Sky Ounasvaara Panorma Restaurant

Ounasvaara

About

Two kilometers (1 3/4 miles) east of the town center, this restaurant is on the second floor of the Sky Hotel Ounasvaara, offering panoramic views from its perch on Ounasvaara Hill. The furnishings of the restaurant have been kept simple in order not to detract from the grand vistas and virgin forest outside. A Finnish gourmet society consistently names this restaurant as one of the top 19 in the country, and it also holds the Chaine des Rotisseurs plaque. The restaurant also has the Foyer Bar and a panoramic roof terrace for watching either the midnight sun or the northern lights. Begin your meal with salmon roe or champagne-flavored asparagus soup with asparagus ravioli. For a main course, we especially like the Lake Inarinjärvi whitefish flavored with a star anise-spiced crayfish sauce or the Arctic char roasted in almond oil and served with a zesty dark orange sauce. For dessert, nothing beats the coconut lime crème brûlée with bits of pineapple and coconut. The restaurant's set menus are the best in Lapland. Although it's far from the city center, you can also stay here overnight in one of the 71 well-furnished bedrooms, renting for 105€ to 247€ ($168-$395) in winter for a double or 110€ to 165€ ($176-$264) in summer. The accommodations are spacious and well furnished, and many of them are equipped with bathtubs (unusual for Lapland) and their own sauna. If you're staying over for a while, you might ask about cabin rentals, each of which has two separate bedrooms, making them ideal for families. The restaurant is next to the Ounasvaara Ski Center (tel. 016/369-045), with 123km (76 miles) of cross-country skiing tracks, plus six downhill slopes and three ski jumps.

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