Helsinki Baltic Herring Market pre-event brings unique herring dishes to Helsinki restaurants

For the first time, the Helsinki Baltic Herring Market in restaurants event will bring delicious herring dishes to ten Helsinki restaurants from September 25th to October 10th. The restaurant collaboration is part of developing the Helsinki Baltic Herring Market into an even more experiential event that spreads wider across the city, where a centuries-old market tradition meets modern maritime food culture, summarizes the Herring Market’s executive producer, Saara Vanhala.

The even bigger Helsinki Baltic Herring Market will once again enliven the Helsinki autumn with an even more diverse selection at the Market Square in early October. This autumn, you can start awakening your taste buds as early as September, when ten restaurants in the heart of Helsinki organize Helsinki Baltic Herring Market in restaurants theme weeks in their own establishments starting on September 25th.

The restaurants creating their own unique herring dishes are Aoi, Elm, Finnjävel Sali, Gastro Cafe Kallio, Klaava, Maukku, Nokka, Nolita, Nolla, Sake Bar & Izakaya and Savoy. The new concept has been developed together with Helsinki-based chef and restaurateur Luka Balać, whose restaurants Nolita, Nolla, and Elm are participating in the event with their own herring dishes.

“In my opinion, the Herring Market is Helsinki’s most important food event, just as herring is one of our most important domestic ingredients. I want to showcase this again in the light it deserves.”

The development of the herring dishes has been underway for weeks, and soon there will be a treat for the taste buds in ten different ways. In these dishes, the uncomplicated yet ingenious ingredient—herring—is treated with insights that celebrate the versatility of the “small great fish.” The ten restaurants will serve herring rolled, grilled, smoked, and flavored with various marinades. The flavor palette is complemented by various breads, fresh seasonal treasures, and pickled, fermented, caramelized, and preserved summer delicacies that fit perfectly with autumn.

Each participating restaurant will serve its customers one uniquely developed herring dish between September 25th and October 10th. The Gastronomic Society of Finland will visit the restaurants to sample the offerings and award the “Best Herring Dish of the Year” on the opening day of the Helsinki Baltic Herring Market, Sunday, October 4th.

One of Finland’s oldest public events, the Helsinki Baltic Herring Market, which has been organized since 1743, will take place from October 4th to 10th, becoming even larger and more versatile as a combination of archipelago traditions and modern food culture. The full program for the market week will be published on Wednesday, September 16th.

The Helsinki Baltic Herring Market in restaurants Sep 25 – Oct 10:
Aoi, adobo-marinated Baltic herring & gooseberry remoulade.
Opening hours: Thu–Sat 17:00–00:00, Sun 14:00–21:00. Address: Neitsytpolku 10.

Elm, Baltic herring boquerones, toasted milk bread, and tomato jam.
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 11:30–14:30 and 17:00–22:30, Sat 13:00–23:00, Sun closed. Address: Puistokatu 4

Finnjävel Sali, char-grilled Baltic herring, sour cream, and crispy malt bread.
Opening hours: Tue–Fri 11:30–15:00, 17:00–23:30, Sat 15:00–23:30. Address: Ainonkatu 3

Gastro Cafe Kallio, smoked Baltic herring pithivier.
Opening hours: Sep 25 – Oct 10: Tue–Thu 16:00–22:00 (kitchen until 21:00), Fridays 16:00–23:00 (kitchen until 22:00), Saturdays 10:00–23:00 (kitchen until 22:00), and Sundays 10:00–14:00. Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday 10:00–14:00. Address: Fleminginkatu 7.

Klaava, vorschmack bread and marinated Baltic herring.
Opening hours: Mon–Wed 16:00–22:00, Thu 16:00–23:00, Fri–Sat 16:00–00:00. Address: Meritullinkatu 6.

Maukku, fried Baltic herring, seasonal onions, and seaweed sauce.
Opening hours: Wed–Thu 17:00–00:00, Friday lunch 12:00–15:00 & dinner 17:00–00:00, Sat 16:00–00:00. Address: Hämeentie 26.

Nokka, juniper berry Baltic herring and fermented apple.
Opening hours: Mon–Thu 17:00–23:00, Fri–Sat 17:00–00:00, Sun closed. Address: Kanavaranta 7.

Nolita, grilled Baltic herring escabeche on potato flatbread, horseradish-egg butter, caramelized garlic and smoked Baltic herring cream, shiso leaf, and crispy bones.
Opening hours: Tue–Thu 17:00–22:00, Fri–Sat 17:00–23:00. Address: Kankurinkatu 6.

Nolla, Baltic herring boquerones, summer pickles, and herby pil-pil.
Opening hours: Tue–Sat 17:30–23:00, Sun closed. Address: Fredrikinkatu 22.

Ravintola Pontus, pissaladière with marinated Baltic herring, caramelized onions, and green olive tapenade.
Opening hours: Mon–Thu 16:00–22:00 or later (kitchen until 21:30), Fri 16:00–23:00 (kitchen until 22:30), Sat 16:00–23:00 (kitchen until 22:30), Sun 16:00–21:00 (kitchen until 20:30). Address: Kapteeninkatu 26.

Sake Bar & Izakaya, Baltic herring sashimi roll.
Opening hours: Thu–Mon 17:00–23:00. Address: Vironkatu 11.

Savoy, Truffled Baltic herring, scraped sour cream, butternut squash blini.
Dish available for lunch: Sep 25 from 11:30 to 14:30 / Sep 30–Oct 2 from 11:30 to 14:30 / Oct 7–9 from 11:30 to 14:30. Address: Eteläesplanadi 14.