Built in 1911 in the very heart of Helsinki, the Helsinki Stock Exchange building has a colourful history. Over the decades the majestic stone building has witnessed key moments in Finland’s history and the development of the nation’s business and restaurant culture.

Stock exchange trading in Finland began in the 1860s. At first, market activities were unorganised and lacked a regular venue, with trading taking place in premises including the House of Nobility and Hotel Kleineh, which was located at the eastern end of the building that is now Helsinki City Hall.

In 1907, prominent merchants Julius Tallberg and Viktor Ek joined forces with a few fellow businessmen and bought a piece of land in Fabianinkatu Street to house the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Leading Finnish architect Lars Sonck was invited to design the building, which is now regarded as one of his finest works and one of the most impressive examples of Finland’s 20th century Art Nouveau architecture.

In addition to the members-only Helsinki Bourse Club, the building has always housed other restaurants too. The first to open in 1911 was Grand Restaurant Börs or Pörssi - Finnish for Stock Exchange – to the locals. Over the years, Pörssi hosted hundreds of parties and special events. An interesting historical curiosity was the public party that took place in 1917 – on the eve of Finland’s independence from Russia – to celebrate the return of a leader in the Finnish independence movement PE Svinhufvud from Siberia where he had been deported.

Grand Restaurant Börs was one of the highest-class restaurants in the city, hosting cabarets, concerts and other performances. It was the venue for Helsinki leaders’ and high society’s parties, although after 1917 cabarets and other performances by artists gradually became impossible to organise due to high entertainment taxes and the Prohibition Act, but in the 1920s restaurant life began to flourish once again.

The restaurant also catered for royal visitors and other highly esteemed guests. In 1925, the entire city went wild with excitement when King Gustavus V of Sweden paid a state visit to Finland. Hosted by President Lauri Kristian Relander, the visit was a major event and the venue for the official ball was – of course – Pörssi. High-society ladies had gowns made locally or even abroad especially for the event, and although there were not enough tickets for everyone, the ball was a success. The menu was the height of sophistication and the cream of Helsinki society danced until three o’clock in the morning.

The days of Grand Restaurant Börs lasted until 1938, which is when it was renamed Adlon and opened under new ownership. For decades, Adlon kept up the restaurant’s tradition as one of Helsinki’s top venues for fine food and entertainment.

Adlon was also a popular location among film crews: many 1930s, 1940s and 1950s classics of Finnish cinema include scenes set in the restaurant. Adlon also staged the Finnish film industry’s annual Jussi Awards Gala 27 times. In 1973, Marlon Brando received – in absentia - the award for best actor in a foreign film.

Adlon’s most famous events were the theatre balls that remained an annual feature for 35 years. Always held on the second Saturday of January, people were practically fighting over tickets to the balls, which always boasted top names such as the opera singers Karita Mattila and Matti Salminen. The programme also included actors and student actors performing revue songs ands other numbers.

A tradition of the ball was the midnight oyster bar hosted by Finland’s favourite acting couple Pentti Siimes and Elina Pohjanpää. The oysters were always flown in fresh from Paris, and raffle tickets were often sold by the legendary actor and heart-throb Tauno Palo, who would also plant kisses on ladies’ hands. Proceeds from the oysters, dinner cards and raffle tickets were donated to fund the construction of an actors’ retirement home in Helsinki. Adlon’s theatre balls are still the subject of fond memories today.

In the late 1960s, Adlon introduced Helsinki to something entirely new: restaurant shows.
Celebrated actors performed in these for season after season – Marjatta Leppänen starred for fifteen consecutive autumns starting from 1968. The premieres were the highlights of the season and saw parades of celebrities with herds of gossip columnists and photographers in their wake.

In 1976, Adlon was acquired by a company headed by leading businesswoman Satu Tiivola, and the premises were renovated in a faithful reproduction of the spirit of Lars Sonck’s original design. What had previously been private rooms were now turned into two new restaurants – the Hungarian-styled Egri and the French-inspired Petit Paris. Evenings at Adlon still featured top Finnish entertainment acts.

In 1986, new owners – a Swedish investment company - turned the restaurant into Café Adlon, a night club and disco catering for a younger set. When its popularity faded a decade later, Adlon was acquired by the Finnish restaurant business, Arctia Ltd, and following extensive refurbishment was opened again as a high-quality à la carte restaurant.

Today Restaurant Pörssi is owned by Royal Ravintolat Ltd, the largest private restaurant company in Finland. In the 21st century, Restaurant Pörssi cherishes the legacy of the magnificent Art Nouveau building that is now more than 90 years old. Restaurant Pörssi is known as a high-quality restaurant for special functions, providing an impressive venue for banquets, corporate events, parties, weddings and other receptions.