A City of Sisu
Finnish Culture in Thunder Bay
By Kathy Toivonen
Niva's Restaurant
A Family Place that Has People Lining Up in Thunder Bay
Niva’s Restaurant
376 Lisgar St. 
You may be handed a number at the door.
Niva’s gets busy in the morning, but with lots of tables in this family restaurant the wait won’t be long. You will be in good company with tourists from the U.S., visiting friends and family and those of us who live here in Thunder Bay.
Niva's Restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch, serving breakfast all day. Finnish pancakes and mojakka are served, which are really their only Scandinavian dishes.
The rest of the menu has variations on Niva’s specials, homemade pies and cookies. And they’re big on omelettes.
The owner, Victoria Niva, previously worked at the non-profit Scandhouse Restaurant for thirty years, and although Niva’s is for profit, the prices and large portions at Niva's are virtually the same.
Remnants of the nice Greek décor remain from when this location was The Blue Parrot. Niva’s opened in 2011, and a few of the waitresses have been serving in this location for eighteen years. Victoria is routinely “in the trenches” with the waitresses serving up the food with lightening speed service.
Keep count of how many cups of coffee you’ve had if you want to sleep at night.
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