Eating well in Helsinki: Ravintola Rafla

My birthday gift this year was a dinner in Ravintola Rafla, in Uudenmaankatu 9, Helsinki.

The place is very nice, with a relaxed feeling and it doesn't feel trying to be trendy, it just is. And then we get to the food...

The a la carte menu is really short, but believe me it's difficult to choose, all the dishes sound delicious. This time they had some special asparagus dishes and we went for those as entrées. I took the green asparagus with cold salted salmon and my better half chose the green asparagus with parma ham. Very good.

As main course she took grilled salmon salad. An example of the attention to detail: when served the salad was still fresh and the salmon warm. And then we go to the stellar choice of the evening:

Fillet of beef with pommes frites and bearnaise sauce

When I ordered it I said I wanted it medium. The reply from the waiter, in a very friendly tone, was "don't worry, it'll come as it should". And boy it did.

The meat was so tender that it could be cut with the fork. It was just so good. And the sauce was spectacular! I have to say that I had the sauce with the green beans and the frites, because I didn't want to add anything to such succulent meat. One of the best pieces of beef I have ever eaten. Bravo!

When it came the time to order desserts it was also difficult. She went for the sweet option, I went for the salty one.

Chocolate fondant, with fried white chocolate and capuccino ice-cream

I officially have chosen my favourite ice-cream: that one!

Cheese plate

Why was the cheese plate spectacular? It was about the details, and the size!

Four different cheeses: two slices of blue cheese, two slices of young manchego cheese, two slices of curated gruyére-like and a thick slice of creamy cheese (sort of mild Saint Albray). In the middle three slices of dark nut bread. And to give some contrast some-berry jam.

And the whole plate, the cheeses and bread have been warmed up a little bit so the cheeses were deliciously creamy, while the jam was fresh. Brilliant!

A must go for those that say that in Finland the food isn't so great, you'll be wowed!