From a dream to a brasserie – restaurant Rue Madame

The Rue Madame restaurant on Helsinki's Northern Planard has become a talking point for the city's residents. The restaurant began with a dream and two entrepreneurs' interest in food, restaurants, and experiences. 

Rue Madame's entrepreneurs, Noora Hautakangas and her entrepreneurial partner Eero Ukkonen, are known for their successful second-hand and café concept Relove. 

The story of Rue Madame began with an idea that had been with them for a long time. Hautakangas and Ukkonen, who love food, are used to thinking about the world through concepts and visiting restaurants a lot. Over the years, the dream of having their own restaurant had emerged.

– You should always have dreams and aspirations. And sometimes it's worth saying them out loud, Hautakangas reminds us.

The idea for a restaurant was materialized, half-accidentally, from a dream I had expressed out loud about a commercial space located on Pohjoisesplanadi. This began a project that would take the next two years.

The right atmosphere right away

When Hautakangas first stepped into the space on Pohjoisesplanadi, he immediately felt the place had potential. The space had previously been used as a bag shop, which meant that almost everything would have to be built from scratch for the restaurant. Yet there was something about the space that immediately convinced him.
 

– We knew that we would have to undergo a massive renovation, with ventilation and everything. But as soon as we entered the space, we got the feeling that there was a really good vibe and energy here, Hautakangas describes. 

Light flooded in from the large windows, and the space had original marble columns. The location along the street also seemed perfect. At the same time, there was a lot of interesting happening in the area: new restaurants had opened on the street, and the restaurant culture was picking up again.

– It's wonderful that Espa is flourishing again. I think it's great that there are so many of us restaurant operators there and together we can attract more and more people to the city center.

All-day brasserie 

The concept of the restaurant was clear from the start: Rue Madame wanted a brasserie-style restaurant. The culture is essentially that the place is open from morning to night, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. The idea is that the restaurant can be entered at any time of the day with a low threshold.

– We want to keep the price point relatively low. My hope for Finnish food culture is that it doesn't always have to be a holiday or weekend when you go out. We want to get people to the restaurant on a regular Sunday and Monday too.

Franco-Italian heart

Rue Madame's food emphasizes seasonal, high-quality ingredients and local producers. The all-day menu has been kept fairly concise; its scope is determined by the capacity of the restaurant's compact kitchen. 

The cuisine is based on French-Italian food culture. This is reflected not only in the food products but also in the wine selection, which is largely based around these countries. However, Rue Madame does not want to be too strict with its definitions.

– We have a truly multicultural kitchen staff, and I think it's wonderful that they get to use their own strengths and bring their own culture and feel to the food and drinks. It's been great to see that they are also very inspired by it, Hautakangas rejoices.

Rue Madame's interior design has become one of its most recognizable features. It was inspired by Parisian hotels and brasseries in particular. The color scheme draws from the building itself, its history, and the tones of the facade.

– The goal was to create a warm and inviting space with lots of materials, colors, and layers. I also wanted to use a lot of handmade details, Hautakangas says. 

A nerve-wracking renovation

The journey from idea to finished restaurant was not easy. The renovation ended up being much more challenging than expected.

For example, the kitchen floor had been poured incorrectly to begin with. This meant that both the floor and the equipment that had already been installed had to be dismantled and rebuilt. And the kitchen wasn't the only part of the restaurant where structures had to be rebuilt.

– I could write a book about that renovation, Hautakangas says.

In the design and implementation of kitchen equipment, cooperation with Metos was crucial to ultimately completing the project..

– Regarding the kitchen, I have to say a big thank you to Metos for the skill with which we put the whole thing together. We received a lot of sparring help from them in a challenging project. The job was completed with flexible and easy cooperation.

Rue Madame opened its doors in the summer of 2025. A restaurant was born from a single dream spoken out loud, and its ambiance has been enjoyed by groups of women, business lunchers, and couples alike.