Close by to the Helsinki city center, on scenic Mustikkamaa Island, lies restaurant Alia in a glorious villa. The name Alia stands for “the other place” and refers to the fact that it was the second restaurant of the Michelin star restaurateurs at Postres. Even Alia has received a Michelin guide honorable mention. The same owners’ third restaurant Coccola can be found in amusement park Linnanmäki’s cuisine world Kattila.

Photo: Restaurant Alia

The stunning building, designed back in 1921 by Karl Lindahl, has been renewed and has functioned as restaurant Alia since year 2009. The impressive building is beautiful both on the outside and inside. The restaurant’s harmonious white and lilac color sceme gives the restaurant a fresh and stylish look.

Photo: Elisabeth Heinrichs

Restaurant Alia is a lunch buffet (€31) restaurant between Mondays and Saturdays at 11am-3pm, and a a la carte restaurant on Tuesdays to Saturdays at 3pm-8pm. The lunch buffet is extensive: it consists of an insular style starter buffet, a sit-down main course and a delicious dessert buffet. The insular style buffet can also be enjoyed as such for €19.

Photo: Elisabeth Heinrichs

The restaurant also host a popular Sunday brunch (settings at noon and 3pm, €36)! The brunch includes an insular style starter buffet, a sit-down main course and a dessert buffet.

Photo: Elisabeth Heinrichs

Now during summertime the restaurant also serves some café treats like sweet pies (e.g. rhubarb pie €6) and salty quiches (e.g. fish / meat/ vegetarian pies, à €7), house salads (€10) and homemade lunches (€12). You can enjoy the sit-down café treats also on the restaurant’s terrace!

Photo: Restaurant Alia

The restaurant is specialized in Finnish-Scandinavian local insular food, and interesting enough the restaurant’s own fisherman catches the fish of the day in the archipelago in front of Helsinki and brings it to the restaurant. Talk about local food! The restaurant staff also collects restaurant decorations, e.g. chives or violas, from the beautiful nature on Mustikkamaa Island. The food is prepared on the spot from the start – even broths and ice cream are made in the restaurant’s own kitchen.

Photo: Elisabeth Heinrichs

The homelike dishes delight at least this restaurant customer.

Photo: Elisabeth Heinrichs

The restaurant is nicely located next to one of Helsinki’s main sights – the Helsinki Zoo. The restaurant is easy to reach from the city center by using public transportation. The Helsinki Zoo’s own so called Zoo line, bus number 11 from the Railway Station, takes you to restaurant Alia in just 20 minutes.

Photo: Elisabeth Heinrichs

Alia is most popular among young adults and families, even though there isn’t a separate chilren’s menu. There are some children discounts however. The restaurant is naturally also a popular banquet venue since the restaurant building fits a stunning 260 customers!

The archipelago calls upon you – will you answer?