Restaurang Magasinet in Hanko - The Archipelago on a plate

A traditional destination during summer is Restaurang Magasinet in Hanko, this wonderful restaurant situated in an old warehouses in the harbour of Hanko. They serve the best from the sea in every form and shape. Their smorgardsbord - or sea food buffet has been my favourite for years. They put alot of effort in their fish patés and their marinated herring. A new thing this year was a seared salmon, sliced thin served between two very thin slices of rye bread. They always have fresh gravad lax and some smoked salmon. This buffet is best enjoyed with a frozen akvavit and a cold beer.

I also recommend their steak, which is great after weeks out at sea. Magasinet has filled the space with old sea memorabilia, they even have a bow of an old wooden yacht mounted on the wall. This gives the place some depth and ambiance.

The service is friendly, and the atmosphere is laid back. The clientele is primarely sailors, with a mix of locals celebrating important moments. The kitchen is open style bringing the crew in touch with their customers. The pricing is on par with downtown Helsinki making it a bit expensive, but everything taken into account I recommend it, and return as frequently as I can during summer.

Restaurang Magasinet is a member of the Skärgårdsmak project which is a marketing co-operation between restaurants, crafts people all with a love of the Archipelago and its products. Skärgårssmak is a EU project, which I think is well implemented. The idea was simple: create a unified brand and then use it as a quality stamp accross products and services produced in the Archipelago.