Copas y Tapas | Reijosfood

Copas y Tapas – Finnish food & Spanish wines

18 11 2016

Restaurant Copas y Tapas is one of the best Finnish food restaurants in Helsinki. The name might be a bit misleading, but allmost all ingredients and dishes are Finnish. What is unique Spanish, are the wines, which are usually from small Spanish producers.

As have visited at Copas y Tapas several times, this post is not typical review. The idea is to clarify that restaurant serves Finnish food dispite the name. What is also remarkable that most of the ingredients come from local or small producers, which usually are listed when dishes are served to the tables.

Menu of the Day costs 49€. You can choose from four different main course; fish, vegetarian and usually from two meat options. Usually one meat dish is a little bit more expensive due to ingredient. Restaurant also prepares vegan versions. Recommend to ask for that when making reservation and you can enjoy delicious set of dishes.

Starters always include three bites, usually delicious soup and two other small dishes.

This time pictures tell more than writing. If you would like to know more about dishes, please ask.

Usually let waiters to choose wines which pair with dishes.

This time had for aperitif Raventos i Blanc, nice and bubbly cava http://www.raventos.com/

For main courses recommendations were Laderas de Leonila with beetroots and Altos Iberico with ragu. Both wines matched perfectly with food.

Digestive or dessert drink was Gramona Gra a Gra from pinot noir grapes. Already favourite from last visits.

If you are interested in wines at Copas y Tapas you can always hear short lecture of wine origins, procuder and wine itself. Restaurant start to import themselves wines next spring, which sounds fascinating.

As Copas y Tapas is family run business, you can see it in the service. Extremely polite but natural.

This time shall only give overall points which is 5 without no hesitation.

http://www.en.copasytapas.fi/

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Tags: Copas y Tapas, Restaurant Copas y Tapas, spanish wines, vegan
Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas – revisit 2016

5 01 2016

Copas y Tapas is an independent family-owned business which serves Spanish food and wines with Finnish flavor. Restaurant is located at Fabianinkatu, close to Senate Square. Dining rooms are at two levels and both areas are usually crowded.

Copas y Tapas downstairs

Copas y Tapas upper dining room

Have visited Copas y Tapas several times before; earlier reviews can be found by using search. Previous visits have been successful, therefore expectations were again high. Usually it is difficult to get table in short notice but maybe 2nd January after New Year was not the most popular restaurant day.

Three course dinner costs 43-47 € including “tapas” plate as starter, main course which can be chosen from 4 alternatives and dessert. 5€ additional payment for meat dishes.

Of course you need some time to make a decision what to order and best way to speed up decision process is to order aperitif. Better to ask what waiters would serve. Asked for red wine and got L’Avi Arrufi from region Terra-Alta. Wine full of character and bouquet.

For tapas starters restaurant served Soup, Filled capsicum and Smoked pork. Soup was warm and tasty, enjoyed it first. Then finished capsicum, which had some delicious tuna filling. And last smoked pork, which was with add-on’s great experience. Compared to previous visit starters looked similar, but soup was different and capsicum was filled with shrimps not with tuna.

Tapas at Copas y Tapas - reijosfood.com

You can choose from four different main courses, which differ almost every day depending on fresh ingredients available. Today alternatives were Meat of the Day, Steak of the Day (5€ extra), Fish of the Day and Vegetarian.

Fish of the Day, Arctic char, was superb with roots and swamps. And fish was enough big, which is not the fact in all restaurants.

Arctic char at Copas y Tapas - reijosfood.com

Dessert was this time Pannacotta with sorbet. Extremely delicious, sweet bite.

Pannacotta at Copas y Tapas - reijosfood.com

And with desserts, waiter or could even say sommelier, chose Gra a Gra Pinot Noir wine from Gramona. Not too sweet wine is produced as limited editions. So, recommend to taste it, if you have a chance.

gra a gra at Copas y Tapas - reijosfood.com

For vegeterians Copas y Tapas is perfect place. Restaurant conjured 3 course vegeterian menu which was amazing. Main course was based on portobello mushrooms but tapas starter was masterpiece.

Copas y Tapas is excellent affordable fine dining bistro in Helsinki restaurant scene, especially if you want to have serious discussion about Spanish wines. Bottles are always brought to the table and usually you can choose from two alternatives, which waiter have pre-selected for you matching to the food.

Fusion cuisine blends brilliantly best parts of Spanish and Finnish food cultures. Food is more Finnish or Scandinavian but served like in Spanish restaurant.

Service, really important part of experience, was excellent again.

REVIEW: FOOD 4,5/5 – SERVICE 5-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4,5/5

Ruoka | Ravintola Copas y Tapas

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Tags: Copas y Tapas, copasytapas, Gramona, tapas, tapas bar, vegetarian
Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas – revisit

24 03 2015

Cupatge d’honor from Pere Ventura

Copas y Tapas downstairs

Copas y Tapas upper dining room

Have visited Copas y Tapas several times before; earlier reviews can be found by using search. Previous visits have been successful, therefore expectations were again high.

Three course dinner costs 46€ including “tapas” plate as starter, main course which can be chosen from 4 alternatives and dessert. 5€ additional payment for meat dishes.

Recommend to choose Menu of the Day because if you choose dishes separately, you pay as much for starter and main course.

But of course you might need some time to make a decision and best way to speed up decision process is to taste some cava for aperitif. Chose Cupatge d’Honor from Pere Ventura. Wine is produced from xarel.lo and chardonnay (30%) grapes. Chardonnay gives some smoothnes and balance to this cava, which I can recommend, if you have chance to taste it.

This time restaurant served for starters Soup, Filled capsicum and Smoked pork.

Soup was warm and tasty, enjoyed it first. Then finished capsicum, which had some delicious shrimp filling. And last smoked pork, which was with add-on’s great experience.

You can choose from four different main courses, which differ almost every day depending on fresh ingredients available. Today alternatives were Duck, Marbled beef (5€ extra), Whitefish and Vegetarian. Chose meat, which was cooked on charcoal grill and whitefish.

With meat was served grilled scrumptious portobello mushrooms and some other enjoyable side dishes. And as you can see from the picture below, ripeness is perfect.

Whitefish was also superb with roots and swamps. And fish was enough big, which is not the fact in all restaurants.

Decided to share 5 pieces of cheese instead of sweet dessert. Only way to remember all tasted cheeses was to ask waiter to write the names down, which he did really quickly, see the list below. Best one was blue cheese type of piece on the right side of plate.

Delicious home-made crispbread should be available in supermarkets, because it was so tasty.

For wine ordered bottle of Torres Vina Sol, which is neutral and easy to drink.

But of course wine lovers must enjoy wines, which pair with food eaten and therefore had glass of Propiedad from Palacios Remondo with the meat. Excellent wine produced from garnacha grapes in the Rioja region.

And with cheeses waiter, or could even say sommelier, chose Nectaria riesling wine from Torres. Not too sweet wine is produced in Chile at Valle de Curico.

Fusion cuisine blends brilliantly best parts of Spanish and Finnish food cultures. Michelin guys should check it for Bib Gourmand label.

Service, really important part of experience, was excellent again. Owner of the restaurant came to shake hands with us after recognizing us, which added extra feeling of being welcomed.

REVIEW: FOOD 4,5/5 – SERVICE 5-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4,5/5

Ruoka | Ravintola Copas y Tapas

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Tags: cava, Copas y Tapas, Finland, Pere Ventura, Restaurant Copas y Tapas, tapas, tapas bar
Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant reviews in Helsinki 2014 – many new restaurants opened, many closed

13 01 2015

It is time to summarize restaurant year 2014 in Helsinki by reijosfood.com!

Many restaurants visited, not enough many, but below you can find reijosfood.com TOP “dozen” ranking of visited restaurants. All reviews are opinions of at least two diners. Bon appetit!

Demo

Demo 14+

Pastor, Rikhards Gastropub, PureBistro and Havis 13,5

Pirate, Copas y Tapas, Strindberg and Ragu 13,00

Gastrobar Emo, Yume and NJK 12,75

Whole list can be found at page “Restaurant reviews – rankings”

Demo proved to be real Michelin star restaurant and took the first place, food and service were perfect.

Pastor with Peruvian cuisine, Rikhards Gastropub and Italian restaurant Ragu were opened 2014, which means that there is still place for good restaurants in Helsinki. But Rikhards informed just recently that they are renewing concept and will reopen in February 2015.

Pastor

Rikhards Gastropub

Ragu

Havis and Pirate offered excellent Christimas Dinner and Christmas Eve experiences and improved rankings a lot due to that. Visited Havis restaurant twice last year.

Havis

Pirate

PureBistro and Gastrobar Emo continue with right path like Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants should be.

PureBistro

Gastrobar Emo

Copas y Tapas has Spanish touch and Yume serves delicious Asian cuisine.

Copas y Tapas

Yume

NJK is summer island restaurant worth to visit due to building and location.

NJK

NJK

From last year TOP list Spis, Muru and Farang were not visited but need to do that 2015! Already hungry?

————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

2013 rankings were (*restaurant has closed):

1. Spis 13,50

2. Gastrobar Emo and Grotesk Winebar* 13,25

3. Glogatan 4*, Meche* and Muru 13,00

4. Farang 12,75

Year 2012 results can be found from blog page Restaurant reviews – rankings.

Thanks for following my blog, commenting posts and liking at least some of them!

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: Bistro, Copas y Tapas, Gastrobar Emo, Helsinki, Travel
Categories : Champagne, Food, Food and Wine, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas – Spanish cuisine by Finnish chef’s

5 10 2014

Copas y Tapas

Copas y Tapas is an independent family-owned business which serves Spanish food and wines with Finnish flavor. Restaurant or actually Tapas Bar is located at Fabianinkatu, close to Senate Square. Dining rooms are on two levels and both areas were booked-up on Saturday evening.

Have visited Copas y Tapas couple of times before; earlier reviews can be found by using search. Previous visits have been successful, therefore expectations were again high.

Actually our experience started 5 minutes after reservation, which was made via TableOnline one week before dinner. We have requested to avoid some ingredients and restaurant chef sent email asking some additional info. That was quick and definately customer friendly.

Three course dinner costs 46€ (not bad) including tapas as starters, main course which can be chosen from 4 alternatives and dessert. 4€ additional payment for one of the meat dishes. Dinner starts with assortment of three tapas. You do not know what you get because restaurant chooses what to offer. But of course you can influence a little bit on it.

This time restaurant served for starters Carrot soup, Filled capsicum and Smoked pork.

First we enjoyed soup which was flavoured with saffron. Very tasty! Next we ate capsicum filled with cream cheese and crayfish, excellent. Pork was accompanied with kohlrabi to lighten up greasiness.

You can choose from four different main courses, which differ almost every day depending on fresh ingredients available. Today alternatives were Duck, Rabbit (4€ extra), Pike- Perch and Vegetarian.

Both enjoyed portions were delicious and healthy, not ruined with potatoes. Rabbit was prepared with two ways, you get fillet and pressed meat. Two sauces, chioggia beet and tomatoes paired well with both meats.

With roasted pike-perch was also chioggia beet, small chanterelles and pear pieces. Correct degree of ripeness made the gusto perfect.

Decided to share 3 pieces of cheese before dessert. Delicious home-made crispbread should be available in supermarkets, because it was so tasty. Cava paired especially well with smelted cheese, no need for port or red wine or other “cheese drinks”. These cheeses were chosen to match with white wines.

For dessert restaurant served Pannacotta with black currant pyre.

Sweet, but not too sweet, dessert ended the dinner nicely. One portion included chocolate pieces and one pistache due to milk in chocolate.

For wine ordered bottle of cava Gramona III Lustros Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2006, which is produced from Xarel-lo (70%) and Macabeo (30%) grapes. Wine is also really dry as it includes only 2 g/l sugar. Must be one of the driest cavas.

Was going to order III Lustros in Malaga in May, but it was finished from the restaurant we visited. Had instead Gramona Imperial Gran Reserva Brut, which includes Chardonnay grapes. In Finland these wines cost at restaurant 40€ more than at restaurant in Malaga, believe or not, because of VAT.

Copas y Tapas is one of the most promising affordable fine dining bistros in Helsinki restaurant scene, especially if you want to have serious discussion about Spanish wines. Fusion cuisine blends brilliantly best parts of Spanish and Finnish food cultures. Michelin guys should check it for Bib Gourmand label.

And selection of Spanish brandies is wide. Tried Torres 20 which tastes more like cognac.

Service, really important part of experience, was excellent again.

REVIEW: FOOD 4+/5 – SERVICE 4+/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4,5/5

http://www.copasytapas.fi/

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Tags: cava, Copas y Tapas, Finland, Restaurant Copas y Tapas, tapas, tapas bar
Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Guide Michelin: Bib Gourmand designated restaurants in Helsinki

14 03 2014

What is Bib Gourmand restaurant?

“The Bib Gourmand designation denotes good cuisine at a reasonable price in a variety of comfort categories. Defined as “Inspectors’ Favorites for Good Value,” Bib Gourmand restaurants offer two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less (tax and gratuity not included), and are often of most value to a city’s residents, who regularly dine in neighborhood restaurants” (source: Guide Michelin)

Restaurants with Bib Gourmand designation 2014 in Helsinki are:

Boulevard Social http://boulevardsocial.fi/en/ (NEW!)

Not visited

Farang https://reijosfood.com/?s=Farang

Gaijin https://reijosfood.com/?s=Gaijin

Emo https://reijosfood.com/?s=Emo (NEW!)

PureBistro https://reijosfood.com/?s=PureBistro

You can find reviews of these restaurants at reijosfood.com via links.

Amazing that first three restaurants are owned by same chef’s, Tomi Björk and Matti Wiberg. They have just opened 4th restaurant Bronda, which will be reviewed by Restaurant and Wine epicure (reijosfood) in April. Maybe next year it will be designated as Bib Gourmand restaurant?

Emo and PureBistro are partly owned by Michelin star restaurant chef’s; Emo is little sister for Olo and PureBistro for Luomo.

Grotesk and Solna lost their Bib Gourmand designations.

Conclusion:

Would say that at least 3 of the designated restaurants have earned to be on the list; Emo, Farang and PureBistro. Now that Michelin Guide have chosen 3 “ethnic” kitchens, Yume could replace Gaijin. But as it is owned by Kämp Group not by chef’s, it might be obstacle. There are also some other restaurants which could be designated like Copas y Tapas, Meche or Spis, see reviews at reijosfood.com.

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: Boulevard Social, Copas y Tapas, Emo, Farang, food, Gaijin, Guide Michelin, Helsinki, Michelin guide, PureBistro, restaurant, Spis, Yume
Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel

Wine reviews: Gramona Xarel-lo and Cordillera Carignan

6 01 2013

This wine review is based on recommendation for cheeses by Copas y Tapas waiter when we had dinner there just before Christmas. Being conservative, cheeses need port wine or similar, this food and wine pairing was pleasant surprise.

After asking for sweet wine with the cheeses, which restaurant did not have, we were suggested to try wine from Gramona with Xarel-lo grape and Cordillera with Carignan grape by Miguel Torres (Chile).

Torres should be quite familiar to everyone but Gramona was unfamiliar to me. Gramona is family owned 125 year old wine yard in Penedes producing cavas and wines. Tasted wine comes from Font Jui site. Gramona also uses riesling in one of they white wines.

Because we were not so sure if red wine or dry white wine would be more suitable, decided to taste both.

THE LOOK

Gramona’s red wine was dark ruby red with hints of purple on the edges. Cordillera white wine was light yellow, close to gold.

THE NOSE

Gramona’s bouqet was quite sweet for dry white wine, some pieces of white fruits. Cordillera was warm and dense aroma reminiscent of spices and forests.

THE FLAVOUR

Most important thing was the perfect paring with the cheeses. If tasted separately these wines might feel too modest although they might be ok also separately.

Gramona had white fruit and some oak barrel taste. Sustained tartness, and pleasantly sharp white fruit finish with lasting aftertaste. Cordillera’s barrel ageing had added touches of vanilla and smoke. Although wine is quite strong, alcohol did not taste through.

We had Assortment of 5 cheeses: Manchego, Comte, Livarot, Gruyrere goat cheese and Ossay-Iraty. None of the cheeses were over salty or too greasy which were base for a perfect match to the wines. If one of the cheeses would have been blue cheese or really strong and greasy, more deep wine might have been needed.

Facts and figures (Gramona):

Total acidity 4.6 g/l
Alcohol content 11.5% Vol.
Reducing sugars <; 2 g/l

Facts and figures (Cordillera):

Alcohol:	14 t-%
Extract:	33 g/l
Acidity:	5,5 g/l
Energy:	90 kcal/100 ml (380 kJ/100 ml)

These recommendations prove that restaurant Copas y Tapas service is professional also when it comes to wines. 4+ comes from pairing to cheeses. Note, Cordillera Carignan should be available at Alko.

REVIEW: OVERALL GRADE 4+/5 – BANG FOR THE BUCK ++ / +++

http://www.gramona.com/web/es/productos/vinos/xarello.html

http://www.torres.es/wps/portal/tch/vinosdetalle_en?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/WebPublicaTorresChile/en/MenuPrincipal/Vinos/-ListadoVinos/CordilleraDetalle&tipo=Type&variedad=Grape%20Variety&premios=Awards&maridajes=Food%20matching&cata=Tasting%20notes&param=&paramvinos=Merlot,Carignan,Syrah

https://reijosfood.com/2012/12/21/restaurant-review-copas-y-tapas-2/

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Tags: Copas y Tapas, Cordillera Carignan, Gramona Xarel-lo, Miguel Torres
Categories : Restaurant, Wine

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas

21 12 2012

Second visit to restaurant Copas y Tapas prepared us to our winter vacation to Spain. First time at the restaurant was great when it came to food and service. Because of these important facts restaurant was placed high in Restaurant and wine review ranking list. Also therefore expectations were high.

https://reijosfood.com/2012/09/08/restaurant-review-copas-y-tapas/

Novelty is that restaurant has started co-operation with Chef Sami Tallberg, maybe one step forward to chase Michelin star? Some adjustments for echoing was also made regarding to restaurant website.

Dinner starts with assortment of three, four or five tapas, depending on hunger. As we were going to eat main courses, 3 tapas seemed to be enough as last time. You do not know what you get because restaurant chooses what to offer; but of course you can influence on it.

Hot capsicum (sweet pepper) soup, Filled capsicum and Pork neck mousse on rye bread. Recommendation was to start with hot soup which was good and suitably salty. Next ate filled capsicum which was filled with cream cheese and crayfish, excellent. Overripe organic pork neck mousse was scrumptious. Could have eaten 5 of them. On top of tapas were two pieces of licorice which suited well for salty mousse. (NOTE, only soup was changed from last visit)

You can choose from four different main courses which differ almost every day depending on fresh ingredients available. Today alternatives were Marble steak, Rooster, Pike Perch and Vegetable portion. Chose Rooster with carrot, zucchini and orange sauce and Pike Perch with beetroots, zucchini and parsnip pyre. Rooster was a little it over cooked, otherwise simple and delicious portion. Pike perch needed salt but otherwise portion was great.

For dessert ordered Assortment of 5 cheeses: Manchego, Comte, Livarot, Gruyrere goat cheese and Ossay-Iraty. Excellent combination! When it comes to NOSE Livarot was most tempting. But all cheeses were excellent, even Manchego which might be quite ordinary.

BUT, recommendation of wines was so interesting it needs other blog because both white and red wines were not sweet!

Copas y Tapas will be one of the rising stars at Helsinki restaurant area, especially if you want to have serious discussion about Spanish wines. And selection of Spanish brandies is wide. Service. really importantpart of esxperience, was excellent again!

REVIEW: FOOD 4/5 – SERVICE 4,5/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4/5

http://www.copasytapas.fi/

Comments : 7 Comments »
Tags: Copas y Tapas, Manchego, Pike Perch, rooster, Sami Tallberg, tapas
Categories : Restaurant, Wine

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas

8 09 2012

Restaurant Copas & Tapas started at Esplanad but luckily their previous landlord decided to use all premises by themselves. Means that you can always sit on half empty terrace at Cafe Aschan. But if you want to taste delicious tapas or even dine prepare to book table beforehand. Restaurant is not so easy to find but it is worth it.

You can choose Tapas assortment of 3, 4 or 5 tapas and continue with main course. This time daily selection were whitefish, duck or black angus steak prepared on “horno brasa”. Means charcoal grill. For dessert assortment of 3, 4 or 5 cheeses or sweets. Most of the wines come from Torres wineyards including 20 and 30 year old Torres brandies.

For tapas got Zucchini soup, Filled capsicum and Pork neck mousse on rye bread. Recommendation was to start with cold soup which was good and suitably salty. Next ate capsicum which was filled with cream cheese and crayfish, excellent. Overripe organic pork neck mousse was scrumptious. Could have eaten 5 of them. On top of tapas were two pieces of licorice which suited well for salty mousse.

Chose for main courses Whitefish with fennel pyre, beurre blanc sauce, season vegetables and chantarelles. Asked one portion without milk products and restaurant managed to meet the request perfectly serving fish with sweet pepper sauce. Both portions were delicious, would say achieved gourmet level. Fennel pyre was relish, onions so sweet and it always makes difference when food is prepared on charcoal grill.

Would say that service was also admirable. Lots of useful information about portions, wines and brandies.

Copas y Tapas is not traditional Spanish tapas restaurant because it uses Finnish foodstuff and also tapas are prepared partly Finnish way. What makes it extraordinary are fresh tapas which are prepared at the restaurant. With some modifications to the dining room (too much echo), it will be one of the most successful concepts.

REVIEW: FOOD 4,5/5 – SERVICE 5-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4+

http://www.copasytapas.fi/

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Tags: black angus, brandy, Copas y Tapas, Miguel Torres, Pork, tapas, Torres, Whitefish
Categories : Restaurant, Wine

Reijosfood

Copas y Tapas – Finnish food & Spanish wines

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas – revisit 2016

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas – revisit

Restaurant reviews in Helsinki 2014 – many new restaurants opened, many closed

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas – Spanish cuisine by Finnish chef’s

Wine reviews: Gramona Xarel-lo and Cordillera Carignan

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas

Restaurant review: Copas y Tapas

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