Enjoyed equally at the summer cottage and in restaurants
The two professionals believe that the best crayfish parties are those held at summer cottages among friends. Of course, sometimes it’s nice to dress up and go out to the fanciest restaurants in town. And there’s no fancier restaurant than the Savoy!
“The Savoy has the atmosphere, the views, the interior design and the heritage. It’s simply a great place to savour crayfish,” Karl Huttunen and Ville Maljanen agree.
If you are unfamiliar with technique and etiquette of eating crayfish the right way, don’t be afraid to ask for advice from the helpful staff at the Savoy.
“You really need local advice to learn how to eat crayfish and how often to toast with aquavit.”
Schnapps and drinking songs are all part of the culture, and you can certainly hear a lot of singing at the Savoy where up to 15,000 large crayfish are served during the season from July to late September. Still, this is a relatively small number compared to the crayfish king of Helsinki, NJK, which serves 60-70 thousand crayfish a season.
The crayfish season begins on 21 July, and the reservation books fill up quickly. Some of the island restaurants have special crayfish festivals at the start of the season, when lucky guests can eat crayfish at almost wholesale prices. Both Särkänlinna and HSS Boathouse will do so this year on Monday 22 July 2013. So order your crayfish and songbook in advance, and get ready for some serious enjoyment!
Karl Huttunen and Ville Maljanen recommend:
Must try
"The archipelago. We have a really unique archipelago that is a pure delight in the Finnish summer. The best way to enjoy the islands is to have a sauna and good meal beside the sea. You can enjoy delicious fish at the summer restaurant on Pihlajasaari island or at Gula Villan on Iso-Vasikkasaari island in Espoo."
Top 5
Aito
Chef & Sommelier
Demo
G. W. Sundmans
Meche
Crayfish restaurants
Restaurant Savoy
Restaurant Havis
Katajanokan Kasino
Kulosaaren Casino
Restaurant NJK
Sundmans Krog
Restaurant Töölönranta
Restaurant Palace
Restaurant Boathouse
Särkänlinna
Restaurant Saari
Restaurant Saaristo
