At first the concept seems almost wilfully odd: a British-style gastropub serving reindeer and vendace? Really?
But there’s a perfectly good explanation.
Aki Arjola and Tanja Löppönen, who run Puotila Manor, launched The Tart in autumn 2025 after the celebrity chef Hans Välimäki’s restaurant, The Rook, closed and its handsome Yrjönkatu premises became available. Much of the interior remains just as The Rook left it – a wise choice, as it’s one of Helsinki’s most beautiful dining rooms. The prices, however, tell a different story. Where The Rook was decidedly high-end, as Välimäki’s places tend to be, The Tart lets you eat well without pushing your bill into fine-dining territory. The elk burger comes in under €20, as does the venison Reuben.
And you can just pop in for a pint: The Tart pours an ever-changing line-up of rarer British beers. The selection rotates frequently and often according to customer requests.
All this deserves applause. The room is gorgeous, and being able to enjoy it for relatively little money feels like a stroke of luck. The atmosphere is stylish yet homely, the sort of place that invites you to linger. A grand chandelier hangs from the ceiling, heavy candelabras glow on the window ledges, and even the corridor to the toilets – lined with red velvet drapes – feels like part of the show. Few restaurants make a trip to the loo feel like a small ceremony.
If you remember the stylishly irreverent spy film Kingsman, you can easily picture its protagonists meeting here: straight-faced, yet with a clear glint of mischief. Fittingly, The Tart’s private dining room hides behind a secret door disguised as a bookcase. Even the name is perfectly on-brand: “tart” may mean a pastry, but in both English and Finnish it also carries a cheeky double meaning.
The space practically demanded a British gastropub, and that’s precisely what The Tart delivers. The reindeer, elk and vendace appear on the menu because the owners use only game and wild-caught fish. They’ve found a reliable Nordic supplier that provides game year-round – at prices that undercut beef.
And what about the kimchi standing in for sauerkraut in the Reuben and other sandwiches? Simple: it’s all the rage in London gastropubs right now.
Suddenly everything clicks into place. The Tart is a modern, playful gastropub that takes inspiration from British cooking without getting stuck in its traditions.
So how’s the food? In a word: excellent. The Cullen Skink made with smoked whitefish (€16) is a revelation – assuming you like smoke, because there’s plenty of it. The creamy soup is so rich that Finnish salmon soup doesn’t even compare. The elk entrecôte (€32) offers great value, and the hand-cut chips (€6) rank among the best in the city.
The Shepherd’s Pie is… well, Shepherd’s Pie: hearty, rustic and a touch monotonous. In the gravy-heavy mix, the reindeer ends up tasting much like any other meat.
Given the restaurant’s name, tarts feature prominently. Each day brings a new sweet and savoury tart (€7), perfect for a small bite. And they really are new: the kitchen has so far developed a different tart for every single day.
If there’s one quibble, it’s that the food leans salty. But that’s hardly a disaster – it simply encourages another pint or two, which in a room this inviting feels more like a bonus than a flaw.
The Tart is open for lunch, dinner and Sundays. At weekends the kitchen serves until 22:30, and around ten the place turns into a party spot with a DJ. Sundays offer a reindeer-based Sunday Roast, well worth booking ahead.
Within its category – a British-leaning gastropub – The Tart is close to perfection. It’s easy to imagine it building a loyal following. We’ll certainly be back.