Restaurant Elite

Came here to eat. The food was really good, flavourful, rich and well done. Especially the fish was really, really good. The server was really nice and welcoming. The atmosphere was superb.

The terrace is hands down the best part of this place, such a great vibe, especially in the summer. Super cozy and atmospheric. The food though... kind of underwhelming, especially considering the price.

It is not often I do this! Being a very local from Helsinki and Töölö where Elite is and haven lived more then 25 years abroad I think I can give some insights. Going to Elite is not fussy as one going to a Michelin place. It is honest, genuine and extremely local with roots back to 1932. It starts with cloakroom attending you, super classical setting, well dressed staff and tables with white tablecloths and proper napkins and the bistro style always too small, but still elegant wine glasses. And the staff is old school there forever and so on top of things and super friendly. A famous place for ”intellectuals” and ”artists” that give a sophisticated yet a very normal flare to the place.” What is even greater is that the food was far beyond my expectations, haven been there 15 years earlier. It is a classical Finnish kitchen with French influence that was common in”old days”. Had my snails with a twist adding one of the most appreciated Peltola blue cheeses from Finland. Don’t count calories and dip the bred! Followed by pan fried liver with smashed potatoes and the typical lingonberry jam. Amazing. The dessert follows the artistic line and was called ”Flickan” ie ”the girl” after many of the original paintings decorating the walls. Simple and delicious and will tell no more. For the wines…fairly good but know that Finland is not cheap so take the better once…it only hurts once. The Amarone was excellent. Highly recommend and nicely open on a Sunday for especially dinner when most sadly are closed in Helsinki…..and a quite full indeed with good atmosphere.

Fantastic birthday dinner with Pike Wallenberg, fried fish and more. Lovely room, plenty of drinks to select, a special occasion visit.

Recommended by our local tour guide, Elite was as described, nice traditional food at reasonable prices. After a goats cheese and watermelon starter, we had beef liver which was beautifully soft and a local mince meat dish which was totally new to me. We had paired wines which were tasty and went wonderfully with the dishes. Service was efficient and professional. Would recommend.

the 5/5 is very relative, i like the oldschool atmosphere and the feel of the old restaurant. chance to bump into local celebrities from culture & politics. food arrives quickly and is good. wine selection is nice as well. summertime there’s an outdoor terrace where you can enjoy same wines & drinks as inside the restaurant.

A True institution in Helsinki with a lot of old fashioned charm. Fantastic service and classic dishes. Also take note of the art on walls.

What a lovely visit in one of the classic restaurant in Helsinki. Artist restaurant with it's own special atmosphere didn't betray this time either. Excellent service, delicious food and drinks, what can I say? 10 points!

This was my first night in town and I wanted to try a nice place that didn't break the bank. I walked over from my hotel and got a table for 1. First impressions was the place looked like it had been here for a long time given the somewhat outdated decor. However the menu options looked very nice and everything came with a wine pairing so it made my life easy. I asked the waitress for a recommendation but ultimately ordered my first instincts. 4/5 Tomato Salad with buffalo mozzarella cheese - a nice refreshing star of to my dinner and the white wine was excellent 4/5 Meatballs - tasted very similar to Swedish meatballs and served with gravy and cranberry sauce and steamed carrots. Honestly reminded me of the meatballs that ikea has but so much better. This was so good and the red wine pairing was also very good. The waitress suggested the salmon soup and I'm definitely giving that a try if there's a next time. By the end I was very full even though it didn't seem like I had much to eat. Loved it!

Back to the future.. Sorry back to the past but in a good way. The restaurant has been in the same place since 1938 and renovated last maybe in the 1980's. Cool place to go with your dad or mom. For all the foodies this is a good restaurant to go and #reset your taste buds from all the cross kitchen coriander asian hamburger kebab sushi tapas you've been eating 24/7. Back to basics! Food: Dishes are CLASSIC Finnish restaurant dishes prepared just right. Ingredients are top notch and the cooks know how to prepare them. Can I repeat myself again, CLASSIC. Simple dishes with great taste. Steak was good, potatoes were good, the sauce was good, everything was good. Nothing for you to jump to the moon but all in all really tasty and CLASSIC. We had a couple of different dishes sirloin and tenderloin steak with cream and cognac sauce and risotto with prawns. Everything was prepared as we liked and my mom 70 years old really loved the food. For us younger generation the food represented probably the food our parents ate in restaurants in Finland between 60's and 90's. Environment: Renovated probably around 80's and that shows but not in a really bad way but in a kind of sympathetic way. You can feel the old glamour and sense the restaurants gold age being a couple of decades ago still not fading what it is today. When you walk in there is a doorman to get your coat (3€). The restaurant is quite large on the inside and there are lots of tables. A lot of tables to seat also big groups. Service: Service was really friendly and old fashioned in a good way. Food came out in a timely manner and the waiter was helpful with the menu and different choices. One of us chose the fillet steak which came flambéed by the waiter next to our table. Great show to spice up your family dinner for the old folks ;) Price: Not the most expensive restaurant but in the upper middle class. Sirloin steak 28€ and tenderloin 32€. Pretty standard for Helsinki. Taking in to account that the food was well prepared and tasty it was rather reasonable. Food: 4/5 Environment: 3,5/5 Service: 4/5 Price: 4/5

All of the positive old reviews are accurate. This place visually is stuck in the 1930s but works really well for the restaurant. It was full, lively, and a bit noisy on a Friday night. There were several large groups, one of which was celebrating a birthday. Most of the customers seemed to be locals rather than tourists. My wife and I ordered side salads which were very nice with a light dressing. It took a little too long to get our main courses. The scallops came with risotto and were very good but way too salty. The grilled trout came with very creamy and buttery mashed potatoes and beets. The trout was perfectly cooked and very tasty. If they cut back on the salt in the scallops it would have gotten five stars. Be sure to make a reservation or you won't get in.

Elite is a sure choice. Elite has a reputation as a favorite of artists which can be seen in the menu as well. The food is excellent and the service good. The interior is very 30s-like which is nice, though maybe some paint is needed here and there. The atmosphere is very unique and all in all experience brilliant. Even my mother-in-law was happy, which is an achievement!

One of my favourite restaurants in Helsinki. Traditionally an artists' restaurant, the place has quite a history. Regulars have been such like writer Mika Waltari and actor Tauno Palo, who is something like Cary Grant, Errol Flynn and Gregory Peck put together for us Finns. They have a wonderful Onion stake named after Tauno Palo,which cannot be spoken too highly of. And the service is always excellent. Heartfully recommended.

This restaurant has a reputation of beign very classy, traditionell and having served the great artists of Finnish cultural scene. The food and atmosphere are praised from one decade to the next. And you know what? With all that, my expectations were very high and they managed to exceed them. The place is beautiful and I especially loved the stylish counter by the entrance. My lunch choice was the most famous course of this place: Tauno Palos onion steak. Delicious. On top of all that, the service was top notch. If I made movies, Id make sure I had a restaurant scene in this place.

What, why, and how could it be; no reviews since May 2013? Accidentally discovered this gem on a Sunday bike ride to the parks. Elite is everything the menu description says plus all previous reviews herein. If I was a director, Elite would be in a scene; if I were to relocate to Helsinki, this would be the neighborhood; if I were to stamp a must stop, Elite cannot be passed up. Elite is the full package: ambience, service , food, price and simply stunningly Art Deco hip.

This is a true Helsinki classic. The restaurant has been there many years, and apparently much of the art on the walls is from artists who used their work to pay for large tabs they ran up. A wonderful, old world feel in a pretty neighborhood setting. This is a place to get the traditional dishes (Baltic herring, salmon soup and other things that will be pretty apparent from a look at the menu. You can find more glamorous, gourmet places in Helsinki, but for a real feel (and taste) of the city, this is a good one. I have been going there for 25 years or more and remain a big, big fan.

Atmosphere is elegantly 1950s Finnish with the ghosts of Tauno Palo and other Finnish actors and singers hovering over the 1930s restaurant, but unfortunately the dishes are also a remnant of old times - good but unimaginative in today's standard. A must-go restaurant still if one wants to experience the vintage Helsinki. Chateaubriend steak was excellent, just hold the sauce please...

Elite is one of those definitive places in your neighborhood that you can always trust. The food is awesome and the atmosphere something that cannot be built, it has to be earned. A place where you can go to have a luxurious dinner or just go in with friends to talk and drink good beverages. Highly recommended.

simply outstanding- first rate plates, plus 1932 ambiance. perfect

classy old school place in my 'hood. i'd heard it was 'past its best', but I was pleasantly surprised by the food and and the service. i had the liver, which was very tender and tasty. the ambience and interior decor are stylish and original looking. sure, the artists that used to frequent the place in the good old days have likely moved on to cheaper eating holes, but don't let that stop you making a pit stop here.

Good place. Not amazing though. A bit packed. But nice decoration.

Good fresh fish especially the traditional herring. Good service and very efficiently managed.