Lapland’s new restaurants target natural luxury and Michelin stars

Lapland’s growing tourism is attracting top chefs and new high-end restaurants, with some businesses aiming for Michelin stars, Yle reports.

Celebrity chef Tomi Björck has helped design Aura, a restaurant recently opened at the Skyview Igloos tourist resort in Rovaniemi. It combines northern ingredients with flavours from Asia, including Japanese umami and the heat of Southeast Asia.

Aura is not seeking Michelin stars. Björck says it instead aims to offer “natural luxury” through experiences that money cannot buy, and notes that the restaurant has no tablecloths.

Restaurateur Sirly Ylläsjärvi, who runs restaurant Elsa in Ylläsjärvi, is openly pursuing Michelin recognition. She also has a pop-up restaurant at Meilahti Manor in Helsinki this autumn.

Ylläsjärvi says earning a star requires meticulous attention to every part of the dining experience, from how guests are welcomed to how staff handle their coats. The effort can mean 16-hour workdays and long stretches without a day off, but she believes it is worthwhile.

She believes world-class restaurants could succeed in several Lapland destinations, including Levi, Saariselkä and Inari. She sees demand in Rovaniemi too, although she would not personally choose to open there.

Restaurant consultant Arto Rastas also believes fine dining has a place in Lapland and says more high-end restaurants could raise the standard of food culture across the region by creating competition.

Rastas is preparing to open a Bon Bistro restaurant in Levi and is developing food concepts for a planned hotel in Muonio. He says restaurants should highlight local ingredients through simple, clear cooking, adding that this could reach Michelin level when done skilfully.

Finland has eight Michelin-starred restaurants in Helsinki, Turku and Porvoo, according to the article. Three restaurants also hold a Bib Gourmand distinction, which can recognise less expensive food. In northern Finland, the only restaurant to receive a Michelin star was Tapio in Kuusamo, which was awarded one in 2024 and closed the following year.