Eating Out at Tampere’s Astor Restaurant
It has been a while since I have posted and the summer was quite busy. As we enter fall I will resume posting as usual, but will introduce two new blogging topics: restaurants and places to visit in Finland. So let’s get to it. The topic of restaurants in Finland is a tricky one, because many foreigners have had bad experiences with the service, quality of food, and prices. There are several reasons for this. First, Finns lack the food culture that exists in many American and European cities. Most Finns make their own food at home and eating out is often viewed more along the lines of filling one’s belly rather than as an experience unto itself. Most would prefer pizza or grilled sausage to filet mignon and this is clearly evidenced by the abundance of grills and pizza-kabob eateries. Most Finns will also eat out for lunch rather than dinner and this is often reflected in the choice of food on menus. Then there is the fact that Finns will rarely offer criticism in public. So even if they did not like the food or service they received, they are unlikely to mention it.
What this means for many non-Finns is high prices (sorry there is no escaping this), hit or miss service, and
processed, poor quality food. However, there is no shortage of great restaurants in Finland where the food and service rival anything you will find in the food obsessed cities you are familiar with. You just have to know where to find them. In fact, in many Finnish restaurant servers have gone through several years of training, which is something you rarely if ever have in the United States. So at nice restaurants, I have found the service to be excellent. You will also be able to find authentic Finnish delicacies like tender reindeer in wine sauce and a drink made from the spruce tree. Highlighting these restaurants so others can better find them is part of why I will be writing about eating out in Finland over the course of the next few months.
So with all this in mind I will start with a recent dining experience in Tampere. I had visited Astor before many years ago and I was please to find that the ambiance was unchanged. A pleasant surprise was the live piano music that filled the place throughout the evening. I was told that this is something that is done every Friday and Saturday evening. As far as décor and general ambiance, Astor gives off a quiet glow that is accented by candles and romantic booths. There are also open tables and a small bar area. It reminded me of a classy steakhouse with 18th century twist.
The food was excellent. I started with the tapas platter which was an assortment of cured meat, cheese, bread, stuffed peppers and olives. This pared well with the wine although I was disappointed in my glass. I tasted a Spanish Rioja Vega Reserva that sounded great, but ended up tasting rather flat and has the faintest flavor of vinegar. I am not sure if it just didn’t suit my tastes or if it was the result of a bum bottle. Even so the first course was enjoyed and there was plenty to go around.
The second course was where Astor really did well. I order reindeer a la Astor, which also came with game sausage. I also tried some French Syrah that was offered. The reindeer was exceptionally tender and was braised in a red wine sauce. The game sausage was unlike any sausage I had ever had. I have no idea what was in it, but no matter it was excellent. The meal also came with a side of mashed potatoes. The presentation of the food on the plate was also very nice and it was clear someone had thought about how to best present the food. It is this sort attention to detail that really separates the good restaurants from the mediocre. The syrah pared perfectly with the meat and was a clear step up for the rioja.
For the final course I enjoyed the cognac strawberries with vanilla ice cream. I won’t waste words here. Simply put, I loved it.
So the food and ambiance were excellent. What about the service? The service here also met expectations. The server was friendly, but was not bothersome. She came by after each course was served to check in and I was at no point looking around trying to flag her down (a problem I have had in other restaurants here). True to Finnish character the server interacted less than an American server would have, but I think this is a plus. Servers that think I am there to talk with them are annoying. This never happens in Finland, because Finns just don’t talk much.
Outside of the normal menu, Astor also offers a business lunch menu with lower prices and more lunch oriented food such as sandwiches. I have not yet tried anything from it, but I did sneak a peek at some other tables who had ordered sandwiches and they looked tasty and the portions sizable. So if you are in Tampere on business and need a nice place to eat lunch, I would recommend trying here. Astor also hosts private parties and has some nice facilities to accommodate larger groups of guests.
As a whole Astor is an excellent restaurant. The food, service, and ambiance was great. I give them 4.5 out of 5 stars. The restaurant is located right off the main square in Tampere in the city center (see map here). Check out there menu here (EN/FI).