Demo

Perched atop a high-rise in Ruoholahti, Demo is Helsinki’s only Michelin-starred restaurant where you can also enjoy lunch – a rare chance to experience fine dining in daylight, high above the everyday.

At the helm is Tommi Tuominen, a central figure in Finland’s fine dining scene. Demo has effectively held its Michelin star since 2007, aside from a brief interruption during its move from Uudenmaankatu to its current striking location in the We Land tower – a move after which the star was promptly regained. Tuominen is also behind Finnjävel, another Michelin-starred restaurant dedicated to Finnish cuisine.

Lunch at Demo comes in two formats: four courses (€69) or six (€99). Once you’re there, it’s hard not to go all in. Even the longer menu is notably more accessible than the ten-course dinner (€175), making this one of the most affordable ways in Finland to dine under a Michelin star.

The restaurant sits at the top of the We Land tower in Ruoholahti, and just arriving at Demo is an experience, at least for Finns, as Helsinki doesn’t have many buildings this tall. It feels like being somewhere in a big global city as a receptionist in the lobby directs you to the lift that takes you to the top floor. You feel as if you’re in a skyscraper, even if there are ‘only’ 14 floors.

Upstairs, the dining room delivers: plush interiors, generous spacing and sweeping views over the city, from Kaapelitehdas to the southern districts. At sunset in particular, the space feels magical, as the golden light of the setting sun washes over the dining room (of course, at lunch you can only enjoy the sunset in winter).

The kitchen is partially open, with dishes finished in front of guests. What follows is exactly what you’d expect in a Michelin star restaurant. A procession of carefully plated dishes showcases refined ingredients like duck, halibut and quail. Scallop appears in multiple forms within a single course: carpaccio, emulsion, even as a delicate crumble.

Visually, the dishes are striking, each one more intricate than the last. Flavours often match the ambition, though occasionally the complexity tips the balance – when every element demands attention, the whole can feel just a touch overworked. You can’t help but wonder if less might sometimes say more.

Ironically, one of the meal’s highlights is also its simplest moment: a beautifully executed bread course that stands out amid the technical showpieces.

Service is polished but somewhat distant, lacking the natural ease that elevates a meal from excellent to truly memorable. 

The dishes arrived at a good pace, but enjoying six courses in good company still easily takes over two hours (according to the restaurant’s website, four courses can be managed in as little as an hour). So this is not a place to drop in if you’re in a hurry.

Then again, that’s precisely the point. In a world obsessed with efficiency, a long, indulgent lunch feels like a quiet rebellion – generous, slightly decadent, and deeply enjoyable. It lingers in the memory and brings colleagues or friends together far better than any forced team-building day on a sauna raft.

So here’s our recommendation: if you really want to treat yourself, your friends or your colleagues, do it with a long, slightly boozy lunch at Demo.

Afterwards, you’ll remember what really matters in life.