Salutorget

Love the bar at Salutorget. Perfect for an after work cocktail, before dinner apero or post gala champagne. The coolest bartenders in Helsinki!

Salutorget is housed in a beautiful old bank building and is architecturally a very interesting room in which to dine. I wish I could say I loved the food and service as much as I did the building, but alas, I cannot. I was greeted warmly at the door and led to my table. That was the last warmth I experienced during my meal.
My server was a frosty, tall young woman with good English skills but poor service ones. She seemed too busy to care about my menu questions and only after I pressed her for recommendations did she offer any.
I ordered a starter of smoked whitefish tartare, which was truly excellent. It was exceptionally fresh and served with a lovely herb oil and crusty dark bread toast.
My main course was «elk wallenbergare with potato pureé, game sauce and jammed cranberries». I have learned since my meal that a wallenbergare is ground meat mixed with cream and eggs and sometimes coated in breadcrumbs. No breadcrumbs on this version. The elk was moist and tasty, as were the mashed potatoes with peas and the sauce that was served on the side. I did not like the cranberries at all, as they were too tart. This was a solid, good dish, but not a great one.
I skipped dessert. When the bill arrived, there was a slight issue. I had ordered a glass of the house tempranillo. When I saw it on the menu, it was listed at € 8.50 on the menu, but i was charged € 11+. I asked about it and was told that I had been poured a 16ml glass rather than a 12ml one. Well, no one had asked me if I wanted a larger, more expensive glass. To the restaurant’s credit, they revised the bill to the lower amount.
Maybe the fact that I ate there alone influence my mood, my feelings toward the restaurant. People around me certainly seemed happy. By all means, try it. Just don’t dine alone!