Welcome to My Best Helsinki
RESTAURANT REVIEWS 2

RESTAURANT NOKKA
is located in the beautiful Katajanokka neighborhood, on Kanavaranta (=Canal bank), in one of the restored 19th century warehouses, by the water. The same space used to be home to Restaurant Kanavaranta, now long gone. The Uspenski Cathedral is a block away. The name, "Nokka", stems from the name of the neighborhood: Katajanokka. Loosely = Juniper tree Peninsula

From the getgo, "hand-picked, clean, and high-quality raw materials", have been the guiding ideas of this ambitious restaurant.

We dined here soon after the opening and found the familiar, warm rooms pleasantly pared down. As a result the space is more elegant and calm. The ambiance is very pleasing. The restaurant was still struggling with some glitches, mostly having to do with the service, but the over all experience was promising.

In July 2002, we dined here in a group of three. My husband now found the restaurant very romantic and said he would recommend it to anyone who wanted to take his date for a romantic evening. Since the service was excellent and the food is very good, I agree.

We had a very pleasant and enjoyable evening. Some of our choices for the evening:

Appetizers: -"HERRING CAVIAR" WITH DARK ARCHIPELAGO BREAD CHIPS
-LIGHTLY SALTED BEEF SLAKED WITH CALVADOS, SUMMER VEGETABLE PICKLES
Main courses: -CRISPY PAN-FRIED PERCH FILLETS, SMALL FINNISH MORELS AND NEW POTATOES
-RIVER TROUT FROM PYHÄMAA STUFFED WITH CRAYFISH, FENNEL SAUCE
Dessert: -MERINGUE, BOURBON VANILLA ICE CREAM AND WARM COCOA BEAN SAUCE Barbadillo, Pedro Ximenez ”Extra Rich”

July 2003: A lovely dinner on Nokka's summer patio, by the water, confirms the praises above.

Address: Kanavaranta 7, 00160 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9-687 7330 second link


Restaurant Nokka's summer patio, Katajanokka, Helsinki.

SUNDMANS
is a beautiful restaurant located in an old mansion-like building (empire style) located next to the harbor. It is a very romantic spot for a dinner for two, but it is just as delightful for bigger groups who want to enjoy a world- class meal in a stately setting.

Over the years, we had visited Sundmans several times, since it is practically next to our hotel. We had fallen in love with the restaurant after one strikingly good dinner for four. The service was friendly and professional, and the food, from the starters to the main course (we had mostly fish) was remarkably good.

In July 2001 we dined there again. We were in a group of four. The atmosphere was very upbeat and welcoming from the moment we walked in through the downstairs main door and up the stairs to the beautiful restaurant.

We were seated in the lovely main dining room. Our waiter who was a friendly, very professional and good-humored gentleman, (who returned Lawrence’s New York humor and repartee with admirable speed) helped make the dining experience perfect.

Both the starters and the main courses were truly excellent. The wine list was, in our experience, one of the very best, if not the best, in Helsinki.

A recent review of their current list, available on the web, shows an amazingly thorough representation and is even stronger than we remembered from our visit. Their Champagne selection is also compelling.

Since we talked so much about wine, our waiter told us about Sundmans’ wine cellar and arranged a tour for us after our dinner.

We discovered why the staff sounded so proud while mentioning the wine cellar: The beautiful, vaulted cellar has a broad selection of fine wines and a long, handsome table and chairs in the middle of the room, for wine tasting and other events. It can be privately rented.

This was an absolutely wonderful and satisfying evening that left us wanting to come back soon. 

Several later visits during the past years confirm previous statements.

Sundmans has had a Michelin for years and has won the American Express Service Award three times.

Address: Eteläranta 16, 00130 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9 - 622 64 10

Enjoying the midnight sun & Helsinki skyline after dinner at Särkänlinna Restaurant on the island of Särkkä, June 2010.
Click for larger image.
A wonderful view from Särkkä: Suomenlinna panorama

SÄRKÄNLINNA (Särkänlinna)
is a charming -and very different- gourmet restaurant, open during the summer season only. It is located on the tiny, historic fortress island, Särkkä. (Which is a part of the Suomenlinna Fortress Island).

The taxi boat ride off the Kaivopuisto/Ullanlinna shore to Särkkä takes abut 5 minutes, and costs 5 Euros per person. (Before ending your meal, ask the staff when the next boat back leaves. That way you can linger indoors a little longer, if necessary. Of course, if the weather is nice, its nice to take on the view from the pier).

Särkkä Island seen behind taxi boat & pier.

Helsinki skyline. Taxi boat from Katajanokka to Särkka.
Click for larger view & information: place names, etc:

The restaurant is located on the top floor of the old fortress, a long and narrow room with sloping floors and wonderful views of the sea on the other side, and the charming Helsinki skyline on the other side. The room and the deep window sills are decorated with historic artifacts, beautiful tall ship miniatures,etc.

The restaurant is popular and for good reason. The food is very good and the setting is one of it's kind, and even though the decor at Särkänlinna is a little rustic, I find the place very romantic.

In July 2001 we thought that Särkänlinna was the best restaurant in the city, even though it is only a seasonal restaurant. The meal the four of us had (fish, of course.) was the best we had in Helsinki, and the staff, especially the Maitre´d, was splendid.

Reservations are highly recommended.

Address: Särkänsaari, 00130 HELSINKI
Phone: (358)- (0)9 1345 6756
second link

Download the taxi boat schedule & PRICING.
Sorry, only in Finnish.

Merenkävijät Ry. Nice image of Särkkä

FAROUGE
is a restaurant we had heard many good things about over the years. We were told that the service is extremely good and friendly and that the food is consistently delicious.

In the beginning there were not many choices for fish eaters, but wisely, the owners have listened to feedback and added fish entrees to the menu. There still is only one vegetarian entrée daily. But the starters include lots of vegetarian dishes, so, if one wishes, it is possible to build a meal out of them.

In Nov 2001, a visit by a couple of our Finnish friends once again confirmed these positive statements. Our “agents" also added that the dessert was something out of this world. So, especially for meat eaters, Farouge seems to be a very good bet for a delicious meal accompanied by a well-flowing, very friendly service.

Revisited in April 2003: Lovely lunch -and now more fish choices. We were warmly fussed over by a delightfully caring hostess.

Later visits again confirmed everything above. Farouge has now expanded, and serves customers on two floors.

Although Farouge serves mostly Lebanese food, some of their dishes have a "European twist." Especially the lunch menu, which serves food that is more international than strictly Lebanese. Warmly recommended.  

Address: Yrjönkatu 6, 00120 HELSINKI
Phone: (358)- (0)9- 612 34 55

Helsinki South Harbor. Click for larger view:
This is he view from the now closed Palace Hotel Terrace Bar.

Now that Palace Hotel sadly has closed, the bar and the restaurant (below) are the only way to enjoy these stunning city & harbor & island views.

PALACE GOURMET
Finnish-French, global cuisine, with modernist touches. Make sure to reserve one of the window tables that face the South Harbor.

Address: Eteläranta 10, 00130 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9 1345 6715
Email: palacegourmet at palacekamp.fi
Second link

G.W. SUNDMANS KROG
is a lovely, casual "sibling" of Sundmans. The room is intimate and cozy (especially during the winter months) and the food is good. We, 5 adults & a child, had a lovely dinner there in November -02. We all loved it.

Our "agents" in Helsinki went back that February and still loved it. The only (little) complaint we had both times was that the service, while very friendly, was a bit too slow.

Later visits confirm that this is still a lovely spot to come for a very good, casual dinner.

There is something for everyone. The fish eaters in our group have anjoyed their fish and the herring selection. The carnivores have enjoyed the meat dishes.

The wine list is a bit short, but you can also order wines from the "upstairs" wine list.

The service is always very friendly, and lately, it has not suffered from the slower tempo that we complained about earlier.

Recommended for cozy, casual dining.

Address: Eteläranta 16, 00130 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9- 6226 4120

SANTA FÉ
serves, you guessed it, Tex-Mex ( & Cajun and international foods).The prices are low and the plates are large. The food is pretty good the prices.

The space is pretty cozy, despite it's size. It seats 240 people in its different rooms.

They serve drinks, international beers, cocktails & wines.

The wine list is short and includes mostly low wines. The most expensive wine being (in Feb., 2007) a Montecillo Gran Reserva at 43 Euros. (Vintage not mentioned.)

All the other wines are in the 27-31 Euro range.

It's a fun, very popular place among locals, for a casual snack together with friends or family.

Address: Aleksanterinkatu 15, 00100 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9 4242 6010  second link

CHEZ DOMINIQUE
is a gourmet restaurant in the center of Helsinki.

It has been receiving awards and accolades for years, including two Michelin stars, several Finnish "best" awards, and is also mentioned in the "50 Best Restaurants in the World" - list (at no. 39).

We know several people who really love this place and we hear a lot of praises.

We (a group of 4 gourmands), however, were unimpressed (with the food) during our one and only lunch here some years ago. Maybe they had a bad, uninspired day. Yes, we know we should give the place another chance, but have not been motivated enough / have not had enough time to do so. Next time we travel to Helsinki we probably will pay a visit.

We did, however, give huge credit to Chez Dominique for the wisdom and good taste of making their old restaurant 100% smoke-free, way before the smoking ban in Helsinki restaurants  took effect in 2007, thus letting their patrons enjoy the aromas of the food and the wine, without the interference of tobacco smoke.

Address: Rikhardinkatu 4, 00130 Helsinki.
Phone: (358)- (0)9 612 73 93.
second link

MECCA
Casual and fun, multi-faced (and faceted) restaurant (& bar & lounge / partyspace), serving good food. People who are trying to pin down the cooking style / ethnic origins are out of luck. It's all a big, inspired mix. The menu changes often, the cooking thrives to be experimental even playful and thinking outside the box.

Why is it not surprising that this place offers, among other choices a "Mystery Trip "menu. (Although, to me it sounds just like a new name to the "good old" tasting menu).

The restaurant has been popular from the start.

Chef: Petteri Luoto
Mecca received a Bib Gourmand mention in the 2010 Michelin Guide.

Address: Korkeavuorenkatu 34, 00130 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9-1345 6200

RESTAURANT TORNI
Restaurant Torni has been in business since 1931 (since the building, that also hosts Hotel Torni, was constructed).

The interior design of the restaurant tries to stay true to the traditional Finnish functionalism (modernism).

It has been a while since we had a chance to sample this restaurant, but when we did, we thoroughly enjoyed it: The food was made of very fresh ingredients, with nice layers of flavors and the presentation was beautiful.

The service was friendly & unpretentious. We have heard that the restaurant is still very good and cannot wait to try it again.

Address: Yrjönkatu 26, 00100 Helsinki i
Phone: 020 1234 604 
Email: torni.helsinki@sokoshotels.fi

second link

RESTAURANT CARLITOS
"A unique pizzeria in Helsinki centre. Specialties: delicious pizzas, large tempting salads and pastas made of high quality ingredients and well designed combinations".
See images of the delicious pizzas

Address: Kluuvikatu 4, 00100 HELSINKI
Phone: (358)- (0)9- 13456749
Email: carlitos at palacekamp.fi

MAXILL
Is a casual restaurant, serving good casual food. For the price it is a real bargain.

We dined here in different groups of four. The food was consistently tasty and the service attentive and friendly.

The menu contains delightfully many seafood dishes, but has choices for everyone.

The wine list features a broad range of low to medium end wines.

This restaurant became immediately popular when it opened in 1992; the food was good and the restaurant was refreshingly different compared to most other restaurants in Helsinki back then. It is not a place that tourists would easily find on their own.

That already is a good reason to pay a visit: You get a satisfying meal in a "cool" setting, for a reasonable price with almost only locals as patrons.

The room is a small rectangular space. The ceilings are high. The two walls that face the street are basically huge windows. That gives a more spacious feeling to the small room and also provides a nice overlook of the street.

The tables have tablecloths, and there are some decorative pieces of "art" on the walls.

The place is still quite popular among locals, so Reservations are recommended for dinner. First reviewed in 2001. Later visits confirm our original thoughts, with some variations. -Still good.

Address: Korkeavuorenkatu 4, 00150 Helsinki, Phone: (358)- (0)9 638873

KAPPELI
This historic and well known structure has been one of the gathering places of locals and tourists alike, since it opened in 1867. And when the famous composer Jean Sibelius and other Finnish artists were not hanging out at Kämp, they were here.

Casual fare for good prices.

It is hard to beat the location: in the heart of Helsinki, in the Esplanade Park, right next to the Havis Amanda Fountain and the Market Square by Helsinki South Harbor & the sea.

Throughout the years, this old gem of a building has suffered trough different kinds of restaurants, interior designs, and patrons. There has been times when I have not cared for any of them. Which is too bad, since it is in such a nice spot.

Kappeli now conists of: Kappeli Bar, Bar Café, the “Sali” dining room, Cellar, and the most popular Summer Patio in Helsinki.

Kappeli was featured on the show  “Amazing Race".

Address: Eteläesplanadi 1, 00130 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9 6812440
Second Link

P.S. PHOTOS OF KAPPELI ON OUR HELSNKI (WINTER) PHOTOS 4 -page.

Remember, in Finland the dates
are marked: day /mo / year.

SEURASAARI RESTAURANT 1890
Amazing room, a very friendly manager and good food. We had a lovely lunch here, summer 2010. The manager told us about the building's history while we were waiting for the food to be served. That was quite entertaining and educational.

It is hard not to marvel at the beautiful old space.

We enjoyed a starter plate with assorted fish, including herring, of course, and for main course we enjoyed salmon, and a mixture of potatoes and veggies and a good helping of morel -cream sauce.

While the food was tasty, it was too heavy for our taste: too much cream and too much butter. I tried to ask for a lighter version (to be prepared with minimal amounts of cream & butter - preferrably olive oil) when I ordered, but it seemed like Restaurant Seurasaari, while very friendly, had a policy of not accomodating / understranding such requests.

After the lunch, we got a tour of the upstairs space.

Quite nice. Very different: recommended for travellers. Reservations needed for this room. Specify the room.

Address: Seurasaari, 00250 Helsinki
Phone: (358)-(0)9- 626 625
Cell: (358)-(0)50- 546 00 30
Email: myynti at ravintolaseurasaari.fi

Seurasaari Restaurant's  historic "Old Ballroom "1890". Reservations needed for this part of the restaurant. The Cafe and casual restaurant serve customers on walk-in basis. Click for larger photo. Restaurant/ food images.

You get here by bus or car /taxi and by walking over the quaint little bridge from the maindland. Then you walk across the island (which is an open-air museum).

For information about the island, see: Seurasaari open-air museum.

Seafood starter plate at Seurasaari Restaurant. Click photo.

See also: Café Antin Kaffeliiteri
(Café Antti's Coffee Shed), below.

RESTAURANTS & CAFES ON SUOMENLINNA (SVEABORG) ISLAND, which is a wonderful picnic and/or excursion destination. Take advantage of the info, destinations of this list. If you go sightseeing anywhere outside the center in Helsinki, Suomenlinna should be it.

CAFE CHAPMAN
on the historic Suomenlinna Fortress Island serves surprisingly good fare both indoors and in their back yard garden. We absolutely love this unpretenitous cafe/restaurant and make sure to have lunch in their garden every time we visit the Suomenlinna Islands

For casual beer restaurants and bars, see our CLUB & BAR PAGES.

A few good links:

50 BEST RESTAURANTS IN FINLAND
unfortunately in Finnish. But scroll down the pages, and click you will see the names of the restaurants and the cities they are located in.

EAT& JOY - RESTAURANT LIST

HELSINKI restaurant guide has an extensive list of Helsinki restaurants, bars & cafes. In Finnish. But scroll trough the restaurant names & contact info, and/or click on the name of your choice of restaurant to get to their website.

RESTAURANT LIST by City of Helsinki. Readers vote on their favorites. In Finnish only. But the stars speak for themselves in all languages.

These are a few of the many good CAFETERIAS IN HELSINKI:

Cafe Aalto, in the Akateeminen Bookstore.
Delicious espressos, salads, sandwiches and pastries.

Cafe Ekberg, an old classic on Bulevardi. Always popular.
Address: Bulevardi 9, 00120 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9 6811 8660,
Email: ekberg at cafeekberg.fi
second link

Cafe Fazer at Kluuvikatu 3 has delicious cakes, pastries & sandwiches. second link

Café Esplanad on Pohjoisesplanadi is known for it's huge & delicious cinnamon rolls.

Cafe Ursula on the beautiful Kaivopuisto shore, with magnificent sea & island views.

Cafe/Restaurant CARUSEL
Address: Merisatamanranta 10, 00150 Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9- 622 4522
Email: carusel@carusel.fi

Cafe Espa2 on South Esplanade, across the street from the Havis Amanda statue & fountain.
Address: Eteläesplanadi 2, Helsinki
Phone: (358)- (0)9 678 224
Email: info at espa2.fi

Café Senaatti In the Kiseleff building, Senate Square.
Address: Aleksanterinkatu 28, 00170 HELSINKI
Phone: (358)- (0)9 602 462   second link

List of Cafes in Helsinki

... CAFETERIAS IN HELSINKI, continued:

Tamminiementien Kahvila
Address: Tamminiementie 8, 00250 Helsinki (close to the entrance to Seurasaari Open-Air Museum)
Phone: 0500 603 378

Villa Angelica
Address: Tamminiementie 3, 00250 Helsinki
Phone: 0500 603 378

Café Antin Kaffeliiteri
(Café Antti's Coffee Shed), on Seurasaari Island. Address: Seurasaari, 00250 Helsinki For more information, see:
Seurasaari Open-Air Museum

RESTAURANT SAARISTO on LUOTO/KLIPPAN island. An absolutely wonderful setting for a summer restaurant, on a tiny island in the South Harbor. A must. CLICK ON PHOTO for place names

and a much larger view of Klippan island & surroundings.
second link / location on map / image gallery
Phone: (358)- (0)9 7425 5505
Email: sales at asrestaurants.com