Helsinki's Grön earns second Michelin star

Grön joined Palace as Finland’s only two-star Michelin restaurants after the 2026 Michelin Guide Nordic Countries ceremony in Copenhagen on Monday, according to Michelin’s official results. The new ranking gave Finland eight starred restaurants in total, with Helsinki newcomer Boreal picking up its first star. The awards were announced on June 1 at Tivoli Concert Hall in Tivoli Gardens, where Michelin unveiled this year’s Nordic selections. Michelin said the 2026 Nordic guide now recommends 286 restaurants across the region, including 15 with two stars and 78 with one star. ### Which Finnish restaurants changed status this year? (guide.michelin.com) Grön was the main Finnish mover in this year’s guide, earning a second star after previously holding one. Michelin’s updated Nordic list places the Helsinki restaurant in Finland’s two-star tier alongside Palace. Boreal was the other Finnish restaurant to gain new status, receiving its first Michelin star less than a year after opening its doors in Helsinki, according to Time Out Helsinki. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out said Boreal opened in September 2025 and built its menu around fermentation, preservation techniques and Nordic ingredients from small local suppliers. (guide.michelin.com) ### How big is Finland’s Michelin footprint now? Finland’s total reached eight starred restaurants after Boreal’s addition, according to Daily Northern and Michelin’s updated Nordic list. That count includes two restaurants with two stars and six with one star. Michelin’s Finland listings show Grön and Palace in the two-star category, while other Finnish one-star restaurants include Olo, Demo, Finnjävel Salonki, Kaskis, Vår and Boreal. (timeout.com) That lineup is drawn from Michelin’s country and Nordic guide pages published after the ceremony. ### Why did Boreal draw attention so quickly? (dailynorthern.com) Boreal had been discussed as a likely Michelin contender before the ceremony. Time Out wrote before the awards that the restaurant “looked set” to become one of Helsinki’s most exciting new dining rooms, citing its precision, relaxed service and Nordic profile. Time Out’s post-awards coverage said Boreal became Helsinki’s newest Michelin-starred restaurant and described it as the city’s hottest recent opening. (guide.michelin.com) The same outlet said the restaurant may also be Helsinki’s most affordable Michelin-starred dinner if prices remain unchanged. ### Where does Finland sit in the wider Nordic results? Denmark dominated the 2026 Nordic awards, with Michelin saying five Danish restaurants received their first stars and Kadeau earned a third star. (timeout.com) Michelin also said Geranium and Jordnær retained their three-star status. (timeout.com) The Finnish gains stood out because Sweden did not receive any new stars, according to Swedish outlet Köket as cited in the source briefing. Within that regional backdrop, Finland added one new one-star restaurant and upgraded Grön into the two-star category. (guide.michelin.com) ### Where can diners check the updated list next? Michelin has published the full 2026 Nordic Countries star list and updated Finland and Helsinki restaurant pages on its official guide site. Those pages now reflect Grön’s two-star status and Boreal’s first star following the June 1 ceremony in Copenhagen. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2)