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
