Finland, the country that keeps topping the world happiness rankings, has decided what its lonely hearts need: dinner with strangers, candlelight, and a lot of very good food. Visit Finland is flying in 16 singles from around the world for blind dinner dates as part of its 'Have Some Finnish' campaign.
The set-up runs from 9 to 19 February 2026, with two separate dinners of eight guests each, hosted in Helsinki and Tampere. Each event is a four-day culinary trip built around one of Finland's official tasting menus, launched earlier this year. In Helsinki, the menu comes from Adele Kinnunen, head chef at the much-loved Café Savoy; in Tampere, chef Henry Tikkanen is crafting his own version.
The idea is to sell Finland as a food destination that flies under the radar compared with France, Italy or Spain. Finnish cooking leans on wild fish and game, plus berries and mushrooms foraged from the country's forests. Visit Finland also namechecks sauna food traditions as part of the story – a side of Finnish culture most visitors never encounter. Heli Jimenez, senior director of international marketing at Business Finland, frames it simply: food is how Finns connect to place, season and each other, and travellers are now being invited into that.
Getting a seat is not exactly easy. Single applicants need to submit a short video answering one question: what would you serve on a dinner date, and why? Applications close at 10am on 10 November, with winners announced on 1 December. No word yet on whether any of the 16 have actually coupled up by dessert.
Even if you don't make the cut (or the dating part doesn't stick), the campaign is a useful nudge. Finland's capital has a quietly strong restaurant scene – Café Savoy alone is worth the flight for its ornate dining room and Nordic cakes – and Tampere, an industrial city turned foodie favourite, is an easy train ride from Helsinki. Late winter is also prime season for cosy tasting menus after a day of saunas and frozen lakes. Worst case, you leave having eaten extremely well. Best case, you leave with a plus-one for next year's trip.
