Challenge: Transforming dining into collective art

Teller sits in a neighbourhood known for its calm streets, cultural history and long artistic lineage. Töölö has been home to generations of artists, writers and musicians — and to restaurants where iconic names once spent more time than in their own kitchens (has there ever been an artist outside the culinary world who cooks?). From the outset, the goal was to create something that felt like it belonged in this context.

Not a destination restaurant screaming for attention, but a place that feels discovered. The tad mystical place that your friend’s friend has recommended. Or was it your friend’s other friend? The challenge was subtle: how to build an identity that stands out without breaking the spell of the neighbourhood, the mystique, and invites people in without hurrying them through.

Getting the check doesn’t mean the end, but an interlude.

Approach: Warmly radical neighbor 

Rather than beginning with visuals, the work started with feeling. Warmth was the guiding principle — emotional, physical and atmospheric. Evenings that stretch late, tables that don’t rush.

Together, we shaped a brand strategy rooted in hospitality as an act of care. Nordic references were filtered through surrealism and gentle strangeness, allowing the identity to feel familiar but never obvious. Storytelling became the connective tissue — not as narrative explanation, but as a way of framing dining as a lived experience rather than a performance. 

Outcome: A visual world to step into 

The visual identity brings this world to life. A hand-drawn, slightly giddy logo sets the tone, paired with a warm yet whimsical colour palette and hand-drawn illustrations that nod to Töölö’s artistic past. The language feels playful, imperfect and human — never polished for its own sake. 

The whole system leans into the surreal and dreamlike. Illustrations populate Teller with roundtable characters inspired by fables and folklore — perhaps even echoes of those long-gone Töölö artists. Flying dogs, melting clocks and paradise-like landscapes appear throughout, inviting curiosity and wonder. The experience is meant to feel like a journey rather than a single moment. 

The neon butterfly above the entrance winks at you as you enter — and if you can, leave.

Impact: Becoming part of local scene – and scene in general

Since opening, Teller has quickly established itself as more than a neighbourhood favourite. Just six months after opening, Gloria Food & Wine (top notch food mag in Finland) named Teller Finland’s Restaurant of the Year, recognising it as a distinct and escapist dining destination. Shortly after, Helsingin Sanomat ranked Teller number five on Finland’s Best Restaurants 2025 list. 

Grounded in warmth, storytelling and a carefully crafted visual world, Teller has become a place people return to — not only for the food, but for how it feels to be there. A small world within the city, open till late.