Helsinki
Even on the greyest Helsinki day, this colourful waterfront bar transports you to more tropical climes with vibrant rainforest wallpaper and plants,…
Must-see nightlife in Helsinki
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
Processing up to 4000kg of beans every week, this vast coffee roastery supplies cafes throughout Helsinki, Finland and beyond. You can watch the roasting…
Helsinki
Dating from 1867, this grand bar-cafe opens to an outdoor terrace seating 350 people and has regular jazz, blues and folk music in the nearby bandstand in…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
In Kaivopuisto park, this summer beach bar overlooking the sand and glittering sea is an idyllic spot to lounge in a deck chair or umbrella-shaded sofa…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
Built in 1838 as a spa in the Kaivopuisto park, this pavilion was later remodelled in art deco style and has been fabulously restored with dazzling…
Helsinki
The absence of high-rises is one of Helsinki’s most endearing characteristics but the 16-floor Clarion Hotel, opened in 2016, was a welcome addition to…
Helsinki
In the covered Wanha Kauppakuja laneway, off Aleksanterinkatu, this terrace, or 'tunnel' (it's locally dubbed 'Mummotunneli'), has several bars that turn…
Helsinki
In a long, split-level space with low lighting and a mix of social and intimate seating, this excellent pub serves superb ales, stouts and berry ciders…
Helsinki
One flight up from the street, this isn't a space to hang out with your laptop: La Torrefazione is so dedicated to its cause that it doesn't have wi-fi so…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
With white tiles, turquoise flooring, birch and willow light fittings and hanging pot plants, this aptly named place (Kuuma means 'hot' in Finnish) is a…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
Inside a glorious high-ceilinged, timber-panelled former bank dating from 1893, this jewel of a bar has a serious drinks list, with over 100 different…
Helsinki
A red-brick split-level harbourside warehouse with outsized light fittings, low sofas and a waterside terrace is the atmospheric setting for this cafe run…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
Blacked-out windows make it easy to miss, but open the door and you'll find this small vintage-furnished speakeasy with exposed-brick walls lined with…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
As the name suggests, this upmarket place loves all things Mexican – agave is the root of almost all cocktails here. This place made headlines in 2018 for…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
Design District hang-out Andante is both a fragrant florist selling pot plants and bouquets of blooms and a cafe brewing organic, fair-trade coffee etched…
Helsinki
An unrivalled panorama of Helsinki unfolds from this tiny 70m-high perch on the 14th floor of the Sokos Hotel Torni. Take the lift to the 12th floor, from…
Helsinki
A taste of Italy in the heart of Helsinki, Bricco pours organic wines spanning Chianti classico to Super Toscanas, and serves classic antipasti as well as…
Helsinki
The scarlet-coloured interior seems too fancy for a rock bar, but that's what Bar Loose is, with portraits of guitar heroes lining one wall and an…
Helsinki
Glistening mosaic tiles, chandeliers, fringed lamps and vintage velvet sofas make Vin-Vin a super-stylish spot for a glass and a cheese or charcuterie…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
Helsinki might be a long way from Tommyknocker Brewery in the small Colorado mountain town of Idaho Springs, but its medal-winning ales and lagers rotate…
Kallio
Between Hakaniemi and Sörnäinen metro stations, this famed club is the place to find Helsinki’s more experimental beats from top visiting DJs playing…
Helsinki
On the top of Kamppi shopping centre, this classy venue makes the most of the inspiring city views. It's divided into three sections, with a bar area – a…
Helsinki
Lingering over an after-dinner drink is a habit the Spaniards know well. Introducing this habit into Finnish culture is the rooftop bar at Scandic Hotel…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
From source to table it's a very short journey here – the beer is brewed in the cellar downstairs then served in the cool street-level bar that wouldn't…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
Signed guitars, drums and posters cover the walls of this rock and roll bar, which functions as a before- and after-party for gigs around town for…
Punavuori & Ullanlinna
A lighthearted Spanish theme here is backed up by hanging hams, wine barrels, guitars and bullfighting posters. It's an atmospheric spot for a glass of…
Helsinki
Attracting an older, relaxed crowd, this stylish spot alongside Esplanadi has a lounge bar, a cocktail bar with drinks themed for countries around the…
Kallio
Lime-green light fittings, geometric wallpaper, framed photography and art; and turntables spinning jazz make Good Life a great neighbourhood hang-out…
Helsinki
Finland’s most famous gay venue (Don’t Tell Mama) now occupies smart premises in a very out-of-the-closet location on the city’s main street. There are…
Helsinki
Part of a knot of bars on this street just off Mannerheimintie in the heart of town, this unpretentious place stands out for its old-time Finnish…
Helsinki
Built between 1886 and 1888, this elegant old lightship was sunk by the Russians in 1918 and subsequently raised and repaired. The deck provides a…
Helsinki
With plenty of ‘G’days’, this laid-back watering hole doesn’t miss a cliché. Beneath the corrugated iron and faux-colonial fittings, it serves Down Under…
Kallio
Kallio's Vaasankatu is the best street for a pub crawl, and the classiest place on the strip is Solmu. Soft lighting makes for a cosy atmosphere, and the…
Kallio
This joint has more beers on tap than you can shake a stick at. All come from microbreweries in Finland and abroad; the line-up changes almost every day…
Helsinki
Set over three floors, this gay bar is aimed at men aged 30-plus (minimum age on Fridays and Saturdays is 24, and 20 on other days). There's a lounge bar,…
Kallio
A Kallio classic, this dive bar has some of Helsinki's cheapest beer, a soundtrack of metal and rock, and great ragged character. The action spills onto…
Kallio
One of Kallio’s darkened drinking dens, this small, unassuming bar is frequented by both men and women. The front terrace is a prime streetside spot.
