Want to try local delicacies when visiting the Finnish capital? Here are 10 Helsinki restaurants in the capital where the Finnish-Nordic cuisine is on the plate. All places are deliciously picked from our updated, city guide for Helsinki, momondo places. Download it for free to your iPhone!
Lappi
A cottage in rural Finland? No, it’s Lappi in Helsinki
Meet Lappi, a restaurant that hasn’t let the winds of time shake its rural look and gritty cottage atmosphere. Themed around the wilderness of Finnish Lapland and its characteristic tastes of fresh fish, berries, reindeer and other game animals, Lappi is a little piece of northern Finland in Helsinki.
When you smell the rich aromas of sautéed reindeer or taste the sweet and sour luxury better known as cloudberries, you’ll understand why Lappish dishes have fans all around Finland and not just in the north.
Where: Annankatu 22
Tel: +358 9 645 550
Nearest station: Ylioppilastalo (tram)
Passio
Indulge yourself in hearty Finnish dishes at Passio
When a hot slice of grilled wild boar and a cool pint of draft beer from a local brewery are placed in front of you, you must have done something right. The owners of Passio come from the easy-going rural area of Savo in eastern Finland, and their background shows in their hearty dishes and ultra-friendly demeanour.
The restaurant’s interior is sleek and smart, and the dishes on the menu cover a surprising range of flavours typical to Finnish nature and farmlands. Eating here is like dining at a local countryside manor.
Where: Kalevankatu 13
Tel: +358 207 352 040
Nearest station: Ylioppilastalo (tram)
Kuurna
Try some of Kuurna’s Finnish dishes
On a narrow side street just a few blocks from the clamour of the city centre, you can spot a small sign with the word ‘Ravintola’ on it. It means restaurant, and it’s about all the advertising Kuurna needs: in fact, it’s recommended you book a table in advance.
Kuurna’s simple, candle-lit tables, amid a distinct lack of decorations, are a somewhat-humble attempt at stylish modesty, but the food here is a bold mix of strong local tastes and a fresh take on European classics. Just try some of that ox fillet or the oven-baked root vegetables, and you’ll know what we mean.
Where: Meritullinkatu 6
Tel: +358 10 281 8241
Nearest station: Ritarihuone (tram)
Salutorget
Salutorget is probably one of the best restaurants in Helsinki
Cold champagne and well-matured wines are one of the highlights to a visit to Salutorget, perfectly complemented by an elegant, neo-Renaissance setting in the very heart of the city. The menu fuses the traditional Nordic plates with contemporary touches, and includes dishes like lobster mousseline or creamy salmon soup.
Their Scandinavian menu, main course based on either fish or meat, your choice, and coupled with rich local produce. Prices are above average, but the food is delectable, the service is excellent, and the ambiance of this versatile restaurant, built inside an old bank hall, is classy and calls for special occasions.
Where: Pohjoisesplanadi 15
Tel: +358 9 6128 5950
Nearest station: Kauppatori (tram)
Carelia
Carelia serves a Nordic cuisine added flavours from around the world @Carelia
That fried pike sausage looks and smells so good, smothered in creamy sauce. Just like the other dishes at Carelia, this one’s been carefully crafted and designed to make an impression. Here, Nordic fine dining traditions are mixed with tastes from around the world to give you a unique gastronomic experience.
It’s all done in harmony with nature, using local ingredients like hand-picked forest lingonberries and vegetables from local producers. Take a look around the eye-catching brasserie space to catch the little details: old cupboards, shelves and machinery left intact from its past role as a pharmacy will delight curious minds.
Where: Mannerheimintie 56
Tel: +358 9 2709 0976
Nearest station: Ooppera (tram)
Elite
Get on board with the Finnish cuisine and art world at Elite
Traditional Finnish cuisine meets classical fine arts. Though it’s fair to say, with its simple furniture and white tablecloths, it’s not the most modern of places, Elite is a firm neighbourhood favourite and with good reasons. A nearby artist residence, Lallukka, has populated this restaurant with very colourful and flamboyant visitors throughout its history.
Some have even paid for their orders with artworks, and today the restaurant is decorated with the works of local and foreign artists. The menu, meanwhile, delights with both fine-tuned delicacies and more down-to-earth Finnish classics like the mouth-watering onion steak and roasted flatfish.
Where: Eteläinen Hesperiankatu 22
Tel: +358 9 6128 5200
Nearest station: Hesperian puisto (tram)
Chef & Sommelier
Taste Finland at Chef & Sommelier
Local, organic and always super tasty: these simple culinary rules have earned the owners of this refined Nordic bistro a reputation for making unforgettable dishes. As seasons change, so does Chef & Sommelier’s menu – a claim made by many restaurants, but here you can really taste it in the uniquely fresh flavours from the local produce.
Menus range from three to nine courses and will take you around the full Finnish roundtrip: Wild reindeer with forest nuts, smoked turnips with roe and Nordic spruce on buttermilk are just some of the chefs’ carefully-crafted creations. The table’s set for an intimate, fine-dining experience that does come with a price tag that’s above average, but well worth the spending.
Where: Huvilakatu 28
Tel: +358 400 959 440
Nearest station: Eiran sairaala (tram)
Sea Horse
If you ever wondered where in Helsinki Dizzy Gillespie had his herring …
Locally known under the Finnish nickname of ‘Sikala’, which means pigsty, this legendary restaurant is known is one of those places where you just always have a good time, without any unnecessary formality. Since opening in 1934, Seahorse has stayed true to its original values: nothing too fancy, and always friendly.
Through the years, this principle had made it the living room of locals from all ranks of society. This, and its onion steak. This dish has been featured in the world’s media and the herring plate was the favourite of the late great trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. It’s a place rich with history, and if you visit, remember to ask for the story of the seahorse painting on the back wall.
Where: Kapteeninkatu 11
Tel: +358 9 628 169
Nearest station: Kapteeninkatu (tram)
Tori
Enjoy the meatballs and laidback atmosphere at Tori
Rarely does a name fit a place so well: Tori means market square in Finnish, which is well suited to a place that offers such a wide range of tastes and such a lively atmosphere. This bistro has become a hotspot for locals who want to enjoy a hearty meal in an easy-going setting.
Sink your teeth into those meatballs covered in cream and laced with Jallu – a local mix of brandy and vodka – or have a spoonful of that warm, creamy salmon soup. This is casual dining done right.
Where: Punavuorenkatu 2
Tel: +358 9 6874 3790
Nearest station: Iso Roobertinkatu (tram)
Ekberg
Try traditional Nordic dishes and a classic café experience at Ekberg
This might come as a surprise, but in Helsinki table service is quite uncommon nowadays. That’s why those who prefer a classic café experience come to Ekberg. It’s well known throughout town for its traditional approach to café culture and no wonder, since it has operated at this spot since 1852.
Thanks to an impeccable style and a broad selection of baked goods and traditional Nordic dishes, Ekberg has kept its customers happy through all these years. During the week you can get a traditional European breakfast for a decent price, and make sure you round it off with the deliciously sweet pastries.
Where: Bulevardi 9
Tel: +358 9 6811 860
Nearest station: Fredrikinkatu (tram)
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