Ora

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Long-Standing Address on Huvilakatu

Sasu Laukkonen has cooked on the same stretch of Huvilakatu since 2010. What began as Chef & Sommelier — a project built around ambitious gastronomy and serious wine — became Ora in 2017. The name change marked a deliberate shift: a more personal, relaxed register that lets Laukkonen engage directly with the roughly twenty diners who fill the room each evening. That intimacy is the point. The White Guide recognised the result with a Masters level distinction in 2026, the guide's highest tier of recognition.

The Kitchen's Commitments

Ora's menu is built on ingredients described by the team as ethical, clean and local. The evening follows a set rhythm: guests are welcomed from 18:30, the menu service begins around 19:00 for the whole room simultaneously, and dinner runs through to approximately 22:30. It is a shared pace — unhurried, but structured.

The kitchen accommodates a wide range of dietary needs. Menus can be prepared pescovegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, or fully vegan, and dairy-free and nut-free versions are available on request. A fish-free menu is also possible where no serious allergy is involved. Guests are asked to flag any requirements at the time of booking.

Who Signs the Menu

Laukkonen himself addresses guests directly on the restaurant's website — "See you at dinner, Sasu Laukkonen and team Ora" — which says something about the scale and tone of the place. This is not a large brigade operating behind closed doors; it is a chef and a small team cooking for a room they can see and speak to.

The combination of fine-dining discipline and genuine informality has kept Ora among Helsinki's most consistently recognised tables, earning its place in the White Guide's top tier while remaining, in its own words, relaxed.