Hotel Inari Restaurant & Cafe @ Inari, Finland

After a morning of “bucket list” activities at the Inari Reindeer Farm (riding reindeer in the snow forest! ), we were famished. It was still only mid-morning, but after all the hiking around in sub-zero temps, we all wanted a hot, filling lunch. We knew we were in the right place and followed Tripadvisor’s advice to visit one of the top-rated restaurants in town. We ended up at Hotel Inari Restaurant & Café.

Tripadvisor pegged Hotel Inari Restaurant as one of the top 5 restaurants in Inari and 4-stars with over 100 reviews. When you visit the Tripadvisor page, the photos look promising and we had a feeling we might be in for a nice, warming lunch after our snowy morning hike. As you might have noticed by now, we generally trust online reviews but take them with a grain of salt. In fact, we purposely go out of our way to visit places with either a lot of online reviews or *very* few reviews. Our motto is “trust but verify” because sometimes things that look good online may not measure up and sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised. For this visit, the reviews on TripAdvisor were on point.

We walked into Hotel Inari and were immediately impressed by the comfortable, warm decor and spacious dining room. It is stylishly minimalist, Scandi style with lots of soft lighting and big windows. We were also seated near the window, so our lunch came with views of the frozen Lake Inari and it was one of the many things we liked about Hotel Inari Restaurant.

Hotel Inari also had the thoughtful touch of providing a place to hang your winter jacket. It’s one of those things that you don’t even think of in warm countries like Singapore, but it’s *very* necessary in Lapland! Don’t want to eat your lunch with snow-damp coats hanging on your chairs!

One more thing we loved? The table setting and linens were just right. Minimalist but still cozy and homey, with polished cutlery, white linen napkins, and fresh flowers on each table. It just feels more like a special occasion, romantic bistro than a hotel restaurant. We’ve found this to be true all over Finland and most of Europe: even the more humble or casual restaurants always make you feel like your meal is special, even if it’s just a quick breakfast sandwich.

Lunchtime on a Winter’s Day

Notice the low light in the photos? That’s because we were seated at 12 noon and it looked like twilight. Daylight in the North of Finland in the winter is quite literally half a day; you get about 4 to 5 hours of sunlight. It feels so surreal to live and work like this, but you really *feel* the seasons here. Like seriously, at noon the sun barely gets above the horizon.

You can see in the pics above that we chose the buffet lunch and it seems to be their default mid-day menu. The buffet was not large, but it had everything you’d want in a good hot buffet lunch for a hearty, warming meal. As for quality and taste? Very good for hotel-style food.

Braised Chicken Breast in a nice brown gravy

Steamed Veggies (broccoli and carrots) & White Rice (carbs for comfort, right?)

Salad bar with lettuce, corn, tomatos, cabbage, and dressing

Fresh cakes for dessert

Simple hot drinks station with coffee, tea, and hot water

We were a little skeptical at first. The buffet looked pretty basic compared to other hotel buffets in major cities. And we’re certainly used to gourmet, fine dining here in Singapore.

The first bite was surprisingly good! Braised chicken breast is normally quite dry if you order this from a buffet, but this chicken was tender and juicy, perfectly cooked with a nice gravy to soak up. We were really pleasantly surprised! It paired nicely with the steamed veggies and the rice (we’re not gluten-free and we like our carbs). It was filling and hearty and comforting after our snowy hike.

The salad bar was simple but fresh and crisp and there was a decent selection of dressings. Dessert was the cakes—moist and just sweet enough and clearly made fresh that day.

Coffee and tea were included, and we also had time to relax and enjoy hot drinks. You won’t be rushed out of this restaurant; the service was friendly and warm and unhurried.

Prices in Inari are a bit cheaper than other cities in Finland (compared to Helsinki, even Rovaniemi was more expensive). This probably has something to do with being a remote, touristy village. I feel like dining prices in remote, tourist towns tend to be lower because the margins are higher and the customers are captive.

Still, lunch for two was about €15–€18 per person which we thought was reasonable given the food quality, service, view of Lake Inari, and relaxing atmosphere. In a touristy place like Inari with limited options, the Restaurant at Hotel Inari was also a good balance of price, proximity, and coziness.

Feeling full and with our hands warmed up from hot tea and coffee, we headed outside to explore. Hotel Inari is located on a main road, so it’s a convenient stop for both locals and visitors.

Immediately opposite is a K-Market, where you can stock up on snacks before heading out on your next adventure. Chocolate bars, fruit, instant coffee, water, and souvenirs (yes, you can find genuine Lapland souvenirs there too! ).

The area is also easy to walk around in, and it’s quiet. You can enjoy a short stroll if you are so inclined and need a breather, bundled up of course. Snowflakes had started to fall by this time, so the whole scene was pretty postcard-worthy.

Goodbye Hotel Inari, till we meet again. Off we go … to our next destination.

Bottom Line: Recommended to Visitors in Inari

Hotel Inari Restaurant & Café is not a gourmet restaurant. It doesn’t pretend to be and isn’t trying to compete on taste or innovation. It is a cozy, comfortable local hotel with good food and warm service. It was exactly what we needed to relax after a morning of reindeer sleigh-rides and hiking through snowy woods. Everything from the short wait for our food, to the generous portions, to the table setting and decor details, we felt this restaurant in Inari was worth a visit, especially if you are looking for lunch.

If you’re coming to Inari, Finland for Lapland winter fun or northern lights, put Hotel Inari Restaurant & Café on your list and book a table. It’s a good option for lunch in Inari.

Getting to Hotel Inari Restaurant & Cafe

Address: Inarintie 40, 99870 Inari, Finland