From advocating zero waste, seasonality and sourcing local ingredients to themed restaurants which includes a tractor-themed eatery (yes really!) It could be argued that Helsinki is a hotspot for design and architecture, but it’s also fast becoming a destination for foodies too. Whether you are seeking out the best restaurants in Helsinki, or are looking for the best places to grab a kakkukahvi, then let us help you out.
However, it’s not just the foodie scene which is exciting, there’s a real buzz when it comes to all things liquid too. From coffee to the craft brew, you could argue that there’s a real thirst for what Helsinki has to offer.
Of course you can try typical Finnish delicacies like Korvapuusti, rye bread, pickled herring and the ubiquitous liquorice, but what about more unique offerings?
Helsinki food culture is both local and seasonal, you can expect to try dishes like root vegetable casseroles, beetroot salads, saps (the Finnish equivalent of tapas) and more.
Inventive, fresh, vibrant, and fun, the food of Helsinki is certainly on the radar for those in the know and should certainly be considered for your foodie destination list.
Breakfast
Did you know that Finnish people are the biggest consumers of coffee in the world? With this in mind, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that coffee is an integral part of breakfast in Finland. Whilst rye bread and porridge are Finnish breakfast staples, there’s a myriad of intriguing and delicious culinary concoctions to kick start your day enjoying the many things to do in Helsinki.
Whether you are firmly in the sweet and indulgent camp with fluffy pancakes, waffles and French toast being an integral part of your breakfast experience or are in the mood for something a smidge healthier, you will be thrilled to learn there’s ample choice in both departments.
Here’s how to do breakfast Finnish style at some of the best restaurants in Helsinki.
Levain
Carb avoiders look away now! Levain offers casual yet cosy dining in two separate neighbourhoods in Helsinki. If doing what is said on the label is a high priority when it comes to finding the best restaurants in Helsinki, then surely it’s a case of ‘Levain’ by name and ‘Levain’ by nature?
If there’s one breakfast spot in Helsinki that is dedicated to the cause of carbs, it’s this one. With a selection of breads that has to be on par with Paris boulangeries, Levain is a great place to enjoy delicious pastries, oatmeal, waffles and more. Don’t forget to try the Finnish Sweet Bun which is adorned with caramelised sugar and spice coupled with a dollop of cream cheese which is incredibly popular with the locals.
Relove
We love Relove! If vintage clothing, great coffee and a chilled vibe is high on your list for the best restaurants in Helsinki for breakfast, then Relove with its second hand shop, lifestyle pop up corner and cute cafe, surely has to top your list. The breakfast is served all day (making it ideal if you have been exploring the best of Helsinki’s nightlife the night before)
If you are looking to eat fairly healthily, then Relove offers a great selection of organic and locally-sourced produce including smoothie and acai bowls, lemon avocado bread with feta cheese and stuffed croissants with avocado and egg. Absolutely eggs-trodinary!
Lunch
From affordable set menus to leisurely lunches in one of the Finish capitals best restaurants, your lunch options are varied and exciting. Helsinki is an excellent city for anyone looking to try out any number of the best restaurants in Helsinki.
Whilst there’s a great selection of fine dining eateries to explore in Helsinki, there’s also a superb collection of budget friendly restaurants which are aimed at people who live in the city to enjoy affordable and high quality meals. Quite often these set menus rotate on a weekly basis and are ideal if you have a short window to eat whilst exploring the fantastic things to see and do in Helsinki.
In most instances, the cost of a set lunch will include salad, appetisers and coffee making it excellent value for money.
Lonna
Fancy a sauna with your lunch? And why not? On the bijou island of Lonna, which is a mere skip and a hop on the ferry from the Market Square in Helsinki, is the charming restaurant of the same name.
With far reaching views across the Baltic sea, you can sit back and relax whilst enjoying lunch as one of the best restaurants in Helsinki. It’s only open in the summertime and after lunch you can enjoy a relaxing session in the sauna in a restored building right on the water’s edge.
The menu focuses on wholesome, rustic and seasonal cuisine with dishes like pike perch with green pepper and dill, asparagus with salted gooseberries, carrots with cicely and sour cream as typical examples of what you can expect to eat. You can’t leave without trying Lonna’s own interpretation of a local dish – the ‘archipelago’ bread (saaristolaisleipä) which is essentially a rye-molasses loaf that is typically paired with fish.
Lonna’s menu changes frequently during the season, depending on the availability of the best seasonal produce, but you can guarantee that you will not go hungry.
Nolla
If tasty food and solid green credentials are high on your list when it comes to choosing the best restaurants in Helsinki for lunch, then Nolla is a great restaurant choice where excellent food goes hand in hand with sustainability.
It aims to minimise the amount of waste produced with everyday actions that follow the restaurant’s sustainable values and waste-free ideology. Every little thing is considered for sustainability – from using local and seasonal ingredients which have been mindfully sourced from local producers to having uniforms made from discarded bed linen!
This Michelin-starred restaurant is at the higher end of the pricescale, but with dishes like smoked duck, charred radish and bone marrow sauce, roasted turnips, lion’s mane mushroom
and pine pollen sauce amongst others, you won’t mind sacrificing a larger proportion of your Euros to enjoy lunch at one of the best restaurants in Helsinki.
Dinner
We’ll let you into a little secret, Nordic food culture is always an excellent choice, but historically the likes of Stockholm and Copenhagen tend to get more of a ‘shout out’ and pip the Finnish capital to the post when considering a foodie city break. Both are very worthy contenders, but let Orbzii make a case for enjoying dinner at one of the restaurants in Finland’s edgy, design-led capital. Whilst you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a plethora of budget-friendly restaurants at lunchtime, at dinner you might find it a tad more difficult to find something that suits travellers on a lower budget. However, it can be done! Whether you are seeking out a budget or blowout, here are two of our top choices when it comes to selecting the best restaurants in Helsinki.
Hills Dumplings
We get it! Dumplings aren’t an obvious choice when it comes to going out for dinner in Helsinki, but bear with us! What if you could combine the best of New World Asian cuisine with traditional Finnish ingredients and it costs less than 15 Euros? Surely you’d bite our arms off. Well, save the biting for these delectable dumplings which are made from scratch every day at Hills Dumplings.
Using ingredients like beetroot purée, toasted pumpkin seeds, daikon, you can enjoy a delicious collection of dumplings for just over 10 Euros. The menu also features delicious bao buns, noodles, and noodle salads. Add in a few unmissable cocktails, and you could easily spend all night at Hills.
Ateljé Finne
Another fantastic choice for foodies looking for fine dining at one of the best restaurants in Helsinki. Ateljé Finne is a Michelin-starred restaurant that serves seasonal, local food in a minimalist, stylish restaurant where original art and furniture creates 50s flair. The restaurant is named after the esteemed sculptor who previously held his studio in this very spot. Art is a strong theme throughout both the restaurants design and the menu itself.
Expect to see plenty of seasonal and foraged ingredients on the menu in regional dishes that have been elevated with subtle modern and international twists. Highlights include cold kohlrabi soup with marigold, pike perch with romaine salad and rhubarb-butter sauce and an unmissable liquorice crème brûlée.
