Restaurant Solitary – Review

In the Lake Saimaa region, close to the town of Savonlinna, this stand-alone dining experience, Solitary, is aptly titled. Close to a bunch of oblong suites, the restaurant is otherwise a twenty-minute walk from Nature Hotel Järvisydän’s main area, which itself sits in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the area’s quiet stillness but bold charisma. Trees, trees, and more trees engross the space, which is large, long, and flat on the outside and glows from one side like a geometrically precise light box. Inside is spacious but intimate, with a tall ceiling and cool grey tiles, with tables generously spaced and lit by candle. To aid what can only be described as a romantic atmosphere, 1950s music croons softly in the background, offering up everything from Mack the Knife to Wonderful World for a dreamy evening. 

A model of rat-cum-culinary genius, Remy from the Ratatouille movie stands proudly, if cheekily, above the open kitchen as a tribute to French-born chef Remi Trémouille. His ethos is simple and effective: source ingredients locally and from nature. An à la carte menu competes with a ‘surprise’ three- and five-course dinner. We opt for the latter with wine pairing but start with two cocktails, the names of which remain a mystery. Both are sprightly but with pleasing depth. My vodka is infused with celery for an especially refreshing tipple wherein the vegetable’s pepperiness is kept, but its sourness is lost. 

The bright and colourful amuse-bouche bursts with charm. It could be tuna or steak tartare, but the darker ruby red chunks are tomato. What looks like burgundy caviar is beetroot root. Each tartlet is super crunchy and affords three bites. Next up looks like a kind of clam chowder. Without a menu to aid us along the way, our guessing skills turn out to be pretty poor. The yellow liquid isn’t a thick soup at all but a light corn foam underneath with strands of succulent Mallard’s breast. Easy to eat with a spoon, sourdough is also provided and works as something on which to spread the mix. Another impossible-to-guess dish arrives in a display of primary coloured leaves. They’re diaphanous and are hiding something. They’re actually parsnip crisps with beetroot, cloudberry and yellow nettle colouring, under which hides a refreshingly unadulterated and moreish beef tartar. 

Igor and Alex work a double bill as interchangeable sommelier and waiter, but they’re much more than that, too, as they forage some of our foods year-round. Their knowledge of what they’re serving, both to drink and to eat, is first-class, and even when they don’t offer up stories of where they picked this or sourced that, we conjure up images of them hunting down game in snowy winter or fishing for it in sunny summer. It seems an idyllic life, and they seem to enjoy their job immensely. Wine pairing is excellent and strays way further afield than Finland – from Italian rosé to German spätburgunder to Slovenian Ribolla Gialla.  

The standout dish is served in a black slate bowl and resembles, maybe a little uncharitably, a worm salad. But this handmade pasta is sublime and, surely, the envy of many an Italian kitchen. Black chanterelles, pickled celery, and watercress blend with a buttery sauce made from reducing mushrooms. The night’s only ingredient that isn’t sourced from Finland is the slight sprinkling of parmesan. Zander from a nearby river follows as the effective main course. It’s barrel-shaped and crazily succulent and melts in the mouth. The rice cracker is a nice, texturally diverse touch and the pad choi adds vegetable goodness and crunch. 

Not only is the food and service exemplary but what makes Solitary’s ‘surprise’ offering so thrilling lies in its name. Naturally, we’re asked if we have any allergies but beyond that, we have no idea what we’re about to eat. Curiosity mingles with anticipation but wonder and delight take over with every new dish. Each time, we have to rely on Alex or Igor to explain the intricacies of what’s been conjured up and dessert is no exception. It’s unlikely we would ever have guessed the Financier almond and rowan bud ice cream or that the rowan buds can only be picked for a couple of specific weeks each year. They’re made into a sauce and fermented with alcohol for a unique flavour which has hints of basil but an overriding nuttiness. We eat each mouthful slowly and quietly, wishing another surprise or two might come our way.