, friendly, swift and relaxed. The food was delicious. Simple but impeccably prepared and all dishes had some delightful surprising component. This time my favourite was the leek an mushroom agnolotti. Such a comforting and simple dish packed with umami. Good selection of wines by the glass. Didn’t even look at the wine list but went with recommendations and was offered a few nice options for every dish and they were nicely introduced. Will definitely...