Nolla

Nolla in Helsinki was founded by three chef‑founders: Luka Balac (Serbia), Albert Franch Sunyer (Catalonia) and Carlos Henriques (Portugal). The restaurant is built on environmental and social responsibility, transparency and community. The kitchen focuses on modern, produce‑led Finnish cuisine that changes eight to ten times a year to follow micro‑seasons and the local larder. Most produce is organic, biodynamic, regenerative, wild or foraged; sourcing radii restrict vegetables to 100 km, meat to 200 km, fish to 250 km and dairy under 300 km, with six exceptions: salt, coffee, tea, wine, Swedish hand‑harvested seaweed and rapeseed oil. Nolla minimises waste through design rather than expired or upcycled ingredients, uses whole‑animal butchery for meat and never serves farmed or endangered wild fish. The restaurant holds a Bib Gourmand, publishes a journal and a directory of aligned producers, and offers composting and biodegradable seed‑paper gift cards. On first glance the dining room appears conventional, yet the experience is founded on carefully considered sustainable practices; an in‑kitchen Chef’s Table sits adjacent to the kitchen for an immersive tasting for up to 10 guests, and a private Wine Room seats 14 for intimate communal dining. Nolla cooks modern Finnish, produce‑driven cuisine that responds imaginatively to seasonal local ingredients rather than privileging fixed techniques. Vegetables and grains form the majority of the menu. The kitchen offers seasonal four‑ and six‑course tasting menus and accommodates dietary needs where possible. Luka Balac is co‑founder and chef. Specialties include cured pike perch (crudo), beetroot tartare, grilled burbot, smoked lion’s mane (mushroom), roasted white‑tailed deer and milk‑bread ice cream.