Boulevard Bar & Seafood

Helsinki isn’t exactly a promised land for fish restaurants. You can, of course, get fish and seafood at almost any restaurant, but only a handful truly specialise in them. Boulevard Bar & Seafood is one of that select few. Where the city’s classic fish restaurant Merimakasiini leans on tradition, Boulevard Bar & Seafood feels youthful in atmosphere.

We headed to Boulevard Bar & Seafood on a Saturday afternoon at 15:30. It’s not exactly prime time, but a perfect moment to pause before the evening buzz takes over the city. Besides, earlier that same week it had been impossible to book a table for the best dinner slot.

Late afternoon turned out to be an excellent choice. There were only a few parties in the dining room, so there was peace and plenty of space to breathe.

And best of all: on Saturdays between 15:00 and 17:00, Boulevard runs its Oyster Club, when Pacific oysters are priced at three euros each. It’s the kind of offer that makes any seafood lover’s heart beat faster. One small minus point: the oysters had been shucked before they arrived at the table. I would have liked that little ritual where freshness is proven right in front of your eyes.

Saturdays Boulevard runs its Oyster Club, when Pacific oysters are priced at three euros each

My companion started with a cocktail classic, an Old Fashioned. Exactly what it should be: precise, balanced, reliably good.

I opted for the non-alcoholic Fig Paloma, which came as a complete surprise. The salty, limey rim of the glass gave off such a strong tequila vibe that for a moment I wondered if the drink really was alcohol-free.

Extra points for the fact that most of the cocktails are also available without alcohol, which is still a rare treat.

Sipping our drinks and waiting for the food gave us plenty of time to enjoy the music playing in the restaurant, drifting from old Finnish schlager to modern indie rock. A well-crafted playlist that understands both nostalgia and an international mood.

The interior? Dark-toned and maritime. Wall panelling and a white ceiling create an illusion of the Hamptons – until you glance out of the window and see trams rolling along Bulevardi. A stylish, functional contrast.

Service was proper and efficient. No ‘unnecessary’ small talk. Perhaps a little distant, but not in an off-putting way.

To start, we shared a cold seafood platter: four oysters, tuna carpaccio, skagen, smoked salmon rillettes and Arctic shrimp, with sauces and toast on the side. The tuna carpaccio takes the win: perfect balance and texture. Everything was genuinely delicious, and we were already so full that a short break before the main course felt necessary.

By 17:00 the restaurant was starting to fill up, and the hum of conversation added to the atmosphere.

For mains, we shared a dish of Dover sole fried in browned butter, served with beans flavoured with tarragon butter and crispy fries with parmesan. Bringing acidity to the fish were capers and pieces of lemon. Their generous amount comes as a surprise, but turns out to work beautifully.

And finally, the moment that crowns it all: a warm chocolate cake, molten in the middle, topped with ice cream. The perfect ending.

Later on weekend nights, Boulevard Bar & Seafood comes into its own as a lively bar too, with the late-night hour kicking off at 22:30 and giving the evening an extra lift.