The Kämp Hotel is situated on the Pohjoisesplanadi in central Helsinki. The venue’s bar itself is decadently Old World in style, but exceptionally modern in terms of its drinks and delivery. The martini itself was exceptionally well prepared, and the vessel it was served in was unlike anything I have ever seen before.

The Setting

The Kämp Hotel was built in the 1880s and served as a hub for socialising and stylish stays for many a year.

Much of the building has been reconstructed and part of it was still being refurbished when I visited, although this did not impact my experience. The building also still retains its original glory with its garnet coloured wooden and marble interior.

The Vibe

Despite being located in a hotel, a lot of the crowd were Finnish, but it’s also popular with the international crowd, including expats, tourists and even visiting celebrities including Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and Lady Gaga to name a few. It was busy and lively, with the gentle hubbub serving as a soft backing soundtrack.

I took a seat by the bar itself – the theatrical front row of the nightly performance. And it’s a great show – the staff are highly professional and they’ve got a visually engaging repertoire of drinks to prepare. I got a viewing of designer ice cubes, sprays of glittering bitters, glasses served on polished stems of gnarly wood, and an endless array of tinctures and flourishes.

Service

The staff are smartly dressed, but rigged up with microphones and ear pieces. This is a well-oiled machine, old-style on the outside but extremely efficient underneath. What else to expect from a premier Finnish location. I was quickly seated, attended to and offered the menu.

They have a wide range of spirits and cocktails, but martinis aren’t on the menu. Given the quality of the martini they went on to serve me, I am shocked that it isn’t officially on offer. Either way, upon requesting the drink I was assured that it was absolutely possible. I was then asked all the reassuring questions: dry, lemon, olive etc

The Preparation

The drink was made with Tanqueray N⁰ Ten and Cucielo vermouth from Torino. Beautiful choices and a lovely combination.

It was also stirred with ice rather than shaken or stored in the freezer a la Duke’s.

Lemon peel was carefully sprayed into the drink and the peel was shaped and skewered on a toothpick.

The Goblet

Behold the star of the show.

Rather than glassware, the drink was pewter-ware. I have never seen anything like it on my martini journey. The stem was detachable and more of a stand, branded with Tanqueray. The martini was poured into the coupe, and the coupe was gently placed on the stand. The pewter had been stored in the freezer so was delightfully cold to touch.

It felt a little strange having to grasp the drink by the coupe and lift it from the stand rather than holding it from the stem as normal.

Presumably holding it by the stem would’ve resulted in some sort of high profile disaster.

Acoutrements

The martini was also served alongside complimentary water, stuffed olives and roasted peanuts. This is top ten martini service.

Conclusion

All in all, this was a delightful drink in a sumptuous setting. It was old school in preparation, delivered with professional care and excellence and the drinking vessel was a grand, almost playful touch. At only 17 Euros for such a combination of service, snacks and the silver bullet this is martini socialism at its best. I absolutely recommend this venue if you’re in Helsinki.

Kippis!