Restaurant Salt's premises tell the story of historic Porvoo. The earliest records of the plot and buildings date back to the 1600s. We offer comprehensive lunch and dinner restaurant services in a historical setting.
First Entries from 1657
The earliest information related to the plot and buildings dates back to 1657 when the burgher Erich Kårtson acquired the plot through a trade. However, there has been settlement around Porvoo's church for several centuries earlier. The 1696 land register lists Mattz Bonde and his brother-in-law Mattz Bijstock, along with Jören Lambertzs, as the owners.
From the Famine Years 1696–1697, the Devastation of Porvoo in 1708, and the Great Wrath 1713–1721, when the city was deserted for several years, there is not much information. The 1726 list of burgher plots indicates that the ownership of the plot had transferred to coppersmith Jonas Saxberg and chaplain Paul Krogius. On Saxberg's part of the plot, a cottage had been erected in 1711, along with an old shed and chamber after the war. Krogius' plot, vacant until 1724, had one building constructed, containing two chambers, a kitchen, a shed, a barn, and a stable.
Beginning of the Restaurant's Buildings
The plot, destroyed in the 1760 fire in Porvoo, came into the possession of the Orraeus family. Only in 1780 did mayor and assessor Anders Orraeus build the main building on the plot, along Kirkkotori. This building served as the meeting place for the peasantry at the Porvoo Diet in 1809. Around the same time, a stable, dung shelter, and barn were built as an extension to the main building. These spaces, now renovated into the restaurant's auxiliary rooms, house the kitchen and social facilities. In 1790, a shed and residential building were constructed along Wuorikatu, which today accommodates the restaurant's customer seating.
In the early 1800s, when Assessor Orraeus moved to Turku, the plot with its buildings passed into the possession of Peron. In the 1840s, the plot was owned by watchmaker Wikman, and in the early 20th century, by merchant F.W. Forsman. Since 1908, the plot and property have been owned by the Berglöf-Hornamon family, now in its third generation. Until 1972, the Berglöfs operated a stone quarry on the plot.
Start of Restaurant Operations
The property was renovated in 1977–1978, and Ritva and Pekka Hornamo established a restaurant on the premises. From 2003 to 2012, the restaurant was run by Matti Jussila and Kari Jalava. In October 2012, restaurant operations were transferred to the current owner, Laamanaama Oy. The restaurant managers are Teemu Lehtonen, along with Teemu Laakko and Henri Janson from Fryysarinranta.
Restaurant Salt got its name in 2019. At the same time, the interior was redesigned into its current form, and the Salt concept came to life. The indoor space is divided into two floors, with a beautiful fireplace crowning the atmosphere in both dining rooms. The 80-seat terrace offers stunning views over the rooftops of Porvoo.