RESTAURANTS: ROVANIEMI
RAKAS RESTAURANT RAKAS (“beloved one” in Finnish) is situated at the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel near SantaPark. The restaurant offers some modern & refined Scandinavian cuisine and welcomes both guests of the hotel and visitors of Rovaniemi city. The head chef of the restaurant, Jonathan Guppy, is an Englishman who moved to Rovaniemi eight years ago. According to Jonathan, in Rakas they try to use as much local ingredients as they can. Instead of olive oil, for example, they use juniper oil and spruce oil, instead of lemon — spruce shoots that have the same acidic flavour profile. “Seasonality and locality play a big part in our kitchen”, says Guppy. “We use Nordic style of cooking focusing on ingredients from our area.” One of the amazing local ingredients that you can try here is reindeer meat. It can be cooked in various ways. Fillet, for example, is served rare, and neck can be slow-cooked for two days straight. There are also many other seasonal ingredients such as fresh local fish, as well as mushrooms and berries that are foraged in the forest by Jonathan and his staff.
Tarvantie 3, Rovaniemi. Open from 24.06.2019: Mon-Thu 17–22, Fri-Sat 17–23, Sun 17–22. +358 505 176 952, rakas@rakasrestaurant.com www.rakasrestaurant.com
CAFE & BAR 21 CAFE&BAR21 is one of Rovaniemi’s best cafes. It’s a great place for lunch, quick snack or a few drinks! Their menu offers a good selection of salads with toppings of your choices, baked potatoes, pasta, the hearty salmon soup! Cafe&Bar 21 is especially famous for their waffles. You can have them as a main dish with sour fillings, for example, chicken or meatballs, or as a dessert with fruits and berries. Their gelato ice creams are made in-house, and they taste amazing. Go for blueberry or pistachio options! If you would like to taste something local, go for the Finnish tapas plate with salmon, smoked reindeer and Lappish cheese. Cafe&Bar 21 is also renowned for its selection of quality wines, many of which are available by the glass, and refreshing cocktails, making it a great place to drop by in the evenings.
Rovakatu 21, Rovaniemi. www.cafebar21.fi. Mon-Tue 11–21, Wed-Thu 11-22, Fri 11-02, Sat 12-02, Sun 12-21. 26
ALL ABOUT LAPLAND | SUMMER 2019
YUCA YUCA is a window into the Mexican cuisine in the middle of Rovaniemi. Yuca’s tacos have received praises both from the locals and the guests of the city. They are made in-house from the ground up and are available with various juicy fillings — pork, beef, chicken, mushroom and fish. Yuca’s main dishes are absolutely delicious. Try, for example, Lucioperca, fried pike perch with mango salsa and avocado cream, or El bife de Yuca, grilled steak with vegetables that will melt in your mouth. The dishes are prepared in a coal grill, staying true to the authentic Mexican style of cooking. Yuca’s lunch is fresh, tasty and affordable. Tip: go for the burrito bowl! Yuca also runs a kiosk at the Revontuli Shopping Centre where you can have a quick taste of the Mexican cuisine.
Rovakatu 21, Rovaniemi. +358 40 099 87 54, www.yuca.fi Mon-Thu 11–21, Fri–Sat 11-23, Sun: closed.