Helsinki, Finland + Add a trip

Jaskan Grilli

"Best in Finland" was all that the swaying Finn would grunt at me with a smile at 3am. Try the Jaskans Special at least once in your life provided you have adequate medical cover.

Go for "Fisu" to get the uniquely finnish alcohol experience

When out in bars or clubs in Helsinki ask for a "Fisu" shooter/shot. Fisu is very rarely available outside Finland, and it's often "made" by the bars themselfs. It's usually grain based (vodka -type) alcohol with a heavy infusion of Fisherman's Friend, and occasionally some Salty Liquorice (Salmiak). There are different versions of Fisu out there thou, and you never know which one the bar has ;-) Some variations are vodka and just about any breath freshener infused into it.

Try it! you either love it or hate it ;-)

Storyville

Great Jazz Club in the renovated old coal cellar with unique atmosphear and mostly with live famous jazz bands located in the shadow of the Parlament House. If you do want to eat too, the reservation is recommended, as the available dining tables are only few, many courmet dishes at the menu!

Kaisaniemi Fenniakortteli

Several ethnic restaurants within an inside square. Japanese, Thai, Indian, Chinese, and Finnish fast food, noodles, pasta, kebab etc. Prices around € 6.90 to 9.20 at lunch time 11:00-15:00 hours. By Central Railway Station Square or 1 min walk from Kaisaniemi metro station.

Mecca

Good japanese inspired food

Sokos Hotel Torni / American Bar

This is the place to go for enjoying the best drinks in Finland. Ask for Mika Vitikka (the Bar manager) and say regards from Eetu.

Torni also has the best Club sandwich in Finland.

Mika is the Author of a book about the best bartenders in Finland.

Elite

Finnish cuisine in an art deco setting.

Good chinese food: Dong Bei Hu

If you're a frequent traveller to Helsinki, you may have given up on the sad state of chinese food in this city. Luckily there's hope: Dong Bei Hu on Korkeavuorenkatu 47 beside the Esplanadi serves honest-to-god real Sichuan and North-East Chinese dishes, with nary a limp defrosted vegetable in sight. Make sure to ask for the garlic eggplant dish.

Beefy Queen

Good honest old fashion beef with nothing fancy pancy on the side. Try it at lunchtime and have your clothes smell like french fries for the rest of the day. Preferred by workers which is always a sign of good price/quality food.

Shakers drink bar

One of the best drink bars in whole Finland.

You get nice drink and a bit of flair tending at the same time.

Really good staff and nice people as customers.

On my list Shakers is good as American Bar (Torni) or Kämp bar.

Wrong place at the right time

Much though I loved studying in Helsinki I have to admit I found it expensive to eat & drink out, especially the drink so try bars that are off the main streets.

One of our regular spots for food down in the centre of town was the Wrong Noodle bar. If you're vegetarian, you have to try it.

I wish I could call out for some of their noodles right now - my favourite sauce? Hot, hot, hot!

Juuri

A little on the pricey side (but what isn't in Helsinki?) but really great food - the best I had while in Helsinki. The atmosphere is relaxed and intimate, the wine's good and the service professional and friendly.

Sling In Bar

Pink cocktails with umbrellas and hard rock / metal.

Good Thai food at Lemongrass

Nice restaurant run by a finnish+thai couple, definately one of the best Thai places in Helsinki. Lunches served untiil 3 pm. No license, no reservations. Especially popular for lunch and weekends. Kitchen closes fairly early. 2 chilli marks mean business. :)

mbar coffee + net day time, bar + djs evenings, terrace in the summer

I founded mbar in 2001 and Meteori before that in the same location in 1998. The venue has become a 2nd living room for many locals and travellers alike. In the summer the terrace offers live music while during the winter we feature mostly dj and electronic live sets. mbar is also the longest running net pro net café in Finland, free wifi + PCs for a fee, colour printer, skyping etc ok. For more info and current events, see mbar web site. BTW mbar mixes fisu, salmari, and horna shots from original materials, beware... Located opposite of Kiasma in Lasipalatsi media centre.

teatterin grilli

"Slow food" which was absolutely amazing. I think it's only running through 19 October but I don't read Finnish so I'm probably wrong. Comfort food like "Roasted organic spare rib from Benjamin farm in root veggie casserole" or "Shoulder of lamb in Avhenanmaa poached 12-1/2 hours and fried sweetbreads with roasted garlic cloves" or "Brisket of beef in Crépinette, Brussels sprouts poached with malt and porter sauce." Then they make these little homemade doughnuts you dip in a small, personal trough of chocolate or strawberry sauce.

mbar - relaxed bar with free wifi

mbar, near Kamppi is a nice relaxed bar with free wifi. They also play good music at night

La Petite Maison

A fantastic French restaurant, great service and excellent food. A very intimite ambiance with 22 places. Service is available in French, English, Finnish or all of them. A bit on the pricy side, but well worth it!

Rytmi

Friendly bar in Kallio with large windows to the street. Nice music, never too loud. Free wifi and a public internet-terminal free of charge. Sundays closed.

Cafe Engel

Cafe Engel has a magnificient view over the Senate Square and the Helsinki Cathedral. They serve excellent brunch for about 10 euros and free refills of coffee.

Map

Do your laundry while having breakfast at Tin Tin Tango

Do your laundry and have a beer while you wait or spend the night enjoying Tin Tin's delicacies and classical background music. Café Tin Tin Tango is a truly European and versatile cafe with a cafe, bar, pastry shop, gallery, self-service laundry and even a sauna. What else would you need?!

If you want to have a sauna, six people at a time can enjoy it. Don't forget to reserve it one day forehand.

Map

Jazz Club at restaurant Primula

Every wednesday at 20:30, live jazz music.

Restaurant Coma

Restaurant Coma Excellent Mediterranean food in cosy small setting. Be sure to book in advance at least fri-sat

tel: +358 (0)9 588 4086

website only in finnish, menus & service in english and finnish

Juuri - Best finnish fusion food

Excellent food with excellent price. One of the best restaurants in Scandinavia.

Cheap pizzeria on Annankatu

There's one of the cheapest pizzerias in the center of Helsinki, pizzas something like 5 euros (big size). It's in the end of Annankatu, near Simonkatu.

This one is lovely - Garlic (or "Kynsilaukka"). Personally we found its food good and entertaining. Located in the center that is also useful.

The menu is here http://www.kynsilaukka.com/alacarte.asp

You can take a look at the lunch review here http://travelfromrussia.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/kynsilaukka-restaurant-helsinki/

Knossos, a great Greek restaurant in a nice 2-storey round room with an open kitchen beneath you in an old market hall in Hietalahti.

Golden Rax buffet is a nice and cheep opportunity on the 1st floor in "Forum" mall on Mannerheimintie ))

Postres is a one-star Michelin restaurant in the heart of the city. IMO very good value for money compared to some of the other more expensive restaurants in Helsinki

A less shocking experience to Finnish cuisine to a foreigner is Suomi on the Plate. http://www.suomiravintola.fi/eng_restaurant.php

Decent high quality Finnish food without extreme national romantic nor ethnic surroundings.

Weeruska in Alppiharju near Linnanmäki amusement park is really traditional Finnish restaurant. It takes about 15 minutes to get there by tram from the city centre. (take tram 3B from city centre and exit at stop "Porvoonkatu"). The price-quality ratio is excellent, simplified and inexpensive. So don't be expecting white tablecloth and posh service or you will be disappointed.

You have to try one of these delicacies: Fried whitebait, sautéed reindeer, fried liver or delicious meatballs.

http://www.weeruska.com Porvoonkatu 19, 00510 Helsinki Mon-Fri 10.30 - 23.30 Sat-Sun 12.00 - 23.30

Saaga, lappish cuisine (ie far northern Scandinavia). (09) 7425 5544, Int. +358 9 7425 5544

http://www.asrestaurants.com/

Ravintola Merimakasiini at Hietalahdenranta 14, 00180.

Had some extraordinary Salmon soup in a creamy, buttery broth. Huge chunks of tender salmon, potatoes and other good stuff. Order the large bowl and some hand cut fries and hope there's a taxi waiting with a bed in the back--food coma sets in about halfway through the meal. Great, casual, place right on the water overlooking the shipyard cranes.

Ateljé Finne owned by Antto Melasniemi with friends. Great food, not too expensive, and ask for Antto to choose the wines and the special sprits afterwards. He has some strange but great german grappa-like stuff that is absolutely delicious for the drinking man.

Lehtovaara, in Töölö. A little expensive but an absolute classic. The outdoors terace is great in the summer.

RAVINTOLA KASAKKA I love the Russian food here. The last time I went there, this was what I ate (if I remember right: Borscht soup with sour cream Blini with Roe of Rainbow Trout Fried Duck Breast with Bulgarwheat and Cranberry-Honey sauce Alexander II´s Oven baked Ice cream (min. two persons) Also had an exquisite black vodka. It's a really nice and quiet place, perfect if you're going out as a twosome. Very discreet service. http://www.delifox.fi/kasakka/en/front-page

RAVINTOLA JUTTUTUPA Most visitors to Helsinki do not know the history of this bar. It's another wonderful place I like to be in. The beers are great and easily followed up by great food. http://www.juttutupa.com/page.php?page_id=16&language=3

SAMRAT is one of the few Indian restaurants with an indian chef. Great food. Most of the "Indians" are run by other staff from neighboring nations. If you do like the real stuff and want to avoid ethnic surprises, go for Samrat. Samrat i right in the center, but a little difficult to find because it is located on the inner yard of the sk "Bensow" house.´

Address. Eteläesplanadi 22, 00130 Helsinki Telephone: (09) 611 001

Eeron Keittiö Vuorimiehenkatu 18, 00140 Helsinki http://eat.fi/en/helsinki/eeron-keittio

Amazing lunch place, huge portions that cost virtually nothing.

Hi During summer months the island restaurants (www.palacekamp.fi) is great options. There is Scandinavian style Klippan, french/finnish fusion Sarkanlinna, and sofisticated Boathouse where lovely terrace as well. Take a quick boat ride and enjoy!!

Juuri is a superb restaurant serving Finnish tapas (they call them sapas) made out of basic ingredients, but boy can they mix and match the most common flavors to a symphony of taste. I recommend skipping the main course altogether and eating as much as you can from the tapas list.

They have a well-thought wine list with a few specialities. Advance booking is recommended.

http://www.juuri.fi

For a great breakfast in Helsinki, try Oliver Werner Krulla's at Fredrikinkatu 41. A nice and cozy cafe which offers the perfect way to kick a day off. Very good value for money when compared to some of the bigger places at more prominent locations.

Vegetarian lunch restaurant

great Bar @ the patio during the summer months. with DJ's on the weekends.

Great price/quality in menus and food atmosphere! Service is excellent and personnel is very friendly.

Excellent place, difficult to find, very good food. Try the pepper steak!

Nice Finnish athmosphere! Not very fancy, but food is great and the portions big! Opening hours are a challenge (closes aready 1800 o'clock). The restaurant has been on a Japanese movie called "Lokki" - means there are lots of Japanese tourists!

This is my favourite little eatery in Helsinki, don't miss it!

Best Burgers In Town!

I frequent Juuri at least 6 times per year. Great Finnish food and the wines do not punch a big hole in you vallet. Good prices and great food. When booking a table, ask for the main hall. If you end up in the back room, it really feel like you are in the back room.