Arctic Eye Restaurant — Restaurant in Rovaniemi sub-region

We dined at Arctic Eye Restaurant as it was part of our igloo stay, with one main dish included in our room package. It turned out to be one of the best dining experiences we had in Finland!

The ambience is warm and inviting, with a beautiful full-wood interior and soft lighting that creates a cozy atmosphere—especially perfect for the winter. Despite the restaurant being quite busy during dinner service, the staff were incredibly attentive and friendly, ensuring our orders were taken promptly and that our food arrived surprisingly fast.

We started with the lobster and lemon appetizer, which was simply amazing. The lobster was juicy, perfectly cooked, and paired wonderfully with the refreshing sauce, awakening our taste buds for the meal ahead.

For the main course, I had the steak tenderloin, and it was cooked to absolute perfection—tender, flavorful, and expertly seared to lock in its natural juices. The mashed potatoes were silky smooth, beautifully seasoned, and paired well with the steak. Another standout was the grilled cauliflower with Parmesan cheese, which was incredibly satisfying and packed with flavor.

They also offer a good selection of wine on a separate menu. As I’m not an alcohol drinker, I opted for a mocktail instead—and I loved it! They use 0% alcohol, allowing non-drinkers like me to experience the taste of alcohol without the effects. It was a great addition to the meal.

Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience, with great food, a cozy atmosphere, and excellent service. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a memorable dinner...

The food at Arctic Circle Restaurant (restaurant located within Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle  Hotel) was mostly disappointing (ie starters and main) with some good desserts.

Starters: The Lobster & Lemon was a complete miss and disappointing as lobster tail was overcooked :( The lobster bisque sauce was good though.

The Mozzarella & Tomato was refreshing. The mozzarella was good and the strawberry marinated tomatoes were interesting. The pickled apples were a bit too tart and did not really add much to the dish.

Mains: The Venison & Beetroot was okay. The venison was cooked medium rare and was tender and juicy without much gaminess. That said, it felt like it was missing something.

The Salmon & Fish Roe was a miss as the salmon was more on the overcooked side :(

Desserts: Blueberry Panna Cotta with cloudberry syrup, caramel mousse and roasted nuts was good. It was interesting flavour having the panna cotta made from blueberry.

Cloudberry Pudding with burnt sugar, roasted white chocolate and Spruce Ice Cream was good. The Cloudberry Pudding was delicious. The Spruce Ice Cream was interesting but good. It was a unique flavour we had not tried before.

Breakfast We tried their breakfast buffet which had a variety of options. Overall it was okay reminded me of mediocre cafeteria food. As well, we were rushed to grab everything we wanted in the breakfast buffet since they were closing early. It would be nice to know this...

Unforgettable Dining at The Arctic Eye Restaurant in Rovaniemi!

Hands down the best dinner I had my entire time in Finland! The food was outstanding—I've never in my life had a lobster bisque, so generously topped it was more about the lobster than the bisque itself-and that was just the starter! I dined here three times during my visit, and each meal was more spectacular than the last.

My final night was truly the highlight. I decided to head down early, before the crowds, and had a wonderful experience enjoying dinner with the restaurant almost entirely to myself. I took a peaceful walk around the property, then settled in for a perfect meal with exceptional service. It was an evening I’ll never forget—absolute perfection! Highly,...