Helsinki Restaurants

  1. Bar Tapasta

    Intimate, hole-in-the-wall bar with a welcoming atmosphere and wonderful tapas, including gorgonzola mushrooms and chilli olives. Wash it all down with a jug of sangria.

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  2. Belge Bar & Bistro

    A steaming bowl of mussels, grilled sausages and those fantastic Belgian beers make this little piece of Brussels a great place for lunch or dinner. Stylish restaurant upstairs and more casual bar and bistro at street level.

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  3. Bellevue

    Near the Orthodox cathedral, Bellevue specialises in Russian and Finnish food with a French accent. Exotic dishes range from braised bear steak in a pot (must be some pot) to blini (pancake) with roe of vendace (white fish) to roast fillet of reindeer. Decor is of the Czars-dine-in-splendour kind.

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  4. Café Carusel

    In summer this is a super-busy but unpretentious self-service waterfront café on the edge of Kaivopuisto park. Great focaccias and savoury snacks and a sunny terrace.

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  5. Café Ekberg

    The Ekberg family has been serving quality coffee and cake here for generations. This is Helsinki's oldest cafe (opened 1861) and one of the best places for breakfast in the city. The lunch buffet is great value and they also do great loaves to take away. Try the famous 'Napoleon cake'.

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  6. Café Engel

    With a fine outlook opposite Senaatintori (Senate Square) and the cathedral (and appropriately named after its architect), Engel is popular with uni students and the arty crowd.

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  7. Café Esplanade

    This large, busy space is a perfect spot for a variety of needs and wants. Oversized Danish pastries and excellent Finnish pulla , a traditional wheat bun, are good accompaniments to coffee (bottomless) or espresso; for lunch, there are spectacular salads and a variety of wines served by the glass.

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  8. Café Lasipalatsi

    With big windows staring across at Kiasma and Helsinki's major city intersection, Lasipalatsi specialises in filling Finnish lunch buffets ( - ). Also an excellent café for free wi-fi access.

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  9. Cafe Strindberg

    This little piece of Paris in Helsinki has a prime people-watching terrace on the Esplanade. Upstairs is an upmarket restaurant but the highlight is the cosy wine bar with squishy leather couches, classical music and candlelight.

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  10. Eatz

    The versatile and colourful Eatz manages to serve up everything from Thai and Indian to Mexican and Italian in various themed dining rooms - though you may start to wonder where in the world you are. There's even a sushi bar and an Aussie Outback theme bar.

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  11. Fazer

    The best café in town for cakes, pastries, ice cream and jaw-dropping sweets - the Fazer family is Finland's most famous candy maker.

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  12. Gastone

    Gastone Vying for the title of Helsinki's best Italian restaurant, Gastone boasts a diverse list of pasta and antipasto, a fine wine list and an intimate yet not too formal ambience.

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  13. Hakaniemi kauppahalli

    A good market hall is the Hakaniemi kauppahalli , a traditional-style Finnish food market near the Hakaniemi metro.

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  14. Hariton

    Helsinki has some fine Russian restaurants and Hariton is one of the newest and most reasonably priced. Charming dining room with antique furniture, a gallery and varied Orthodox menu, including blini.

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  15. Karl Fazer Café

    Another historical cafe worth delving into, this is a huge space with lots of character, classic decor and a small terrace. Founded in 1891 by the Finnish confectionary-making family (you'll see Fazer sweets and chocolate everywhere), it does amazing ice-cream sundaes and also sells cakes and tea to take away.

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  16. Konstan Möljä

    Konstan Möljä is one of the few places to go for hearty home-style Finnish fare in a pleasant, rustic atmosphere. Much of the maritime decor comes from an old harbour near Vyborg (once Finnish but now in Russia). The buffet includes soup, salad, bread, meat and vegetable dishes, and, as always, reindeer.

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  17. Lappi

    This Lapp restaurant is the place to come for a healthy dose of northern rustic decor, playing it up a little for the enjoyment of those visitors who aren't going to make it that far north. Many people come here to try the sautéed reindeer, but other dishes are actually much tastier, such as the fish, or elk, and there's a great plate of mixed starters.

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  18. Maithai

    An intimate little place and a local favourite for Thai food - only a handful of tables so book ahead.

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  19. New Bamboo Centre

    Cheap & filling Asian dishes in simple surroundings.

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  20. Papa Giovanni

    Close to the gallery and station, 'the papa' is a favourite among Helsinki's pasta eaters. Downstairs is a spaghetteria with reasonably priced pasta dishes and an Italian-style cafe; upstairs is a stylish restaurant and wine bar with high-backed chairs and a tempting range of Italian soups, salads and mains.

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  21. Porthania

    Helsinki University has several student caféterias around the city, where meals cost under around €5 . They include Porthania and the huge Ylioppilasaukio (260 9491; Mannerheimintie 3B

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  22. Satkar

    Adding to Helsinki's international array of eateries, Satkar is a great place to stop for an inexpensive and hearty lunch. This Nepalese restaurant provides plenty of North Indian dishes, including tandoori and thalis. There's a fixed-price multi-course set menu with a vegetarian version available.

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  23. Sea Horse

    This much-loved restaurant was established in the 1930s and the decor has barely changed since then. It's frequented by people from all walks of Helsinki life, who come for its menu of home-style staples served in enormous portions. The fried herring, the meatballs, the liver and mash: all the delicious Finnish classics are there just like granny used to make them!

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  24. Soul Kitchen

    In Kallio, to the north of central Helsinki is Soul Kitchen, a loungey, retro café and bar. The menu is listed on a record sleeve - make your selection while checking out the liner notes. The burgers, salads and steaks are some of the best around.

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  25. Vanha Kauppahalli

    The kauppahalli (covered market), built in 1889, is one of the best in Finland and, although touristy, is a great place to nose around. The kauppatori , also known as the fish market, is good for salmon chowder, cheap snacks and fresh produce such as berries. Most food stalls set up plastic chairs and tables on summer afternoons.

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