Iconic Flavours: Elite

The Legacy Collection: Iconic Flavours is our tribute to the places that give Helsinki its unique flavor. Co-designed with former Helsinki restaurateur and OG streetwear aficionado Sacha Remling, the drops celebrate three iconic restaurants: Sea Horse, Elite, and Lehtovaara, all known for having left a permanent mark in the city culture of Helsinki. Elite, this one’s for you.

We don’t want to oversell it, but Elite is quite literally the stuff of legends. Founded in 1932, the Töölö-based restaurant is known as the go-to place of many giants in the Finnish culture scene. From the author Mika Waltari to culture-shaping actor-singers like Tauno Palo and Vesa-Matti Loiri, Elite’s clientele has long consisted of legendary names in the country’s cultural circles.

And, rightfully, the restaurant has embraced it. Even today, Elite’s menu includes tribute items like Tauno Palo’s cream onion steak and pork sauce with boiled potatoes in the style of Vesa-Matti Loiri – all named after the artists’ go-to dish. In fact, the patrons have had such an influence on the restaurant that you can’t really tell Elite’s story without recounting the anecdotes about Tauno Palo’s time in the restaurant.

For instance, one of the more famous anecdotes recounts one of Palo’s longer stays in the restaurant that was interrupted by the doorman telling Palo that his wife is on the phone waiting for him. Palo’s reply to the doorman became an instant classic: “Sir, could you please inform my wife that I’ve already left the premises. I love her, but, as you can see, I’m with friends here.” Palo’s reply lives on in the restaurant’s slogan: “Out there, it’s always so busy. But not in here.”

Like with entire Iconic Flavours collection, part of the Elite items’ profits are donated to charity. Together with Apuna ry, we donate part of the profits as gift cards to the collection’s restaurants – these gift cards will then be given to underprivileged families by Apuna ry.