Restaurant Savoy

Eteläesplanadi 14
Restaurant Savoy has been one of the most respected names in Helsinki’s restaurant scene since the 1930s. One of the restaurant’s most famous guests was Marshal Mannerheim, whose favourite dishes can still be found on the menu today – including vorschmack and fried pike-perch.

Today, Savoy is led by Chef Patron Helena Puolakka, under whose direction the restaurant has been ambitiously renewed and restored. Puolakka’s aim is to create experiences where Savoy’s unique history meets today’s restaurant culture. The kitchen is rooted in Finnish-French culinary tradition and the finest seasonal ingredients. The restaurant’s wine cellar is among the most extensive in Finland.

Founded in 1937, Savoy was designed by architects Alvar and Aino Aalto. The restaurant’s interior still follows the Aaltos’ original vision, where an atmospheric dining room is connected to terraces surrounding it on three sides. The spaces reflect the Aaltos’ distinctive design language, functional furniture and high-quality natural materials.

In the early 2020s, Savoy was restored in collaboration with Artek, the Helsinki City Museum and the Alvar Aalto Foundation. The renovation brought back the atmosphere and details of the Aaltos’ spatial design, which had been hidden beneath changes made over the years. The renewed Savoy interior was designed by Ilse Crawford together with her Studioilse team.