Tënu

Antto Melasniemi and Klaus Haapaniemi present an all-Finnish cuisine in their festive pop-up restaurant in Leicester Square. Melasniemi’s restaurants in Helsinki, Atelje Finne and Kuurna, have thrived and now the pair bring all the delights of their trademark flavours including reindeer and, for dessert, traditional Finnish salted liquorice. The pair describe themselves as artists and food specialists and have invested a great deal of creative design into the site, filling it with extraordinary drawings of mythical creatures, designed to celebrate ancient Finnish mythology.
Specifically Tënu’s menu draws inspiration from Eastern Finland, incorporating ingredients such as reindeer, berries and mushrooms. A creamy salmon broth known as ‘lohikeitto’ is just one of the starters available, along with wild sea bass tartar that reflects the nation’s love of fish. Reindeer fillet with beetroot is likely to be a favourite for main course, whilst the salted liquorice crème brulé is one of many audaciously decedent deserts. Nor have Melasniemi and Haapaniemi limited their Finnish sensibilities to the food, a trademark gin cocktail with lingonberries is highly recommended to start off the evening whilst other diners may prefer to wash down their meals with Lapinkulta (Finnish beer). In their own words, the pair are keen to accommodate ‘adventurous Londoners, late-night shoppers and curious travelers’. If you think you fit the bill, head down to Leicester Square before 31st December for a true taste of Finland.