I like that Yelp can give you a history of a place. A shame that A21 closed down two years ago but I see they're having a go with a new concept (and same name, A21). When we went in 2013, it was a wonderful and memorable experience. The idea of a menu paired with cocktails sounded dangerous, both in terms of the amount of alcohol consumed (and I was feeling tipsy two-thirds of the way through) but also whether the typical sweetness of a cocktail could be matched with a variety of foods. The problem was solved with a light touch and a bent towards the savoury. A sauvignon blanc laced with saffron and a hint of white vermouth had no hint of sugar. The use of dark Chinese tea as a flavour touch for two of the drinks was also an example of giving depth and earthiness to the libations. There was a carefully constructed bridge of flavours between the drinks and food - and I had to admit that mixing an expert cocktail takes more effort, which I appreciated, than pouring a glass of wine, no matter how exquisite that wine is. And the concept was really, really fun. A menu with glossy photos and the story of a walk in the woods, and getting lost, matched with say, a mushroom course. In the meantime, the waiter gave us a really interesting insight into Finnish dining. At the time, he explained that Finnish companies had previous allowed employees to write off meals and were stopping, so they're challenge at the time was to increase the 20% of their business that were private customers up to 100%. He lamented that Finns would rather eat at a Mexican or Chinese restaurant than support the idea of Finnish cuisine. He deplored the Finnish attitude of drinking as much as you can one night of the week to get drunk and the cocktail bar had the mission to change the way Finns drink, to enjoy a drink in moderation but on more than one night of the week! This also applied to eating out: not just on birthdays or special occasions. It was really was an interesting and special night, and I hope they succeeded in their mission in the years they were open after our visit, before switching to this new cocktail bar! Which I'd love to try (and visit Helsinki again: what a great city!). read more