Pinella

Pinella is the name for an old and beautiful riverside building in Turku. It started as a restaurant back in the 19th century and apparently has been known as Pinella ever since, even if the ensuing restaurants inhabiting the building have had different names. The building was closed in 2004 and after extensive renovations and buildong work, Pinella the restaurant opened about 3 weeks ago and we got to visit for a work lunch. I have to say that ever since I checked out the menu back in March I have wanted to try it out, so lunch seemed a perfect opportunity to see whether it is worth coming for dinner.

First impressions were that they had managed to make the place seem very light despite the thick stone walls and the pillars and overhang outside, which could conspire to make it dark and dingy. The decor was simple with a mix of normal chairs, poufs and sofa style seating in the main restaurant area. The restaurant was very busy, however our party of 30 people was still served in good time and politely. Some colleagues suggested that sitting on the poufs for a three course meal could be quite tiring and not good for the back, but I didn't see that to be so much of a problem.

The menu offered a chicken and goats cheese salad, which looked succulent and was praised by those who had ordered it. The beef cheeks with red wine sauce and mushroom polenta also went down well with some colleagues who said that the beef almost melted in your mouth. I had carrot and ginger soup with crayfish tails. This was a fabulous soup, not too sweet from the carrots with a nice kick from the ginger. The crayfish tails were perfectly done and they certainly didn't skimp on them. Most of us felt that we could have had a dessert to round off the meal, however the work budget did not extend that far. At around 9 euros for the lunch main course, which is in line with normal restaurant lunch prices in Turku I would say this was good value. It has most certainly inspired me to return to check out their a la carte menu one evening in the near(ish) future!