Palace Restaurant — Helsinki, Finland

It’s hardly hyperbole to state that the Fifties and Sixties represented a golden age in Finnish architecture and design, their influence still felt in the work of a great many contemporary studios.
This explains the quality of timelessness evoked by the refurbished Palace Restaurant, its views of Helsinki’s harbour, the market square and the old town much as they were when the Viljo Rewell-designed Palace Hotel opened in 1952.
SARC Architects worked with the Helsinki City Museum to reconfigure and protect Olli Borg’s original features like the mahogany and elm panels in the ceiling and the lobby area, while Stockholm-based Note Design Studio added fresh earthy colours, mustard terrazzo, customised pink serving trolleys, and re-upholstered Borg’s original furniture.
The light-infused space sets the stage for executive chefs Hans Välimäki and Eero Vottonen to present their take on modern Finnish cuisine including truffle-scented turbot, and Challans duck breasts, their earthiness nicely balanced with sour plums and cabbage.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Eteläranta 10
10th floor
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the world
Celebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
By Léa Teuscher
-
Finland has been named the happiest country in the world, again – here’s what to do in this Nordic utopia
If you want a taste of life in a country deemed the happiest in the world for eight years running, be sure to check out Wallpaper* editors’ favourite spots while you’re there
By Anna Solomon
-
Finlandia Hall apartments: now, you can stay at a modernist masterpiece
The two Finlandia Hall apartments, Finlandia Homes, have now been restored to their former glory and are open to the public for booking, offering stays at Alvar Aalto's modernist masterpiece
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Finlandia Hall bistro blends culinary indulgence with reborn modernism
Finlandia Hall bistro opens in Helsinki, adding a foodie dimension to the Finnish modernist architecture marvel by Alvar Aalto
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Welcome to Solo Sokos Pier 4, Helsinki’s fascinating new timber hotel
Architecture director Ellie Stathaki visits Helsinki’s timber hotel Solo Sokos Pier 4, designed by Anttinen Oiva Architects
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Helsinki’s Hotel Maria is marked by history and opulence
The Hotel Maria sets out to redefine the Nordic hospitality landscape with luxurious interiors, in-room saunas and a sumptuous spa
By Naomi Moriyama
-
Panorama Landscape Hotel and Forest Spa is a serene retreat in the Finnish forest
Panorama Landscape is a new hilltop hotel in eastern Finland sporting a sauna on stilts and pared-back cabins
By Emma O'Kelly
-
Finnair marks a century of connecting horizons
Finnair celebrates its 100th anniversary with global festivities
By Sofia de la Cruz