3 Best Restaurants in Kuopio, The Lakelands

This popular restaurant is in a former bank building opposite a pleasant park and serves both Finnish and international cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Local freshwater fish such as pike perch, mushroom risotto, and duck breast in raspberry sauce are fairly representative examples from the à la carte main-course menu. There's a Mediterranean brunch buffet served on Saturday and a good wine list. The restaurant's bouillabaisse was voted "best fish soup" in 2019 by the Finnish Gastronomic Society. Ask to eat in the bank vault.

The first word of the name combines the Finnish words for vendace (muikku) and restaurant, and the eponymous little lake fish is the dominant item on the menu. In the town center, Sampo was founded in 1931, and its Scandinavian furnishings date from the 1950s. High ceilings, wooden fittings, and large lamps impart an elegant look, giving it a friendly pub-like ambience. The muikku, which comes smoked, fried, grilled, or in a stew with pork, potatoes, and onions, is a must.

Situated near the passenger harbor, Musta Lammas (i.e., "Black Sheep") is in the renovated redbrick cellar of a brewery that dates from 1862. The specialty here is Finnish fish and game such as vendace, whitefish, and lamb, prepared with innovative sauces and side dishes. There's a set four-course menu (save two hours at least for that), but everything is available à la carte. It has been attractively adapted from its beer-cellar days, retaining the original brick walls and beer barrels, giving it an authentic period atmosphere.