Passionate about local food? Enjoy authentic flavours and regional delicacies in these award-winning restaurants! Take the Saimaa Gastronomy tour and enjoy both culinary delights and the beautiful nature of Lake Saimaa as you travel.
Saimaa Gastronomy is a network consisting of Tertti Manor in Mikkeli, TeaHouse of Wehmais in Juva, Pihlas Resort in Joroinen and Sahanlahti Resort in Puumala. These four destinations have set a high priority for using clean, local ingredients and products from independent local brands in their dishes. Each Saimaa Gastronomy restaurant offers carefully crafted menus that change with the seasons, insuring they're always using the freshest ingredients available. Saimaa Gastronomy destinations are not just simple restaurants, but an entire travel experience consisting of good food, charming locations and beautiful natural sights everywhere along the way.
Day 1. Tertti Manor, Mikkeli
In the lovely pink Tertti Manor visitors can enjoy the offerings of the manor's own fruit and vegetable gardens as well as ingredients sourced from local producers. Berries, mushrooms, seasonal vegetables, fish and game play a starring role in the carefully crafter gourmet dishes. Dining experience at Tertti is enhanced by the picturesque country milieu of the manor's historic buildings and gardens full of vibrant flowers and herbs.
During summer visitors to Tertti Manor can also purchase various food products as well as decorative items and cosmetics from the manor's shop, situated in the quaint old stone barn. The manor's fashion boutique is open all year around, with only its location changing from summer to winter. For visitors wishing to spend more time exploring everything the manor has to offer, Tertti Manor also provides hotel accommodation with breakfast included.
The beautiful salons of Tertti Manor abound with classic country elegance.
Day 2: TeaHouse of Wehmais and Pihlas Resort
TeaHouse of Wehmais is a unique tearoom located in the refurbished old stable of Wehmaa country manor in Juva. The tearoom specialises in creating harmonious flavor experiences with their selection of hundreds of carefully curated teas paired with various types of sweet and savory treats. The tearoom also offers full tea services that utilise the best ingredients of the season without forgetting sustainability.
Decorated in a charming French-Scandinavian style, the Wehmaa Manor blends in perfectly with the surrounding Southern Savonian countryside. Visitors can enjoy a wonderful culinary experience while soaking in the atmosphere and rustic charm of the old country manor.
The tea sommelier of Teahouse of Wehmaisin serves carefully selected teas to their guests.
Having enjoyed an afternoon tea at Wehmais, your next destination is not far away. Only 20 km from the tearoom awaits Pihlas Resort with its restaurants. Restaurant Siimes offers both a three and five course dinner menu that changes depending on the season and ingredients available. The dishes at Siimes celebrate Nordic culinary traditions, with a touch of French sophistication taking them to the next level. During summer the resorts' restaurant Koto offers delicious barbeque and a delectable shellfish bar.
At Siimes the dinner menu is personally created by the head chef as inspiration strikes, so no two evenings are alike and dinner is always full of delicious surprises. In the atmospheric country restaurant diners can lean back and enjoy a relaxing end for an active day. There's no need to cut the evening short either, as Pihlas Resort also offers accommodation in suites and villas, where visitors can enjoy all modern comforts in the arms of Finnish nature. Those really looking to treat themselves can even book a pampering treatment at the resort's spa.
Day 3: Sahanlahti Resort, Puumala
Sahanlahti Resort is vacationer's paradise build on the location of a 300 year old sawmill on the shore of Lake Saimaa. The view from the terrace of the atmospheric Restaurant Koskivahti has often been described as the most beautiful in the whole area. Aside from Koskivahti, Sahanlahti also has open flame restaurant Pajapirtti and summer restaurant Rantamakasiini.
In the artisanal restaurants of Sahanlahti each dish is prepared by hand by the head chef completely in the restaurant's own kitchen. In all the restaurants visitors can enjoy the best ingredients the region has to offer, be it vegetables from a small local farm or fish freshly caught from Lake Saimaa.
Sahanlahti has plenty to offer, from accommodation in high quality hotel rooms and villas to various outdoor activities and events held at the resort, all in a unique historic milieu. Why not take a cruise around Lake Saimaa, or hope on a bike and take on the fabulous Puumala archipelago cycling route!
From the terrace of Restaurant Koskivahti there is a spectacular view over Lake Saimaa.
