Rue Stevin 132, 1000
What’s good? You would be forgiven for thinking Finnish and Italian cuisine don’t go together, but Atrio is here to prove you wrong. The reindeer carbonara was to die for — smoky, salty and luxuriously creamy, with spaghetti cooked perfectly al dente. So was the gin and tonic, which in true Finnish fashion came with a sprig of rosemary and tart lingonberries. And we devoured the wild blueberry pie, which was touted as grandma’s secret, Finnish recipe. If that’s true, granny deserves a Michelin star.
What’s not? The restaurant sits in the shadow of the towering Berlaymont building, so if you’re a weary Eurocrat hoping to put work out of your mind after a long day of meetings and briefings, you might want to dine at a less centrally located spot.
Vibe: The décor is somewhat minimalist (Nordic, duh), but cool and refined, with soft jazz mingling with the sounds of happy Finnish chatter. A deer print on the wall eyed us balefully as we devoured his buddy. There’s a terrace to enjoy on sunnier days.
Who’s picking up the check? At around €24 for a pasta main, the prices were assuredly more northern European than southern.
Spotted: Presidents, prime ministers and other European political luminaries have all feasted at Atrio, the manager told us (though he couldn’t possibly name any, of course). We spotted the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas with a couple of bodyguards at another table, and there’s a hot-smoked salmon sandwich on the menu named after former Finnish PM Jyrki Katainen.
Fun fact: Atrio was started by three friends: an Italian chef and two Finns. That’s where the name comes from.
Insider tip: If you hang around and chat with the very pleasant staff, you might be lucky enough to score a digestif on the house — Jaloviina, a Finnish cut brandy — and a Finnish canned cocktail called a Lonkero, first concocted for the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki and which my dinner companion/emotional-support Finn assured me is very popular back home.
How to get there: Atrio is smack in the heart of the European Quarter, a short stroll from Schuman metro station. Just follow the scent of reindeer meat.
Review published on May, 28 2025. Illustration by Natália Delgado/POLITICO
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