Luis Mariño arrived in Finland together with his wife Hanna in 2005. They met in Madrid where she was doing her university exchange. Luis sold everything in Spain and moved with her to Finland, starting his life from zero. He had some restaurant work experience as he had worked extra shifts in restaurants in Spain and began dreaming of becoming a chef.

He started studying at Perho Culinary School and continued his studies at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences because he wanted to establish his own business. That dream came true when he found a charming space in Harjutori, Kallio, and established Cafelito, which was closed for some time but has now been revived in a new location. Currently, he runs the tapas and wine restaurant Vinolito and Cafelito, both operating smoothly. Luis is more than happy with his life and business in Finland.

The biggest challenge?

I know it’s a cliché, but the language. Finnish is something else because it’s not like any Latin language. I find it complicated to learn, and the other challenge is that everybody speaks English
here, so you don’t really have to learn the language even if you wanted to.

What do you hope for the future?

I hope I can stay in Finland for the rest of my working life at least. I have family, I have two kids, I have a dog, I have a house, I have the whole package here. I like living in Helsinki since it’s a small city, but you can find everything here. I love cycling around Helsinki and don’t miss living in a big city like Madrid.

Best customer feedback?

Many people say that when they come to Vinolito or Cafelito, they feel like they’re abroad. I like it because we try to create a certain atmosphere with a Spanish vibe, music, and friendly service.

Best Spanish dishes?

I always remember my mom’s dishes and one of my favorites is very simple: french fries
(not frozen ones) with fried eggs. I also love lentil stew, which is a classic dish in Spain, and paella. I like paella because it’s a great opportunity to gather friends and family to make the dish together.

The strangest Finnish dish?

The strangest Finnish food is läskisoosi. I cooked it at Perho once, and it was so fatty and terrible. And Mämmi for sure. When my wife Hanna was living in Madrid, her parents came to visit during the Easter holiday and they brought Mämmi. When I saw it, I thought, “My God, what is this?”. Nowadays, I like it with cream.

Further reading: Hello, Suomi! Working in Finland: Greek waiter Christos Ghiotsis likes the straightforward culture

Further reading: Hello, Suomi! Working in Finland: Thai chef likes experimenting with Finnish ingredients

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