Vegan
International
Organic
Raw
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Catering
Fusion
Vibrant restaurant focused on flavours of nature using organic, locally sourced & foraged ingredients. Includes dishes such as risotto, kimchi, soup, puttanesca and more. Online booking preferred for parties of over 8 people. Relocated from Sturenkatu 36. Open Wed-Sat 16:00-22:00.
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Last update on 31 Jan 2024 by Fedlev
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46 Reviews
First Review by SeitanSeitanSeitan
AnnikaPfenninger
Points +94
Excellent! - Edit
Nice atmosphere, excellent food and super friendly staff!
Read moreGuest
JoshMetcalf5
Points +490
Disappointing - Edit
I *really* wanted to love this place but sadly I came away disappointed.
Read moreI paid €79 for the 13-course experience menu. The standard tasting menu is €69 for 10 courses.
The first five “courses” were one-bite amuse-bouches, all served together. I found three of them relied heavily on similarly-flavoured creamy sauces (a theme that continued throughout the rest of the meal). Two of the amuse-bouches make up 2/3 of the items exclusive to the more expensive menu option.
I should mention that the kitchen is in the dining room so I could see the solo chef preparing everything, and nothing was cooked fresh, it was all pre-prepared and heated up. While I sat there I saw a lot of food left to sit on the counter for a long time before being served.
The next four “courses” were small appetisers, again all served together, two to a plate. They consisted of a mushy sweet potato disc on a creamy sauce, some green beans drizzled in a creamy sauce, asparagus with a creamy maltaise sauce and tempura romanesco on a creamy romesco sauce. The romanesco were not freshly fried and had been reheated in the oven before serving, so were overcooked and not light as tempura should be.
The next two courses were more substantial but used very inexpensive and underwhelming ingredients: mushroom risotto and a baked aubergine on a creamy tahini sauce. Two dishes I often see as token vegan options in restaurants. The aubergine was supposedly flavoured with liquorice but I couldn’t taste any at all - not a problem for me as a liquorice hater but may disappoint a diner who’s expecting it. It was served with very basic salad leaves which had been left to wilt on the counter for ages while the aubergine was heated in the oven.
The pavlova dessert (again assembled from pre-prepared components) was nice and well-presented, but lacked variety in texture. The third element exclusive to the ‘experience menu’ was a quenelle of chocolate ice cream with a supposedly cannabis-flavoured gel and rose petals. However, this was also served to the table next to me as a “gift from the chef”, which meant that I ended up paying €10 extra for only two bites which I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
I ordered a mocktail which was tasty but very small for the €14 price tag.
The menu was supposed to celebrate spring but thematically felt more autumnal, with sweet potato, baked aubergine and heavy risotto. I was disappointed by the lack of innovation and creativity I expected after reading reviews online. I’ve had vegan tasting menus in many European cities and unfortunately this one was the worst so far.
Guest
Deerflowerheart
Points +205
Delicious experience 💚 - Edit
We had the experience menu, which was 13 courses, and the 10 course menu of the preserves & root winter menu ✨ Everything was delicious! Unique flavours, beautiful presentation and friendly service 💜 The seasonal mocktails were so yummy and the dessert was one of the best I've had 💕 Cozy ambience with good vibes! We LOVED the gnocchi! Excellent 🥰🥰🥰 We look forward to sampling the spring menu 🌻
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-22
Pros: Delicious, Beautiful, Unique
Guest
p.skillz
Points +587
Hugely disappointing - Edit
I don't usually write negative reviews on here but I felt compelled to after my visit to Magu. Not sure where all these 5 start reviews are coming from. I ate here last night and though it was quite poor. I had the "experience" menu which was €79. The experience was waiting for a really long time for a succession of not very good cold or tepid dishes to arrive. The brioche & green kale dish was unedible, the leek & orange yoghurt dish had a flavour combination that didn't work at all. The gnocci looked like it had been made for a Lilliputian, the celeriac wellington with cranberry sauce was overly sweet. There wasn't really a single dish that wowed me and when I left, more than 2.5 hours after arriving, I was still starving.
Read moreI was really looking forward to eating here but left hugely diappointed.
starseedgirl
You should try Yesyesyes restaurant in Helsinki ❤️, hopefully you can get better experience in there. Its my one of favorite restaurants where I have been.
Read moreGuest
Murgnar
Points +16
Best fine dining of my life - Edit
Eating in Magu was definitely the best food experience of my life
Read moreGuest
EddyMaya
Points +949
Top notch vegan tasting menu - Edit
When visiting Helsinki, we decided to treat ourselves to a night out at Magu in what turned out to be an excellent move. We went for the €79 tasting menu, which gives you the chance to try 13 delightful little dishes. You can also get a 10 course menu for €69 but I'd recommend going all in & spending the extra €10 each.
Read moreThe menu changes with the seasons. We had the winter menu, which launched a couple of weeks ago and will be in place until spring. The current focus is on roots & preserves and features underrated & underused veggies such as Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi, salsify and celeriac. Almost every single dish was an absolute delight, with a great array of flavours & textures. The presentation was also spot on.
It's surprisingly unpretentious for a fine dining establishment, with a fairly laid-back vibe. The restaurant itself may not look fancy, but the food is very, very good. After 13 courses, we left replete & happy. Highly recommended.
Updated from previous review on 2024-11-22
Pros: Beautifully presented & delicious food, Laid-back vibe, Good value for food of this quality
Cons: Toilets could be improved
Guest
flagellantti
Points +933
Lovely - Edit
I have had the 10-course menu twice, and a lunch for a few times. Most of the things from the menus have been lovely, and the things that weren't super were still alright.😄
Read moreGuest
T_uckers
Points +353
Interesting and cosy - Edit
The restaurant itself is quite unassuming and cosy which I liked for such a fancy menu. Seaonal menu, using local veg or preserved from the larder. You can take 10 or 13 courses for €69 or €79 - I choose to go all in which was worth it as the mushroom pate and the cinnamon ice cream were my favourite. The highlight was the salsify with Chanterelle ice cream. So creamy and full flavoured. Some of the courses where less interesting than others but still tasty non the less.
Read moreI also had a seasonal mocktail. Staff very friendly and chef came to talk to us too.
Guest
JulesDcks
Points +525
Delicious vegan set menue - Edit
Very creative and delicious set menue. They use a lot of different mushrooms. Have 8 or 11 course menue with non alcoholic drink pairing
Read moreGuest
kmasiello
Points +95
Every Dish Was Delicious - Edit
We had the mushroom-based fall menu, and every item was so good. The flavors were spot on. We especially loved the risotto, the waffle, mushroom loaf, and the cheesecake. Coming from California, we thought the pricing was very fair for all of the food. We wish we could fly back for each menu change!
Read moreGuest
Lallu
Points +84
Amazing food - Edit
We visited Magu during their autumn 2024 menu, and it was amazing for people like me who love different kinds of mushrooms. Everything we tried from the 11 course was well put together. Definitely going back to try the winter menu!
Read moreGuest
thebalticsoul
Points +221
Great fine dining! - Edit
Post yet down to earth. Amazing service. Great 11 course meal (spring 2024 menu). Great value for money.
Read morePros: Location, Service, delicious food
Guest
el1205
Points +175
Amazing fine dining experience - Edit
We chose the 11 course menu. It was surely one of my best experience at a restaurant !
Read moreEverything was absolutely cooked to perfection. For each course you get layers of different flavours and textures - sweet, salty, acidic, crunchy, chewy, crispy, soft.
I can't even chose which I liked best because I LOVED everything !
Portions are just what you need to enjoy each course, no more no less.
It is definitely pricy but definitely worth it.
Pros: Tasty, Diversity
Guest
PinjaN
Points +60
Best finedining - Edit
Very high quality food, the menu was very carefully considered and planned to fit together.
Read moreGuest
LennonAndrades
Points +70
10 course tasting menu in Helsinki - Edit
Real gem of a place. We had the 10 course shared tasting menu with wines to pair - absolutely amazing. My fav was the starters and loved the roasted celeriac, satay, tamarind glazed nuts. They were really kind to make a special last minute reservation. Prior reservation is an absolute must if you want to try this vegan heaven.
Read moreGuest
Annikanoma
Points +84
Sometimes good, sometimes not that good - Edit
We ate 10 courses dinner there (tasting menu) with wine. The food was extremely delicious and had some interesting and new tastes for us. We really enjoyed our evening and will definitely return. If you're looking for a place for fine dining this is probably the best place for vegan in the area. (I forgot to take a photo of some of the portions!)
Read moreUpdate: we have been eating at Magu afterwards and I have a feeling that it hasn't met our expectations. Sometimes we've received the 9-10 courses dinner in less than 1,5 hours and had a feeling that they just want to get the table free for the next customers asap instead of giving us an experience. Once they were cleaning the plates away while we still were eating which felt rude Sometimes the food has been quite uninspiring-good, but nothing new/especial which I kind of expect for the price. Sometimes the wine from the wine pairing has arrived so much after the food that you've basically finished eating at that point.
Magu has so much potential but it hasn't been on the same level as it was on our first visit.
Updated from previous review on 2024-01-25
Pros: Very delicious vegan menu, Cozy atmosphere
Cons: Sometimes service is not that good
Guest
myrsky
Points +770
Worst "fine dining" (is it?) I've had in Finland - Edit
Last night in Finland, out to some fine dining place, we thought. I'm vegan since 2012 and had a number of fantastic vegan Menus in Finland since, so I was very much looking forward to this. But it was quite a disappointment. We went for the 9 course menu, which it really wasn't, too start with - you just do not count three small dishes, which are served AT ONCE, as three courses. Flavours of the single items were hit & miss, the beetroot skewer was VERY disappoint, bland rought chunks of beetroot on a stick, the Dukkah was hard to find, the Miso glazed cauliflower was almost inedible (and I LOVE me some Miso AND Cauliflower), Focaccia was alright, the strawberry gazpacho did not taste anything like strawberry etc. etc. pp.
Read moreThe dessert, a Pavlova, was very well done and nicely presented at all, but the rose flavour overpowered every other taste on the plate, as it was far too strong. Otherwise the pavlova was very well baked / dried, so it was really a shame.
We were soothed a bit by the three little cakes we got (EACH) which we devoured a few minutes later in Esplanadipark. Weather was fine, everyone there was in a good mood, we had great pastries & Co., so that was the best part of the visit.
Pros: Not too expensive, Great pastry gifts
Cons: General taste, 3 "courses" served at once
Guest
VeganNeil
Points +82
Five star gourmet vegan food - Edit
First visit to Helsinki, and my wife said we must go to 'Magu' (she'd been there before) for their multi course gourmet menu. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy that, as I'm more of a "down to earth" guy but oh my what a fantastic range of tastes, and cooking.
Read moreI can see why it gets great reviews. If you can afford it, do visit.
Pros: Seasonal gourmet menu , Good venue, Very good service
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Nasuvampa
Points +1170
Great experimental fine dining - Edit
We tried the 6 course tasting menu and the experience was great! Good food, wonderful atmosphere. I really would like to give 5 stars, but not all of the dishes were to our liking. 4/6 were excellent though! We’ll be back to try another seasonal tasting menu.
Read morePros: All vegan, Adventorous flavours, Seasonal menu
Cons: Not all dishes were great, Expensive
Guest
JMcCleary
Points +330
Beautiful vegan meal - Edit
We had the 9-course tasting menu with the wine pairing. Everything was delicious and well-prepared, with some interesting and unique flavors. Highlights were the asparagus (perfectly cooked) with hollandaise and pistachio and the fermented orange risotto.
Read morePros: All vegan and delicious , Nice wine pairing
Guest
Heidihelsinki
Points +305
Tasting menus 2different times - Edit
I really wanna give magu 5stars.
Read moreLove the place. But always in tasting menus there has been mixture of good ones and just ok ones. I still enjoy my time and food here every time. Highly recommend to eat here, nice staff too. Pics are from 2different times. Reserve table.
Pros: Overall experience
Cons: Main dishes visual all "brown" look didn't work
Guest
Emma&Sonja
Points +1295
Lovely dining experience - Edit
We had the nine course menu and it was such an amazing experience. Exciting flavor combinations, different textures and interesting ingredients. The kohlrabi with herb pesto was one of our favorites. We felt really inspired about the whole experience! The amount of dishes felt balanced and not at all exhausting. The service was lovely and friendly, although a bit confusing with ever-changing waiters. Looking forward to visit again and try the next menu!
Read moreGuest
SimonC
Points +100
Perfect! Highly recommended - Edit
We visited both here and Ragu (michelin starred restaurant that has Vegan menu but serves meat) Magu absolutely wiped the floor in comparison (we sat down the restaurant manager and kindly asked them to send their chef to Magu for inspiration) top food, top service, wine pairing was to dye for, very welcoming, best meal we had whilst in Finland 😊
Read moreGuest
Matt_Schreck
Points +591
Blew my mind - Edit
We ordered catering from them recently for a family celebration thing and it was absolutely amazing! If fine dining is your thing I can't recommend this place enough! It is situated in a very classic part of Helsinki.
Read morePros: Amazing food, Location, Catering
Guest
jaukki
Points +699
Wow what a great fine dining experience - Edit
Amazing vegan fine dining. Been here many times and they just keep surprising me with new ideas and flavors. I really appreciate the seasonal menus, not just the same food all the time.
Read moreCons: Expensive
Guest
Hem2124
Points +56
Upscale delicious food - Edit
Upscale menu - I had the amazing 3d printed lamb. Tasting menu but you can also order a la carte. Knowledgeable friendly staff. Lovely candlelit ambiance
Read moreGuest
UnhappyPanda
Points +51
Very disappointed - Edit
I had high expectations for this restaurant, but the food just wasn't good. Extremely overprized for the quality. The flavors did not work well together, and I couldn't even finish some of the dishes. The only thing that tasted good was the cheese platter and the focaccia.
Read moreCons: Expensive, Odd flavor combinations
Guest
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