The best time of year is Blini season! January marks the month that Bliniviikot are all around the city, which means many wonderful restaurants have the wonderfully buttery Russian delicacy on their menus. The Finnish interpretation is made with buckwheat flour and baked in a cast-iron pan until crisp and sinful, and is served with a variety of different toppings, along the sides of smetana, red onions and pickles.
Dining out and trying new restaurants is not only my favourite hobby – it is also delicious. Over the years I am close to saying confidently – that I have tried them (almost) all – and here is my ultimate Helsinki Guide for all things café and restaurant in Helsinki – of all places that are NOT specifically Finnish food. Helsinki’s restaurant scene has changed vastly over the years, with so many amazing options. Whether you’re looking for a breakfast spot, a lunch place, great pizza or a fancy night out – I got you covered. Did I miss anything? Share in a comment!
In times of social distancing and self-quarantine, one way to keep your belly happy, local businesses running and yourself also occupied and feeling a…
I have to admit that I didn’t have a clear idea of Filipino food, I’ve tasted it before but I knew very little about it. Pobre is the only full-service Filipino restaurant in Helsinki, and it is part of the Kampin Korttelit restaurant floor. They recently invited me and my dear friend Alex to taste our way through their menu to share their love for food and Filipino culture. And oh boy was it a food fest!
While Helsinki is a fairly easy place to get things done on Sundays, with generous opening hours and few bits of town actually closing down, it can be a bit of an annoying endeavour to find restaurants and bars for some drinks on a Sunday evening. And while it may not be the most obvious place for either, sometimes you have visitors, guests or something to celebrate that will have you venture out on a Sunday night – so here’s a summary of the best places open for business.
Helsinki’s food scene surprises me again and again, Ultima being one of the newest additions. A microlocal restaurant with a fine dining experience, that’s just something completely different. What does that even mean? Well, locally sourced products are a staple of many restaurants as it’s a philosophy that’s deeply rooted with Finnish restauranteurs. Microlocal essentially means, that 90% of the products used are brought in from less than a 100km radius – with some even grown inside the very restaurant location. With climate change impacting the agricultural sector, it lies upon us, says Henri, to think of alternate ways to source food, as sustainably and organically as possible.
Turku is one of the places I have actually been to the most, but I never got around to really write about it! It’s such a lovely city and I’m always super delighted to be back, hang out by the river, do some shopping and enjoy the great food over there – which was also eventually my focus of the latest trip. Wanna know more?
Nolla is a newbie in the Helsinki restaurant scene and was only open for a few days when we visited. What’s special about this…
The market hall in Hietalahti strikes with a best of the best of the Capitals restaurant scene – from the only Portuguese restaurant in the city, authentic Japanese noodles and juicy burgers – there’s something for everyone here. Roam around and taste your way through this unique place.