Gastropub Fenno revives traditional Finnish home cooking in Tampere

Sami Lappalainen and his wife Anu have opened Gastropub Fenno in Kyttälä earlier coverage, Tampere, the local paper Tamperelainen reports. The seasonal menu focuses on traditional Finnish home-cooked dishes rather than olives, risottos or pasta.

"This is not a smokehouse or a lumberjack's lodge," Lappalainen says. Fenno's menu starts with Karelian pasties or vorschmack, and moves on to classics such as Karelian stew, mushroom-and-cabbage casserole and whipped lingonberry porridge (vispipuuro). Homemade buttery cookies are served with coffee.

A veteran restaurateur whose group includes Tuulensuu, Inez and Schnitzelhaus, Lappalainen says the goal is to present everyday Finnish cooking with care and skill. No gimmicks. Much of the work is time-intensive, such as overnight braising and house-curing of salmon. The kitchen offers a rotating daily special: a heartier, affordable plate such as Jansson's casserole, fish dishes or other regional favorites.

Lappalainen sees Fenno as part of a wider shift. Younger diners are rediscovering folk culture and regional food, and Scandinavian interest in humble, traditional cuisine has created room for a Finnish revival. Popular plates so far include liver, a creamy moose stew and the daily fish. Gravlax-style cured salmon is in high demand.

The bar features domestic spirits and moonshine, some infused with herbs from the Lappalainens' allotment garden in Nekala, underscoring the restaurant's local, homegrown approach.