Finland for foodies: Aanaar, Inari

The renowned Aanaar restaurant in Inari, the northernmost part of Finland, is quite literally situated in the middle of nowhere. Surprisingly, the chef running the restaurant hails from Riga, Latvia. Davis Sausnitis found himself in Inari six years ago, driven by a desire to move to the most remote place on Earth, and he truly found his happy place in Inari. He loves outdoor life, and Lake Inari is one of the places he frequents with his international crew for fishing trips.

“You need to have a specific mindset to enjoy Lapland!”

Sausnitis was fortunate to work with the previous owner of the award-winning restaurant, Heikki Nikula, for two years. After a brief hiatus, he returned as the head chef of the restaurant, sourcing most of the local ingredients around Aanaar.

“When you dine in our restaurant, you can see our chefs picking berries or wild herbs in the wilderness through the window,” Sausnitis explains.

Aanaar has had new owners since December 2022. Sausnitis is grateful as he now has complete freedom over the food. The kitchen underwent a full renovation, and the feeling is that the food is now much more advanced, or at least more contemporary.

“I have a creative mind. Come to see what we can do in the middle of nowhere! I learned from Heikki to incorporate Sami culture into the food. This attracts both locals and tourists.”

Sausnitis has adopted a sustainable approach to using local ingredients, mostly sourced from a 200–300 km radius. For example, when it comes to reindeer, he tries to utilize as much as possible, including reindeer heart, blood, tongue, liver, and even fat on the menu.

“Those are the parts that mostly go to waste – why wouldn’t we use them? It is annoying to clean them, but you get super-good dishes from them. For example, the reindeer fat I use as seasoning for reindeer steak, as I fry the steak in it.”

All the fish Aanaar gets are from local fishermen. Arctic char and trout are Sausnitis’s favorites. One of his signature dishes is called “Lake.”

“Everything is under ice at the moment. That’s why our fish dish is called Under Ice. This is most important for me: you need to have a story; this is the way to attract people. It might be the most interesting but also the most difficult part of my work.”

Sausnitis highlights his favorite season, which is autumn, because of mushrooms. Matsutake and ceps are just some of the mushrooms he finds in the area.

Meet the chef Davis Sausnitis

The Finnish ingredient which gets your creativity flowing?

Matsutake, angelica, and quark, all separately. One of my favorite combinations is seabuckthorn and spruce powder with quark. Berries are provided by our owners.

The wildest flavor combo you’ve created?

This might not be the wildest try, but I prefer the harmony presented in this portion called “Forest”: reindeer bone marrow pannacotta with smoked reindeer heart, seasoned with lingonberry jam and finished with “snow,” a powder made of reindeer fat.

A song which sets your kitchen on fire

I would rather not play music in the kitchen, but it helps my chefs concentrate, so I let them choose it.

When @AANAAR, taste

Take cocktails at the bar; they are full of amazing wild flavors. Then, I recommend trying our five-course menu; it tells the whole story of Aanaar.

When @INARI, do

Inari is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Depending on when you visit, in the summertime, go for a big hike or take a lake cruise. In wintertime, come and experience the real winter. Also, visit the Sami museum.

Go visit Aanaar

• restaurantaanaar.fi
• Saarikoskentie 2, Inari, Finland