Restaurant Olo — Restaurant in Helsinki sub-region

Date of Visit: June 27, 2024

Verdict: Dining at Olo is a gastronomic voyage through Scandinavia, blending inventive culinary techniques with delicious flavors that truly delight!

Who we are: We are a family of four from San Diego, California, driven by our passion for exploring the world's culinary delights. With a keen eye for chef's creations and a love for unique flavors, we embark on gastronomic journeys seeking blissful dining experiences that ignite our taste buds and leave lasting impressions.

Price: Based on the menu, Olo restaurant offers two pricing categories: individual entrées priced between $40 and $70 each, and a tasting menu priced at $180 per person, including tax. I’ve uploaded the menu on Google pictures. We learned that the majority of diners, approximately 80%, opt for the tasting menu experience.

The pricing at Olo restaurant is reasonable, especially considering that customary tips are not necessary in Finland. Despite this, we chose to leave a 20% tip as the service was exceptional. Throughout our meal, approximately 8 attentive service staff ensured every detail was perfect, providing new plates and utensils after each course. Their dedication made us feel truly pampered, enhancing our dining experience.

What we learned: The Michelin-starred restaurant Olo impresses with its seasonal menu changes, reflecting local ingredients available throughout the year.

Who should dine at Ole? Olo restaurant is tailored for discerning guests seeking an upscale dining experience. Its minimalist Scandinavian design exudes elegance, making it ideal for romantic couples seeking a sophisticated atmosphere. Additionally, the ambiance is crafted to impress business diners, offering a refined setting conducive to professional meetings and exquisite culinary experiences.

Service Staff: The service staff at Olo are highly trained to adapt to guests' moods, whether relaxed and fun, romantic, or focused on serious business. As a family, they mirrored our light-hearted and humorous mood without overstepping boundaries. Our main servers, Sam and Johanna, stood out with their clever wit; Sam, with his charming British humor and fluent in the Queen’s English when asked, and Johanna, a Finnish native whose wit could rival the best comedians. Their personalities added to the enjoyment of our dining experience.

Chefs: During our dining experience at Olo, every tasting item was meticulously crafted and personally served by a chef who came to our table. Each chef took pride in presenting their dish, sharing insights into its origins, such as local ingredients or unique sourcing, and describing the intricate preparation techniques used. This interactive approach not only elevated the dining experience but also deepened our understanding and connection to the culinary artistry behind each plate.

Atmosphere: Scandinavian Chic

The restaurant's décor spoke of Scandinavian chic, with its clean lines and minimalist aesthetic. The open kitchen, positioned on one side of the room, added a touch of lively energy. Amidst the meticulously arranged plates and chefs working with precision—often seen delicately using tweezers to place final garnishes—the atmosphere hummed with creativity and dedication to culinary artistry.

Menu: At Olo, diners face a choice: embark on the full fifteen-course journey or opt for a shorter experience. The cuisine is not only superb but also diverse, making the full experience highly recommended. While lengthy tasting menus elsewhere might overwhelm, here it's a delight. You'll leave satisfied yet eagerly anticipating each new course, ensuring every moment of your culinary...

The place feels modern and classy, though I would've preferred if it were fully carpeted rather than partially. Dishes were mostly good but not as impressive as expected given the price. There was raw dough on the table when we came in which was then taken to the kitchen to bake as the evening began. I thought that was a nice touch. However, our sourdough had a slightly burnt crust. I had read many reviews commenting on its saltiness and noted to the restaurant that we prefer our food lightly seasoned. However, most of the dishes were still quite salty. There was one dish in particular that I really enjoyed which was the smoked peas. The peas tasted so fresh and crisp, yet fully cooked. The sweetness of the peas was perfectly preserved with a distinct smokiness. I was very impressed. My second favourite was the scallop which was very tender and well seasoned, though I would've preferred if it were a touch more cooked. Now my least favourite dish---the sweetbreads. The dish was very pretty but so salty that it almost tasted bitter. I guess they couldn't make a less salty version of sweetbreads if it was pre-marinaded, even though Iade the booking a week in advance---which brings me to my next point, the service.

The service was great. They bring the dishes to the side of your table and add the finishing touches by pouring the sauces over dishes. However, when I raised the issue with the sweetbreads, the one who seemed to be in charge seemed to be in disbelief that it would be salty. She first proposed that they serve the same dish but leave out the sauce, but I declined and pointed out that it was the sweetbreads itself rather than the sauce on top that was insanely salty. She then argued that salt wasn't added to the sweetbreads when it was getting cooked. I found such explanation perfunctory and I believe the sweetbreads was marinated in way too much salt. She also told me that they had never had such comments on their food, which they would've received had they read their Google reviews. They could've at least tasted their own dish to verify if they found it so hard to believe. In the end, she offered us a fish dish as an alternative and it was not at all marinated, but we didn't mind because at least it wasn't extremely salty. The dessert was too sweet for us and the coffee and tea were unremarkable.

I would not recommend this restaurant unless they do something about the extremely salty...

Restaurant Olo, Helsinki: A Michelin Star Experience with Room for Improvement:

Restaurant Olo, located in central Helsinki, set high expectations with its Michelin star. The ingredients were fresh, dishes well presented, and the bread freshly baked and delicious. We appreciated the detailed explanations of the food and its origins.

However, several aspects fell short. The food, while generally well-executed, was heavy on dairy, with nearly every dish featuring cream or butter, which left us feeling overly full and diminished the unique flavors. Cocktails were disappointing, taking 17 minutes to arrive, and the Old Fashioned lacked the typical garnish.

Service post-payment was poor; after settling the bill, we were forgotten and had to wait for my jacket. Additionally, we were charged €10 for filtered tap water without being informed of the cost or asked about refills.

The ambiance also had shortcomings. The toilets, with bright red sinks and harsh lighting, felt out of place for a high-end restaurant, and the mismatched decor detracted from the otherwise elegant setting.

At €189 for the 11-course meal excluding drinks, Olo was one of the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurants we've visited. While there were moments of culinary delight, the overall experience lacked the extraordinary touch justifying the Michelin star and high cost.

In conclusion, Restaurant Olo offers fresh ingredients, beautiful presentations, and informative explanations but falls short in service, drink quality, and ambiance, leaving a...