Private dining in Oulu can mean a board dinner for six at a bay window, or a celebration for a hundred guests across two combined halls. At De Gamlas Hem, a protected wooden art nouveau villa completed in 1906 in the Heinäpää district near the city centre, both are cooked in the house’s own kitchen and arranged through one sales contact.
This guide is for anyone planning private dining in Oulu from abroad: which room suits which group, how the group menus work, what Finnish menu letters mean, and a few habits around toasts.
Private dining in Oulu in the F19 cabinet
F19 is an 11 m² downstairs cabinet by a bay window, near the lobby. It seats 6 to 8, which suits a board dinner, a family milestone or a quiet conversation.
The name comes from the house’s own history. During the Winter War, the Swedish volunteer air wing F19 stayed in this house, and its fighter pilots lived under this roof. The house story tells the rest.
Like every meeting room in the house, F19 has a screen, a whiteboard or flipchart and Wi-Fi, so a short presentation before dinner is easy to arrange.
What to eat in F19
Dinner from the evening restaurant can be eaten in F19 with no room charge. The evening restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday from 15.00 to 21.00, and the kitchen serves from 15.00 to 20.00. The menu is relaxed and reasonably priced: pinsas at €9, the Hemmetin juustoburgeri (a double cheeseburger) and Kala ja ranskikset (fish and chips) at €18 each, a Caesar salad with alder-smoked salmon or breaded chicken at €16, warm halloumi with roasted beetroot at €14 and, for the table to share, loaded fries with smoked reindeer and lingonberry mayonnaise at €10. The wine list is linked from the evening restaurant page.
For a more festive meal the house also has group menus. Their minimum billing is 15–50 guests depending on the room, so ask the sales team whether a group menu can be arranged for a party of F19’s size.
F19 is booked through the sales team at sales@degamlashotel.fi or +358 75 325 7605. If your party does not need a room of its own, you can book a table online in the evening restaurant.
Larger groups: Charlotta, Ester, Regina and the restaurant hall
Once your group is larger than eight, private dining in Oulu moves to one of the halls. They are named after the house’s residents: Charlotta Rinaldi, the artist Ester Tuominen, and Regina “Ina” Liljeqvist, an early professional photographer.
Charlotta (47 m², up to 25 guests) has a view of Kyösti Kallion puisto. There is no room fee when catering is ordered for 15 or more.
Ester and Regina (60 m² each, up to 40 guests each) carry no room fee from 20 guests.
Ester and Regina combined (120 m², up to 100 guests) carry no room fee from 50 guests. This suits a wedding or a company celebration.
The restaurant hall (up to 40 guests) has a terrace in summer. If you are considering it for a private event, ask the sales team about availability and terms.
Room-only hire is available on request, and every space is listed with its size on the facilities page.
How group menus work
For larger groups, private dining in Oulu at De Gamlas Hem means choosing from the house’s group menus. The whole party orders one menu, special diets are plated separately, and the minimum billing is between 15 and 50 guests depending on the room.
The Menu de Syys-talvi (autumn–winter) is €58 per person, with salad starters, a main course of roasted arctic char or slow-cooked beef cheek, yogurt panna cotta and coffee. The sales team will confirm the menu details with your quote.
There are also three buffets: de Keitto (€42) with salmon soup or a creamy game soup, de Salaatti (€38) and de Kana (€29). For drinks options and prices, ask the sales team when you choose the menu.
Reading the allergen letters
Finnish menus mark dietary information with letters. The evening restaurant’s menu uses these:
- L – lactose-free
- G – gluten-free
- V – vegan
- V* – available vegan
- M* – available dairy-free
The menu also marks some dishes (G*), meaning available gluten-free. No dish on the current evening menu is marked V, so vegan guests should ask the staff.
Collect guests’ dietary needs with the RSVPs and send them in early. When you know the date and roughly how many people are coming, ask the sales team for a quote at sales@degamlashotel.fi or +358 75 325 7605.
Occasions for private dining in Oulu
A private dinner is usually tied to an occasion, and the occasion tends to decide the room.
Board and client dinners. F19 fits a board of six to eight; Charlotta suits a larger client dinner. If the evening follows a working day, the meeting packages run on weekdays from 8.00 to 16.00, and a meeting package also brings 15 % off the room day rate.
Anniversaries and birthdays. A wedding anniversary for close family fits the cabinet; a larger family gathering fits Charlotta or Ester and Regina.
A small karonkka. A doctoral defence in Finland ends with the karonkka, a dinner in honour of the opponent on the evening of the defence, typically a three-course table-served menu with drinks. For the innermost circle F19 is enough; Charlotta suits a karonkka of up to 25. The karonkka guide explains the rest.
Small weddings. When a couple celebrates with only witnesses and close family, the cabinet or Charlotta is enough. The house has its own wedding buffet at €65 per person, including a wedding cake made to order, and planning meetings are unlimited. See meetings and events for more.
Toasts and speeches: Finnish dinner etiquette in brief
These habits are common rather than compulsory. The usual toast is kippis, and at a more formal dinner the host often opens with a short welcome toast; it is polite to wait for it before starting on your glass.
Speeches often come between courses, and the room listens in silence. If you are planning speeches, tell the sales team in advance when they will happen, so that service can be timed around them. Invitations usually state a dress code, and punctuality is appreciated.
Staying the night after dinner
When a dinner runs late, the journey home can wait until morning. The house has 22 hotel rooms: 16 in the 1906 main building, with its original protected room layout, and 6 in the courtyard building, which has its own entrance on the parking side. The breakfast buffet and five o’clock tea are included for every hotel guest, and check-out is at 12.00.
For hosts or a couple, the 23 m² suite has a 200 cm bed; for families, connecting Queen+ rooms are available. Both can be arranged directly with reception. If several guests are staying, ask the sales team about room rates with your quote. See all rooms, or book your room directly.
Getting there
De Gamlas Hem is at Kirkkokatu 54, 90120 Oulu, in the Heinäpää district near the city centre. Whether you arrive at Oulu railway station or Oulu Airport, put the address into your map app for current routes and travel times. The house has its own parking area on the courtyard side; ask about parking when booking.
The house is a protected 1906 building and is not fully accessible, so mention any mobility needs in your enquiry. For the rest of your visit, VisitOulu collects the city’s events and sights.
Frequently asked questions about private dining in Oulu
How many people fit in the F19 cabinet? F19 is 11 m² and seats 6 to 8. Dinner from the evening restaurant can be eaten there with no room charge, and the cabinet is booked through the sales team.
Is there a room fee for a private dinner? Charlotta has no room fee when catering is ordered for 15 or more. Ester and Regina have no room fee from 20 guests, and the two combined from 50.
How much do the group menus cost? The Menu de Syys-talvi is €58 per person. The buffets are €42 (de Keitto), €38 (de Salaatti) and €29 (de Kana). The sales team confirms the details with your quote.
How are allergies and special diets handled? The whole party orders one menu, and special diets are plated separately. Send them to the sales team well before the dinner.
Book private dining in Oulu
An enquiry for private dining in Oulu needs five things: the date, the approximate number of guests, the occasion, the kind of menu you have in mind and any special diets. If guests need rooms, say so. For a dinner on a day other than Wednesday to Saturday, ask the sales team what is possible.
- A dinner for 6–8 in F19, group dinners and group menus: sales@degamlashotel.fi, +358 75 325 7605
- A table in the evening restaurant: table booking online, or reception at info@degamlashotel.fi, +358 75 325 7600
- Rooms: book directly with the hotel
- All contact details: contact page
