Grön earns second Michelin star Finland

Michelin Guide added a second star to Helsinki restaurant Grön on June 1 in its 2026 Nordic Countries awards, giving Finland two two-star restaurants for the first time. The same ceremony awarded Helsinki’s Boreal its first star, expanding Finland’s starred roster to eight restaurants, according to Michelin’s official results and restaurant listings. (guide.michelin.com) The awards were announced as part of the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries 2026 selection, which Michelin said now recommends 286 restaurants across the region, including 15 with two stars and 78 with one star. (guide.michelin.com) In Finland, Grön joined Palace in the two-star tier, while Boreal entered the one-star list. (guide.michelin.com) ### How unusual is a second two-star restaurant in Finland? Finland had only one two-star Michelin restaurant before this week: Palace in Helsinki. Michelin’s own Helsinki and Finland materials had previously described Palace as the country’s only two-star address, and the 2026 awards changed that by promoting Grön from one star to two. The Michelin Guide said Grön was one of two restaurants across the Nordic countries promoted from one star to two in 2026, alongside Gaptrast in Norway. (guide.michelin.com) That placed the Helsinki restaurant in a small group of new two-star winners in this year’s regional guide. ### What exactly changed for Grön? Grön was already a Michelin-starred restaurant before the 2026 ceremony, and Michelin elevated it to two stars in the new guide. (guide.michelin.com) The official Michelin ceremony report lists Grön under the year’s “New Two-MICHELIN-Star” restaurants, confirming it was a promotion rather than a first-time entry. Michelin did not, in the ceremony summary, publish a separate long explanation for Grön comparable to the one it gave for some other promoted restaurants. (guide.michelin.com) But the result itself is clear in the official list: Grön moved up a tier in the 2026 Nordic selection. ### Why did Boreal stand out this year? Boreal received one Michelin star in the 2026 guide, according to its official Michelin restaurant page. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin describes the restaurant, in Helsinki’s Design District, as serving “Creative, Regional Cuisine” and says chef Pasha Demin’s cooking is rooted in seasons, preservation techniques and ingredients foraged from the wild or sourced from regenerative farms. Michelin’s inspector notes say Boreal aims to connect guests with the planet and relies on fermentation, drying, curing and smoking to extend seasons and reduce waste. (guide.michelin.com) The guide also identifies Demin by name and places the restaurant at Uudenmaankatu 9 in Helsinki. ### What does the wider Nordic guide show? The Michelin Guide said the 2026 Nordic Countries edition includes six three-star restaurants, 15 two-star restaurants and 78 one-star restaurants across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin also said 23 new establishments joined the selection overall. The same awards ceremony in Copenhagen promoted Denmark’s Kadeau Copenhagen to three stars and named new starred restaurants across the region. Finland’s gains came in a year when Michelin recorded only two new two-star promotions across all Nordic countries. (guide.michelin.com) ### Where can diners check the updated list? Michelin’s official Nordic Countries 2026 winners page now lists the full regional results, including Grön’s promotion and the broader star totals. (guide.michelin.com) Boreal’s individual Michelin page also reflects its new one-star status and includes booking details, address information and the inspectors’ summary. The Michelin Guide’s Finland and Helsinki pages are the next reference point for diners tracking whether more Finnish restaurants are added or promoted in future annual updates. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin published the 2026 Nordic results on June 1, 2026. (guide.michelin.com)