Kaskis

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Turku Institution, Built from Scratch

When Erik Mansikka, Simo Raisio and Topi Pekkanen opened Kaskis on Kaskenkatu in 2014, the idea was straightforward: a relaxed neighbourhood restaurant where the food would follow the seasons and nothing more. Within a few years, it had earned a place among Finland's most respected dining destinations — and it has held that position without ever locking itself into a single style or genre.

The White Guide, Scandinavia's leading restaurant authority, rates Kaskis at Masters level, describing it as a place where minimalist décor meets maximalist-attentive service, and where Nordic-inspired cuisine leans on classic French techniques while showcasing local produce in a playful manner. That balance — rigorous craft worn lightly — is exactly what the restaurant has always been about.

The People Behind the Plates

Erik Mansikka, known in Finnish culinary circles as "Mestari" and winner of Vuoden Kokki (Chef of the Year) in 2013, is not just the kitchen's driving force. He has been spotted foraging in the forests around Turku alongside Simo Raisio, gathering ingredients that later appear on the restaurant's recycled-material plates — some of which Erik has thrown himself at a pottery workshop in Kustavi. That level of hands-on commitment runs through every detail of the operation.

In 2018, Kaskis was named Restaurant of the Year in Finland. In 2020, the space was fully renovated, giving the dining room a complete refresh while keeping the energy that fills the room every evening.

The Menu: Season First, Always

Since 2016, Kaskis has served menus only — no à la carte. The kitchen offers what feels and tastes best at any given moment, with Finnish ingredients and the season setting the agenda. A current menu moves through snacks, whitefish, asparagus, langoustine, pike perch, lamb, sourdough bread and pine — a sequence that reads like a walk through the Finnish landscape in a single sitting.

The menu is available at €129, with wine pairings ranging from a classic package to a premium cellar selection, and a thoughtfully constructed alcohol-free option. The drink programme favours quality over volume, drawing on European wines, natural producers and beers from the local Kakola Brewery.

Vegetarian and fully vegan menus are available on request, as are adjustments for allergies and other dietary needs — the kitchen handles these without fuss.

What to Expect

The room on Kaskenkatu has the feel of a place that knows what it is: Nordic fine dining without ceremony, where the cooking is serious and the atmosphere is not. The crowd skews lively, the service is attentive without hovering, and the sourcing — much of it hyperlocal, some of it foraged by the chefs themselves — gives every dish a specificity that is hard to manufacture.