Eat & drink

An unforgettable holiday deserves unforgettable food and drink experiences.

The gastronomic gem of Finnish Lakeland

Northern Savo is a paradise for gastronomy lovers. The city and its surroundings are full of restaurants, cafés and stalls, which cater to any and all desires of the hungry and thirsty.

From full delicious meals to mouthwatering snacks, for lunch, for dinner, for supper – or just for fun. The options are endless. There are several top quality restaurants to choose from as well as cozy meeting places, street food-type eateries, and, of course, pubs and nightclubs.

Wherever you choose to eat you can expect food and drinks made from local natural products as well as international flavors and dishes.

We’d highly recommend trying local, seasonal food which favors the freshest local raw ingredients. In addition to gorgeous á la cartes there are many terrace restaurants, food stalls and lakeland cruise ships open in summer time to choose from.

At the Tahko Tourist Center, you can indulge the area’s iconic fish soup for lunch whilst enjoying the view from the top of the slopes. It’s not just the food that’s good here.

The area is also one of the largest milk producers in Finland and Iisalmi in north of Kuopio is an old and well-known brewery city with several small breweries also being established in the Savo region in recent years. Kuopio meanwhile is home to one of the most famous distilleries in Finland.

Restaurants Slope restaurants Nightlife Breweries and distilleries Cafes

Savonian delicacies

The region’s best natural products include lake fish, forest berries, mushrooms and wild herbs.

The Savo region is known for its delicacies such as a baked fish pie with a rye dough-crust, which is called “kalakukko” in Finnish. Varieties of this iconic dish are stuffed with pork, rutabaga, or potato. For dessert, you can try a version with blueberries or lingonberries which are both equally delicious.

For a true local food experience be sure to visit Kuopio Kauppahalli (market hall) to try all of the traditional Savonian foods on offer.