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I recently had the chance to visit Oulu. The quirky seaside city is Finland’s fourth-largest and recently crowned the European Capital of Culture for 2026. What I found was a pretty city with a relaxed waterfront, excellent cycling infrastructure, a buzzing creative scene, and a coastal position that makes it the perfect base for exploring those dramatic, often quiet Arctic destinations.
An island called Pikisaari sits about a ten-minute walk from Oulu’s city centre. It once housed tar distilleries and boat builders, but these days locals and tourists come to admire the picturesque seascape and walk the quiet paths. If they’re in the know, they may even wander to the far end of the island to a 1887 building where they’ll find Mallassauna, Oulu: an organic microbrewery blending German beer culture, Finnish sauna traditions, and the slow-paced soul of Hailuoto, a nearby island where the beers are made.
One building, many lives
The building that houses Mallassauna, Oulu dates back to 1887, when it was constructed as storage for a wool company. After the company went bankrupt, the building lived several lives: as a brewery, a T-shirt printing facility, and later, a school – and one that the current owner actually graduated from. Now, it houses Mallassauna.
Like the building itself, the name is a mixture. “Mallas” means malt, nodding to the building’s past as a malting plant for Pikisaari’s brewery and distillery operations. While “sauna” is the same in both English and Finnish, hinting at one of the unique aspects of the bar and restaurant.
Hailuoto: the island behind the beer
Mallassauna is the Oulu outpost of Hailuodon Panimo (Hailuoto Brewery), Finland’s first fully organic brewery. While the restaurant operates in Pikisaari, the actual brewing happens on Hailuoto, Finland’s third-largest island, located about an hour north of Oulu in the Gulf of Bothnia.
Despite its size, Hailuoto’s population has dwindled over the years. At one point it dropped to around 700 (Wikipedia currently lists it around 930). For small farmers on the island, Finnish agricultural policies made it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, and many had stopped farming altogether.
When Hailuodon Panimo was founded in 2017, the brewers wanted to source their organic barley and wheat locally. In doing so, they brought back four farmers who had quit because their operations weren’t economically viable. Despite being a microbrewery, Hailuodon Panimo has become the island’s third-largest employer, speaking both to the brewery’s commitment to the local community as well as the economic challenges facing rural Finnish islands.
Beyond the wish to source locally, there was something less tangible the founders wanted to capture: what they described as a slower, more contemplative island rhythm that sets Hailuoto apart.
Beer with a side of sauna
And what better way to indulge in the contemplative spirit in Finland than the sauna?
That’s why in the courtyard behind Mallassauna Oulu sit two small sauna buildings, open for free to anyone visiting the restaurant. During summer, they’re heated whenever the restaurant is open. In the winter, you just need to call in advance and let them know you’re coming, and they’ll turn them on.
The setup is simple. The saunas are equipped with electric stoves and water buckets, with a tent serving as a changing room. The only things you need to bring are your swimsuit and towel. The courtyard has sand brought in from Hailuoto itself, where shores stretch along long coastlines, so you can sink your toes into island sand between sauna sessions.
It’s not fancy, but that’s sort of the point. The founders wanted to create a relaxed, unpretentious feeling where you can sauna, cool off, maybe have a beer and a bite, and slow down for a few hours. Dogs are welcome too, and ‘very well looked after’, I am told. Alongside the events and music nights they host, it makes Mallassauna feel less like a typical brewpub and more like a place for community to gather.
The beers (and the food)
Mallassauna has 21 different beers on rotation – 14 from Hailuodon Panimo on tap downstairs, plus guest beers from other local Oulu breweries. The selection changes with the seasons, partly in honor to how beer was traditionally made, as before modern refrigeration, brewing was dictated by temperature. You’ll find wheat beers and lighter styles during summer months, and darker, maltier beers like porters and bocks in winter.
The German influence is clear. Mallassauna Oulu focus on German-style beers, using German hops and traditional German brewing equipment. One of the co-founders is German, and keen to ensure the beers were created authentically, with a little twist.
One such twist is the water. Hailuoto’s sand-based foundation and seven major rivers create exceptionally pure, soft water, which is apparently almost impossible to find in Central Europe anymore. In brewing, water hardness and pH levels make or break a beer, one of the founder tells us. (Perhaps this is why my brewing experiment back in London was such a disaster?)
The brewery intentionally keeps production under 220,000 liters per year to keep its microbrewery status. This is partly for tax reasons, but also for practicality and quality. Organic beer has a shorter shelf life, and the founders have seen too many small breweries sacrifice quality for growth. It’s not really about the money, one of the co-founders tells us. ‘We want enough to keep going, but then we want to protect our quality.’
The food
Mallassauna also serves German-style food to match. The specialty is Flammkuchen (a thin-crust tart similar to pizza), but the menu includes everything from German sausages to vegetarian options. The kitchen makes as much as possible in-house (they even grind their own beef), and what we had was delicious.
Mallassauna is open Tuesday through Saturday, with kitchen hours from 16:00-21:30 (weekdays) and 14:00-21:30 (Saturdays), but check their website for any updates or changes. They’re currently closed Sundays and Mondays, though they do occasionally open to host events.
I found the beers and the food delicious, but it’s the warmth of the founder we met that really shone. Nothing was too much trouble, and the passion of his vision really came through.
Whether you’re there for the organic beer, the free sauna, the Flammkuchen, or just a few hours away from the centre of Oulu, you may find yourself wanting to linger in Mallassauna. And really, isn’t that the whole point?
Getting there
Mallassauna is about a 15-minute walk from Oulu’s city centre. From the Market Square, head across the bridge to Pikisaari and follow the waterfront path to the far end of the island. You can’t miss it.
For more information and current opening hours, visit mallassauna.fi.
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