We weren’t lucky enough to get a table at Restaurant Nili without reservation again so we ended up eating dinner at Restaurant Gaissa.
The main restaurant of Restaurant Gaissa is located on the second floor of Santa’s Hotels Santa Claus. It’s surprising how empty Restaurant Gaissa is given how packed every other restaurant is.
The inside of the restaurant feels homey with wooden ceiling, tables and chairs.
This restaurant will make a terrific dating spot with dim lights and romantic atmosphere.
The menu features classic Lappish cuisine that “promises to take you through a journey to the flavors of the Nordic”.
Appetizers
I can’t really tell how different these Panko-Breaded Crab Cakes [8.50€] are from the ones in Singapore, but they are wonderfully-crispy. The fennel coleslaw and dill aioli makes these crab cakes taste more divine.
The Reindeer Carpaccio and Horseradish Mousse [8.50€] is similar to the one I had at Restaurant Nili.
Mains
I am surprised anyone will order Jerusalem Artichoke and Cranberry [15€] soup as main course, but it is surprisingly tasty. The artichoke has a nutty flavor which tastes very interesting when combined with cranberries.
For something a little more substantial, there is Roasted Vension and Lappish Potatoes [20€]. The piece of perfectly-seared deer meat seats on top of a purée of spring onion and Lappish potatoes, alongside citrus-marinated asparagus and chanterelle cream. The deer meat taste surprisingly like tender beef while the purée adds a touch of creaminess.
For the seafood lovers, there is Pike Perch with Roe [20€]. The pike perch steak is nicely-roasted and served with dill-marinated potatoes, citrus-marinated asparagus and cold-smoked roe sauce.
Desserts
Cloudberry is a specialty of the Artic. The restaurant uses chocolate to balance out the tartness of the cloudberries in Cloudberry & Chocolate [10€], decorated with spruce sprout mousse and meringue.
For those who love berries, there is Strawberry & Blueberry [10€]. The strawberry parfait sits on a bed of blueberry sauce and decorated with a slab of coconut oat cracker.
For something simpler, there is always Raspberry Sorbet [6€] with a few added in for good measure.
Restaurant Gaissa
Address: Koskikatu 14, 96200 Rovaniemie, Finland
Telephone: +358 40 0102220
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday 3pm – 10pm, Friday – Saturday 3pm – 3am
Website: https://santashotels.fi/en/lappish-restaurant-gaissa/
