Restaurant review: Santa Fe – Mexican style

4 03 2015

Red wine at Santa Fe - reijosfood.com

Restaurant Santa Fe serves Mexican food in the central of Helsinki city. Texmex, Cajun and international foods are in main role in the restaurants relaxed atmosphere. During summertime a decked court yard terrace is popular for dining and it also offers live music from Monday to Thursday starting at 21.00.

Santa Fe is located at Aleksin Piha where there are two other restaurants. All three dining spots are owned by same company and share terrace area. But at the end of February you definately want to dine inside.

Always start the dinner with Nachos, this time with Chips and Dips hot chili tomato and avocado dips and nachos.

Portion is small compared to, for instance Hard Rock Cafe but it costs half of it. So, is you are really hungry you might want to order also something else. Unless you fill your stomach with beer…..

Nachos at Santa Fe

For main course, of course, Chicken Fajitas!

Basic portion includes pieces of chicken breast, sweet pepper, onion, guacamole, hot chili tomato sauce, creme fraiche, jalopenos and two tortillas.

You can ask to replace onion with pepper, if you do not like onions. You also can ask for more sauces and extra tortillas if you like. Sauces you might want to ask, but 2 big tortillas are enough to be filled with chicken and other stuff.

Chicken Fajitss at Santa Fe - reijosfood.com

Fajitas at Santa Fe - reijosfood.com

Restaurant has wine offers, you can get either bottle of red or white wine at a price of 19.90€.

Wine offer at Santa Fe - reijosfood.com

Propably most of the diners order beer, but wine lovers choose wine even in Mexican restaurant. Utilized offer and ordered bottle of Canapi Shiraz, which was chosen as “cheap wine” of the year 2013 and costs only 6.99€ in Alko. So restaurant takes nice margin anyway….

Tried also rose wine Barefoot Rose which is too sweet even for Mexican food.

Aleksin Piha - reijosfood.com

Santa Fe is most popular Mexican food restaurant in Helsinki. In the summer time it is more thatn restaurant because of the terrace. Dining room is dark, therefore pictures are quite “dizzy”.

If you visit Helsinki in the summer time, you might want to stop by Aleksin Piha and eat something at oneof the 3 restaurants. Santa Fe is obvious choise, if you like spicy and especially Mexican food.

REVIEW: FOOD 3/5 – SERVICE 4-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 3,5/5 (winter time)

Santa Fé front page | In English | Santa Fe | Rafla.fi.





Restaurant review: Piccolo Mondo

19 08 2012

Restaurant Piccolo Mondo, located at Aleksi’s coutyard, is a family owned restaurant which has been operating in the same place since 1991. Inside dining hall has room for about 80 people and during the summer season terrace holds about 100 additional seating. Piccolo’s kitchen combines Mediterranean influences with Finnish traditional cuisine. You can order pasta, risotto, pizza, salad and seafood dishes as well as desserts. Restaurant has had same tables at the terrace quite long, suggest to replace them.

There are also two other restaurants at Aleksi’s coutyard (Aleksin Piha), Santa Fe and Grande Grill. Santa Fe serves tex mex food like fajitas and from June to August from Monday to Thursday you can enjoy live music performed by local artists. Piccolo Mondo customers can also hear and watch music. Grande Grill serves meat and sandwiches nad have same tables at the terrace as Santa Fe. Would say that Santa Fe is most popular restaurant of the three at Aleksi’s coutyard.

Started dinner with large Antipasto (8 pieces) including Mozzarella, gorgonzola, cold smoked salmon, prosciutto, marinated champignon mushrooms, olives, marinated artichoke and melon. Mozzarella was Buffala which was bonus, mushrooms tasted best, artichokes shoud have been grilled but now tasted too much for vinegar. In overall appearance of antipasto plate looked too much tinned food. Also ordered Bread Basket fresh bread and tapenade spread, maybe the most expensive bread in the restaurants but good.

Restaurant suggested to order Pike perch in August which we did. Fish came with steamed vegetables, potato cakes and shrimp remoulade. Wondered if chef had used white pepper instead of salt. Had to also add salt which is really rare for us. Also ordered Surf & Turf  Fried chicken breast fillet, jumbo shrimp skewer, coconut-citrus sauce and creamy white wine risotto. Chicken and shrimps were ok but risotto was more or less like porridge. For side dish ordered Mixed salad which balanced main courses well.

The terrace of Piccolo Mondo is casual and perfect place to eat pizza in the summer. It is more quiet (no own music and less noise) than other two restaurants at the Aleksi’s coutyard which makes conversation easier. If you decide to dine at coutyard and all tables are occupied, wait for a while close to the tables and run to released table right away because you are not the only one trying to do the same.

REVIEW: FOOD 3-/5 – SERVICE 3/5 – OVERALL GRADE 3/5

http://www.piccolomondo.fi/piccolomondo/english








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