Tiedote —
One Table, 16 Nights: Chef Sirly Ylläsjärvi Opens MARJE at Meilahti Manor in Helsinki
One of Finland’s most distinctive dining concepts is coming to Helsinki for the first time. Chef and entrepreneur Sirly Ylläsjärvi will open MARJE, an intimate one-month restaurant residency at the historic Meilahti Manor in October 2026 — and relocate from Finnish Lapland to Helsinki to personally lead every dinner.
Ylläsjärvi is the founder of Restaurant Elsa in Finnish Lapland, where her one-table dining concept has become known for turning dinner into something closer to a shared ritual than a traditional restaurant experience.
At Elsa, strangers gather around one communal table, are served a surprise menu, and spend the evening together. By the end of the night, they are rarely strangers anymore.
Restaurant Elsa is also a finalist in Finland’s Food Tourism Product of the Year competition.
MARJE brings this philosophy south — but it is not a Lapland restaurant transplanted to Helsinki.
Instead, the menu will be shaped by the history and atmosphere of Meilahti Manor, the best ingredients of the Finnish autumn, and Ylläsjärvi’s Estonian roots.
“I wanted to create a restaurant that genuinely belongs to this place. MARJE is not a copy of Elsa, and it was never meant to be. What it carries with it is the idea of one shared table, the joy of surprise, and my belief that dinner can be much more than food — it can be a shared experience,” Ylläsjärvi says.
MARJE — A TRIBUTE TO HER GRANDMOTHER
The restaurant is named after Ylläsjärvi’s Estonian grandmother, Marje.
She raised six children in modest circumstances, where money was often scarce. Yet no visitor would have guessed it from the dining table. Guests were always welcomed to a beautifully set table with generosity, pride and warmth.
That philosophy of hospitality has stayed with Ylläsjärvi throughout her career.
“Marje taught me that hospitality has very little to do with money. It is about the desire to take care of another person. She taught me table manners, the culture of dining and, above all, that sharing food is one of the most beautiful ways to show love.”
For Ylläsjärvi, MARJE is therefore more than a restaurant name. It is a link between generations, countries and ideas of hospitality.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR ONE OF HELSINKI’S HISTORIC MANORS
MARJE will take place at Meilahti Manor, one of Helsinki’s historic estates.
The history of the Meilahti estate stretches back centuries, while the white wooden manor house standing on the hill today dates from the early 19th century and is considered the oldest surviving building in the historic Meilahti villa district.
During the 19th century, the estate became part of Helsinki’s emerging culture of leisure and hospitality. Its parklands attracted city residents, while the waterfront area featured a restaurant, a stone dance pavilion and a steamboat pier.
Visitors arrived by boat to spend summer days surrounded by music, dining and the sea.
In October 2026, that tradition of gathering around food will begin a new chapter.
“The first time I walked through the manor, I felt as though the house had been waiting for people to return,” Ylläsjärvi says. “Old buildings have their own memory. My role is not to invent a completely new story, but to continue the one that already exists — in my own way.”
FROM FINNISH LAPLAND TO HELSINKI — FOR ONE MONTH ONLY
Ylläsjärvi lives and works in Finnish Lapland, where she operates Restaurant Elsa alongside other hospitality and culinary businesses.
For MARJE, however, she will temporarily move her life to Helsinki.
The residency lasts for one month only, and Ylläsjärvi will personally lead the kitchen every evening.
“I wanted to commit to this completely. I didn’t want to simply visit Helsinki and put my name on a restaurant. I wanted to live here for the month, build the team myself and be present at every single dinner.”
That personal presence is an essential part of the concept.
With only one communal table, one seating and one surprise menu each evening, MARJE is intentionally small in scale.
The idea is not to serve as many guests as possible, but to create sixteen individual evenings that cannot be repeated.
A RESTAURANT THAT EXISTS FOR ONLY 16 NIGHTS
MARJE opens with two invitation-only dinners on 1–2 October 2026.
The restaurant will then serve just 16 public dinners, from Wednesday to Saturday throughout October.
There is one communal table, one seating and one surprise menu.
Reservations open with the publication of this announcement.
MARJE IS BUILDING ITS HELSINKI TEAM
MARJE is currently recruiting experienced hospitality professionals and service-minded talent for the October residency.
Applications and enquiries:
LOCATION
Meilahti Manor, Helsinki, Finland
DATES
October 2026
OPEN
Wednesday–Saturday
16 public dinners only
INVITATION-ONLY OPENING DINNERS
1–2 October 2026
CONCEPT
One communal table · One seating · One surprise menu
MENU
€150 per guest
RESERVATIONS
www.manormarje.fi
