Two exclusive archipelago restaurants
Life in the archipelago of Turku is very different from life in the rest of Finland. Falstaff took a look.
The two main modes of transport in the archipelago are by boat and by car. Residents tend to use the former and visitors from elsewhere the latter. If the island you're going to is on either the Big or Small Archipelago Trail, it doesn't make much difference. Ferry services between the main islands are reasonably well organised. It is also possible to travel to other islands, as the ferry is a substitute for a bridge in the archipelago, and some ferries are like a taxi service. They are on standby for customers and are fast across the water on arrival.
As soon as you turn onto the Archipelago Trail from the city of Turku, the landscape begins to change. There are big boulders and crunchy pine trees in between, growing where there is a little bit of earth. Water all around. This is the most typical picture of the archipelago as a whole.
The further the road goes into the archipelago, the more you will notice the houses along the way that are familiar from the illustrations in Astrid Lindgren's children's books. It's a paradise the Finns would rather keep for themselves. Hotels are few and small, and there are few places to stay in homes. There are not many places to eat either, and they tend to serve the typical local fare: island bread, the local early potatoes, herring in a variety of forms, and hot smoked salmon. All of these dishes are a must, as they have a flavour that is unparalleled anywhere else.
But there are two restaurants in the archipelago that set themselves apart from the others. Both of them also offer accommodation in small rooms in the same building as the restaurant itself. The restaurants have gained a cult following among the locals as well as the tourists.
Backpocket Restaurant and Nestor Hotel
Backpocket was once an animal shelter. Converted into an art gallery and then a restaurant, it has a timeless, ascetic feel. The windowsill holds a small collection of cookbooks from some of Scandinavia's best restaurants and chefs. There are no random books amongst these. They are the inspiration of the owner and chef of the hotel and restaurant, William Hellgren. And also from experience, as he worked at Frantzen, the best restaurant in Sweden, before moving back to his parents' home on the archipelago.
William has a set menu in his restaurant. What is on the menu is not known to the diners in advance, and they don't really care about it. People have been coming here for the past eight years simply because of his name, and with the certainty that they won't be disappointed. And that is the way it is. His island style, with exotic additions to local ingredients, is the essence of William's fine dining. The staff's personal interaction with guests is direct and thorough. At times it can feel as if the food is simply a way of interacting with the guests and giving them something to talk about.
The rooms where the guests stay are less like a hotel. They are more like a guest room in William's house. The landscaping and the upkeep of the buildings are all William's handiwork, along with his cooking. That's the way of life on a small island. You must do everything. There is no other option.
William's Nestor Hotel and Backpocket Restaurant are different from other places to eat and stay on the island because they are both open all year. And time spent on the island out of season is priceless. You're not going to get this kind of tranquil experience at any other time of year. The guests are quite literally William's family then, as there is no one else to meet and socialise with for days on end.
Hyppeis Restaurant and Hotel
Another iconic place to eat and stay, Hyppeis is less than 30 kilometres from Nestor. However, the short drive and ferry ride to the next island is like a trip to another world. The nature and the sea are the same all around, but everything else is completely different.
Hyppeis is the furthest point on the archipelago ring road. The road from here leads back to the city of Turku, and the road back as well. Along every stretch of road there seems to be a small field. Every square metre on the island is cultivated. But this is not enough for a small hotel and restaurant in a building that was once a school. It also offers a set menu. But just like the most popular restaurants in the big cities, it offers two different covers every night during the summer season. It is not unusual to have a hundred customers each night.
A new menu every week, with a new chef every week as well, ensures that there's a constant stream of interest in the restaurant! More exotic food is what locals want. Those coming from abroad want to eat as local as possible. It is a unique skill of the Hyppeis owners to balance these two very different interests and organise the chefs coming and going.
Probably no other restaurant in the world enjoys such high returns from loyal customers. Every guest in the hotel's seven rooms has a guarantee of a place at the dining table. That's probably the only way you can ensure you'll eat there next summer. Season's opening date is 30 April.
