The Life and Travels of Mrs Suvi

I don’t know how I managed to miss the fact that a new restaurant was opening in Espoo! And a seaside one at that. I knew I had to go visit it immediately, so I called my mom and off we went to Matinkylä.

Nokkalan Majakka means Nokkala’s Lighthouse. The restaurant is made of wood which suits the nature around and gives a very Finnish feel to it. There is a private harbour for yachts right by it too, so in summer you will be treated to a view of many different kinds of boats.

We were lucky to be visiting on a sunny day.

Inside you are guaranteed a view of the sea on all sides – bliss. Imagine if the sea freezes over – this will be an amazing place to gaze at it.

Nokkalan Majakka serves lunch Mondays to Fridays from 11 am to 3 pm. We decided on the pike soup. The lunch price includes bread (the focaccia was to die for) and coffee/tea. The coffee deserves a special mention, as it is from Kaffa Roastery – they roast their coffee in Helsinki and it’s so good.

The regular menu is served from 3 pm onwards and you can find it here (in Finnish). I look forward to trying their fish ‘n chips. On Saturdays the restaurant is open longer – till 10 pm. Check out their exact opening times on their webpage or Facebook page. There’s an assortment of gorgeous cakes and sandwiches too for those who want to just stop by for coffee.

The rooftop terrace was opened for viewing just when we were leaving. I was excited to see the views.

All this will be filled with tables, sofas and chairs. There will be a bar at the top too. I can so see myself lounging on the sofas on a sunny day. What is great about this establishment is that there’s an indoors too for those rainy days we are bound to have.

Now I can see yourself thinking about the harsh sea winds we have here in Espoo. You may wonder how on earth you are going to be able to sit on a high terrace without freezing. Well no fear my friend – these glass walls have a secret in them – they can be lifted up to protect customers from the wind! Excellent.

There is a scheduled boat service to the nearby island, Iso Vasikkasaari, from the dock from late May onwards. Hopefully, in future, you will be able to visit the café with your own boat too – let´s keep our eyes and ears open about this and hope that the City of Espoo makes favourable decisions about the possibility of a visitor marina.

With views like this, what more would you need? Well maybe a glass of bubbly. The terrace should open in April, if the weather permits. I can’t wait!

The surroundings near the restaurant are perfect for walks by the shoreline and in summer you can enjoy swimming or basking in the sun at the beach right next to restaurant.

Here’s a map of the area for your convenience:

Last but not least, you might want to have a look at Nokkalan Majakka via their live webcam:

I look forward to cycling here in the evenings for a glass of wine and visiting with our own boat. Will you be visiting this restaurant in the future? I hope to see you there!

xx