Helsinki foodie guide: where locals eat and drink

Sandro – best brunch in Helsinki

On a rainy weekend in Helsinki trendy locals head to Sandro for bottomless lunches and weekend brunches. The stripped-back décor at its two branches (one is in Helsinki’s design district, the other in edgier Kallio) allows the kitchen’s North African food to steal the limelight.

Colourful Moroccan ceramic plates are piled high with an array of salads ­– think chickpea with carrots and beetroot, jewelled couscous and tabbouleh, and pickled cauliflower with crunchy toasted almonds. There’s plenty of choice where dips are concerned – silky, smoky baba ganoush, zingy pistachio pesto and cucumber and lemon labneh – plus freshly baked crusty spiced bread.

Finish this veggie-focused spread with coffee or mint tea and tiny squares of chocolate cake and baklava.

Sandro.fi

Kahvila Tynni – for breakfast by the water

On a sunny day in Helsinki, wrap up warm, run down to the western banks of Töölönlahti Bay, bounce along a wooden jetty to this little café in a wooden hut and bask in the sunshine on one if its deckchairs.

This lake-like slick of saltwater here is a reminder that Helsinki spreads out across an archipelago and there’s an almost beachside feel to the setting. The friendly Finnish girls behind the counter will tempt you with cinnamon bun biscuits topped with flaked almonds, nettle and peppermint tea and indulgent croissants filled with huge wedges of brie, strawberries and a drizzle of balsamic.

If you don’t fancy the jetty deckchairs, there’s a separate seating area, still overlooking the water but where tables and chairs are delicately screened off from the bay by giant plants.

Facebook.com/kahvilatyyni

Kahvila Sinisen Huvilan – for ice cream with a view

Stroll 10 minutes or so round Töölönlahti Bay to its eastern shore and you’ll come across a beautiful blue clapboard house. Tucked behind it, set back from the water’s edge, is a tiny blue shed that’s home to another charming café.

Grab a cone brimming with Finnish blueberry ice cream and lounge on one of the wooden chairs scattered beneath the birch trees. Idyllic.

sininenhuvila.weebly.com

Skiffer – for pizza and DJs

Hop on the little ferry from the southern shore of Helsinki to reach this restaurant and party spot. Tuck in to thin, crisp pizzas so large that they curl up at either end like a Viking longboat. Toppings are Finnish – try chorizo and crayfish or rainbow trout and summer veg with plenty of dill. Snuggle up under blankets as DJs hang around the decks waiting their turn to spin their mixes out into the crisp air.

Skiffer.fi

Juuri – for Sapas

Juuri, meaning ‘root’ in Finnish, is where to head to for Finnish tapas, or ‘Sapas’. These stunning little tasting plates adorned with edible flowers, sprigs of dill and botanicals taste great too. Try grouse with birch, chargrilled swede, little salty fried fish – vendace - with creamed potatoes, and beetroot mousse with roasted goat’s cheese.

With a generous bread basket from Juuri’s own bakery, this is an ideal light dinner. The compact restaurant wouldn’t be out of place in Helsinki’s design district with its wooden tables, wine-red walls and modern light installations.

Juuri.fi

Good Life Coffee – for the best coffee in Helsinki

Helsinki's most trendy coffee shop is the perfect spot to watch hip young residents of Kallio pass by. The barista is so chilled that a queue often forms but the house-roasted coffee is worth the wait (ideally pair it with a huge chocolate pastry twist). Sit at the communal table and enjoy the calm, Finnish ambiance.

Goodlifecoffee.fi

Loyly – for drinks in a stylish sauna

Sauna culture is a way of life in Finland. Moments of silence are not considered awkward but a chance just to sit and enjoy another person’s company. Try it for yourself at Loyly, an upmarket sauna that’s perched dramatically on the seafront just south of the city centre. Sip champagne by its log fire between sauna sessions and chilling dips in the Baltic Sea.

After your two-hour sauna session head out onto a series of wooden decks to enjoy a restorative tipple overlooking the sea. We liked the Napue gin (distilled to the north of Helsinki in Kyro distillery) with Finnish botanicals of meadowsweet, sea buckthorn, cranberries and birch leaves.

Loylyhelsinki.fi

Fafa’s – for a quick local fix

This may look rather severe and unwelcoming on the outside but head into the stark white building in Helsinki's trendy Kallio district and you soon discover why it’s a local institution. Essentially a posh kebab shop, it’s a great place to get a slice of local life.

Order a pitta filled with halloumi and aubergine, or a lamb burger, then sit in the window and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a trendy Finn. There are 13 outposts in the city, ranging in size, so hunt one down when you need a quick fix.

Fafas.fi

Café Succes – for traditional Finnish salmon soup

This ancient café dates back to 1957, and is the perfect spot to enjoy a comforting bowl of lohikeitto, a creamy salmon soup topped with mountains of fresh dill (try our lohikeitto recipe here). Alternatively go for breakfast and knock back a Finnish coffee and a Korvapuusti cinnamon roll.

facebook.com/cafesucces/

Hotel Lilla Roberts – for Nordic cocktails

Bar Lilla E may be a hotel bar but it is a destination in itself for those in the know on Helsinki’s hip cocktail route. The spot-lit wooden bar (which sits next to a crackling fire) makes a stylish backdrop to a menu of Nordic-inspired cocktails.

Try a Midsummer’s Eve, which recreates the scent of a Scandinavian summer with spring birch-infused Tanqueray gin and St Germain elderflower liqueur (a tumbler is filled with flowers and birch branches are set alight to infuse the cocktail and its immediate surroundings with a smoky aroma), or a Strawberry Cake (wild Finnish strawberries are whizzed up with lemon balm, skyr and Finlandia vodka to create a sweet, creamy drink).

Each cocktail comes with a little extra, be that a tiny cheese triangle and small cup of black coffee on the side, a little juniper salmon smorrebrod or a tiny bed of grass to enhance the freshly mown smell.

Lillaroberts.com

More great restaurants in Helsinki

Miisa Mink, co-owner of the Nordic bakery, a Scandinavian style café chain in London, shares her favourite places to eat in Helsinki...

Atelje Finne – for seasonal Finnish food

At Atelje Finne, Chef Antto Melasniemi serves seasonal, local food in a minimalist, stylish restaurant where original art and furniture creates 50s flair. The menu is based on seasonal vegetables, foraged ingredients such as mushrooms and berries and local fish and meat. Booking is recommended.

ateljefinne.fi

Pastis - for great-value lunch

At Pastis restaurant, cooking is based on French cuisine using fresh Finnish ingredients. Lunch is great value at €25/ two courses, €30/ three courses. (Pieni Roobertinkatu 2, 00130 Helsinki, tel. 010 29 28 990)

Rosalind butchers – for burgers

The city’s most vibrant indoor foodhall is Hietalahden Kaippahalli. Brave the queue at Roslund butchers to order its Rosburger, dubbed Finland’s best burger.

Lönnrotinkatu 34

Adjacent to restaurant Ravintola Juuri is Latva , a contemporary bar serving wines and champagne from small producers (Serge Mathieu Brut Prestige) organic beers (Prykmestar Organic Pilsner) plus ciders and locally created cocktails. The service is friendly and knowledgeable.

Hakaniemen Kauppahalli – best food market in Helsinki

Locals get their food fresh from the market. Venture to the Hakaniemen neighbourhood for its authentic market (Mon-Sat 6.30am-3pm). Don’t miss Reitin Kala, a beautiful family-run fishmonger, or have a cup of coffee and munkki (cardamom doughnut) at one of the outdoor stalls.

hakaniemenkauppahalli.fi

Gastrobar Emo – for local Finnish ingredients

Helsinki is littered with restaurants serving great food made from local ingredients, focusing on uncomplicated flavours. Book in advance if you want to taste some of the best examples of this at the new Gastrobar Emo. Can’t get a reservation? Try Toca or Aito.

emo-ravintola.fi

Best vegetarian places in Helsinki

Helsinki has plenty of restaurants ideal for vegetarians. Check out these vegetarian and vegan-friendly spots in Helsinki from Finnish chef, food writer and forager Sami Tallberg...

Andante

Top-notch service is a key element at Andante, a hip flower and coffee shop. The team serve mean coffees and matcha lattes, and the talented pastry chef has a passion for raw cakes; try a blackcurrant and lingonberry cupcake.

Cargo

Vegetarian café, Cargo, takes its name from the container stores it’s bolted together from. Order a purple haze mocktail, made with wild Finnish berries and rose petals, and a kale caesar with avocado or a vegan burger with wild herbs and cauliflower fritter. It also has one of the best terraces in town for open-air dining.

LOKAL

Local Finnish design shop LOKAL is great for quality souvenirs (look out for Anna Kantanen’s elegant coffee pots). It also has a coffee shop that serves local ice creams in summer – try the blackcurrant leaf.

Grön

New Nordic Restaurant Grön does New Nordic cooking extremely well, using a wide range of ingredients. You’ll find wild plants, preserved foods and natural wines on the menu all year round – there’s always a choice between à la carte or a four-course menu of the day. Typical dishes include milk ice cream, roasted sunflower seeds, green coffee bean oil and roasted sunflower seed caramel. It’s great-value fine dining.

Date + Kale

The spanking new restaurant area on the fifth floor of Kamppi shopping centre is home to some great spots for a quick lunch overlooking the city. Favourites include Date + Kale, which does a busy trade in raw rainbow brownies and energising plant-based food bowls and dips; think coconut curry with sweet potato, cauliflower, lentils, coconut milk, pomegranate, coriander and black rice.

The Cock

Expect new-wave brasserie food at The Cock. Run by Ville Relander and Richard McCormick, two stalwarts of the local restaurant scene, it’s known for its relaxed atmosphere (everyone is welcome, dressed up or down, at any time of day). Try the broccoli tempura with wasabi yogurt and avocado or the arancini with spicy tomato sauce and kale pesto.

BasBas

A warehouse-style venue with modern bistro food, BasBas is also home to the best wine bar in town, with a hip clientele and small plates to share; think avocado and fennel on toast. The main menu is strong on classic French dishes made with quality ingredients. Great service is also part of its success.

Maja

A tiny coffee roastery and café, Maja is set in a 1970s shopping centre on the outskirts of the city, close to some lovely wild spaces. Fuel-up with a Kono drip coffee then head off island-hopping on foot or by bike. Close by are Lehtisaari and Kaskisaari, two of my favourite foraging spots for wild berries and mushrooms. Follow @majacoffeeroastery on Instagram.

Silvoplee

Going strong for around 20 years, Silvoplee is the best-known vegan restaurant in town. No-one goes there for the decor but the lunchtime buffet (plates are priced by weight at the till) is packed with delicious homemade salads, dips and bakes. There’s also a café attached, serving smoothies, coffees and a collection of raw cakes.

Vinkkeli

A simple, stylish bistro serving classic Scandinavian dishes with great care, little fuss and a modern twist, Vinkkeli is one of the best restaurants in the city. Seasonality is big here – dishes often come laced with just-picked ingredients, such as a white chocolate panna cotta dotted with redcurrants – and it offers great wine pairings.

Where to stay in Helsinki

Hotel Lilla Roberts

Located majestically alongside the design district’s network of design shops, warehouses and museums Hotel Lilla Roberts is set in an early 20th century building that has previously seen service as a power plant and police station. The hotel is bold and glamorous from its glossy front façade right through to the rest of the building. The sharp design continues in the hotel’s lobby, with splashes of plum, burnt orange, gold and wood lifting the otherwise monochrome palate. Gleaming black and white flooring leads to a glass-fronted wooden reception desk dominated by a striking, life-size black horse lamp from Sweden.

Despite the elegance the hotel embraces a general feeling of “hygge”, that Danish word used to encompass all of life’s simple pleasures. A wooden fireplace crackles beside a wall of birch logs and leather chairs are perfectly placed to watch hip passersby. Bedrooms come with cosy fur blankets, plush rugs on parquet flooring and velvet armchairs in deep plums, mustard yellows and teals. Funky touches such as elephant lamps, zebra print throws and monochrome vases tie in with the glamorous feel and bathrooms are stocked with Neal’s Yard toiletries. Splashing a bit more cash will bag you a “style” room with a sofa, or the largest “lux” rooms and suites, which come with Nespresso machines, high ceilings and baths. The hotel bar, Bar Lilla E, is a destination in itself for those in the know on Helsinki’s hip cocktail route. The dramatically spot-lit wooden bar (it just happens to sit next to a crackling fire) makes a stylish backdrop to a menu of Nordic-inspired cocktails.

Doubles from £150, check availability at booking.com or britishairways.com

How to get to Helsinki

Return flights from London to Helsinki cost from around £85 (norwegian.com).

More info: myhelsinki.fi

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Written by Alex Crossley, October 2016

Photographs by Alex Crossley