Best restaurants Helsinki, Finland - Lonely Planet (2024)

Restaurant Olo

Helsinki

At the forefront of New Suomi cuisine, Michelin-starred Olo occupies a handsome, 19th-century harbourside mansion. Its memorable seasonal degustation…

Grön

Helsinki

Seasonal, often foraged ingredients are used in this exceptional bistro's plant, fish or meat starters and mains, and wild, plant or dairy desserts. From…

Vanha Kauppahalli

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

Alongside the harbour, this is Helsinki's iconic market hall. Built in 1888, it’s still a traditional Finnish market, with wooden stalls selling local…

Demo

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

Book to get a table at this chic Michelin-starred spot, where young chefs wow with modern Finnish cuisine. Artfully presented, daily changing combinations…

Saaristo

Helsinki

Most renowned of Helsinki's island restaurants is the Saaristo, set in a spire-crowned art-nouveau villa on Luoto (Swedish: Klippan), and famous for…

Restaurant Eevert

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

This fabulous restaurant sits perfectly within Helsinki's Design District. The decor is asplash with pieces by famous Finnish designers such as Alvar…

Kuu

Helsinki

Traditional Finnish fare is given a sharp, contemporary twist at Kuu, which creates seasonal dishes from local ingredients that could include reindeer…

Cafe Regatta

Helsinki

In a marvellous waterside location, this historic rust-red wooden cottage is scarcely bigger than a sauna, but has great outdoor seating on the bay. You…

Savoy

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

Designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto in 1937, this is one of Helsinki's grandest dining rooms, with birch walls and ceilings and some of the city’s finest…

Suomenlinnan Panimo

Helsinki

By the main quay, this microbrewery is the best place to drink or dine on Suomenlinna. It brews three ciders and seven different beers, including a hefty…

Nude

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

Nude restaurateur Jussi believes it’s easier to tweak the food than the wine, so ingredients are selected to flawlessly match the accompanying wines…

Karl Fazer Café

Helsinki

Founded in 1891 and fronted by a striking art deco facade, this cavernous cafe is the flagship for Fazer's chocolate empire. The glass cupola reflects…

Yes Yes Yes

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

A delicious veggie addition to Helsinki’s dining scene, Yes Yes Yes fulfils the simple ambition to open 'a bustling bar and restaurant where food just…

Story

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

At the heart of Helsinki's historic harbourside market hall Vanha Kauppahalli, this sparkling cafe sources its produce from the surrounding stalls…

Savu

Helsinki

Dating from 1805, a rust-red wooden warehouse that once stored tar on Tervasaari now contains this delightful beam-ceilinged summer restaurant, which…

Soppakeittiö

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

A great place to warm the co*ckles in winter, this soup stall inside the Vanha Kauppahalli is renowned for its bouillabaisse, which is almost always on the…

Saslik

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

Screened by tasselled curtains, Saslik's succession of aristocratic dining rooms have stained-glass windows, gilt-framed paintings of Russian hunting…

Ultima

Helsinki

The creators of famed restaurant Finnjävel, Henri Alén and Tommi Tuominen, are at it again, reopening the doors as Ultima. This time they've come up with…

Ask

Helsinki

Small organic or biodynamic Finnish farms and foraged game, fish, forest mushrooms, herbs and berries provide the ingredients for Michelin-starred Ask's…

Saaga

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

Chandeliers made from reindeer antlers and split-log benches lined with reindeer furs adorn this rustic timber-lined Lappish restaurant. Specialities from…

Ravintola Aino

Helsinki

In a minimalist dining space in the heart of town, Aino is a popular choice for assured Finnish cooking that is faithful to local traditions, but with the…

Helsinki

For gourmet picnic ingredients, this light-filled deli with black-and-white chequerboard tiles is a must. Fresh food changes with the seasons – there's a…

KarlJohan

Helsinki

Welcoming service and an elegant but relaxed atmosphere in a herringbone-floored dining room provide a fitting backdrop for carefully prepared Finnish…

Kitch

Helsinki

With big picture windows, this laid-back space is great for watching the world go by. Furnished with recycled materials, it offers generous tapas portions…

Bastion Bistro

Helsinki

Cosy and snug in winter and spilling onto a sunny terrace in summer, the Bastion is housed in a historic Russian military building a five-minute walk from…

Cafe Silo

Helsinki

The warm and welcoming aromas of hot soup, house-made bread and fresh cinnamon buns greet visitors to Cafe Silo. Open daily in a wooden house in the old…

Sea Horse

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

A seahorse mural takes up an entire wall of this traditional Finnish restaurant dating from the 1930s. Locals gather in the gloriously unchanged interior…

Gaijin

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

With toro lanterns and shoji screens, this sleek, dark timber-panelled restaurant combines elegant Japanese fare with other North Asian influences,…

Café Ursula

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

Offering majestic views over the Helsinki archipelago, this upmarket cafe has marvellous outside summer seating. In winter you can sit in the modern…

Kanniston Leipomo

Helsinki

Spectacular breads such as sourdough and rye are the hallmark of this fabulous Helsinki bakery chain, with half-a-dozen outlets around town. Alternatively…

Strindberg

Helsinki

Strindberg has a casual ground-floor cafe and late-opening bar, but its finest dining is one flight up. In a light-filled room overlooking leafy…

Naughty Brgr

Helsinki

The open kitchen inside this cavernous space sizzles up monumental single-, double- and triple-patty burgers. Alongside meat options such as its signature…

Mumin Kaffe

Helsinki

A delight for families, this comic-adorned cafe is themed around the Moomins, the adorable creations of Helsinki-born author and illustrator Tove Jansson…

Konstan Möljä

Helsinki

The maritime interior of this old sailors' eatery – with fishing nets, hooks, brass clocks, lanterns, black-and-white photos and creaking timber floors –…

The co*ck

Punavuori & Ullanlinna

The co*ck combines a free-wheeling bar with ping-pong tables (hosting regular tournaments) and brilliant co*cktails such as its house G&T (with pink…

Lappi Ravintola

Helsinki

Log-cabin interior cladding, a stone fireplace, hefty timber tables and staff in traditional Sámi dress create an atmospheric backdrop for dining on…

Ravintola Lyon

Helsinki

Steeped in the deepest traditions of fine French cuisine, the small team in the kitchen at Lyon uses mostly local ingredients to create sculpture-like…

Salutorget

Helsinki

The 'Money Tree' interior stained-glass window is a showstopper, a reference to the building's history as a bank. Nowadays the elegant pillars and plush…

Carelia

Helsinki

In a former pharmacy, this striking spot opposite the Oopperatalo is ideal for a pre- or post-show drink or meal. Glamorously decorated in period style,…

Ateljé Finne

Helsinki

Painted brick walls hung with original art make this bistro an intimate space for refined contemporary Finnish cooking. The short menu has just a handful…