Helsinki/Kamppi and Southwest

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• Helsinki Old ChurchA neoclassical wooden church built in the early 19th century, which is the oldest church in central Helsinki. It's in the middle of the Park of the Old Church, which is also known as the Plague Park (Ruttopuisto) because it was used as a cemetery for many of the victims of the plague of 1710.

• LönnrotinpuistikkoA tiny little park next to the Old church. In the middle there's a statue of 19th century author and scientist Elias Lönnrot (author of Kalevala, the Finnish national epic).

• Amos Andersson Art Gallery

  address: Yrjönkatu 23
  In the Forum block. The largest private gallery of contemporary art in Finland.

• Helsinki synagogue

  address: Malminkatu 26
  The center of the Jewish community in Helsinki; there are also a Jewish school, kindergarten and a kosher store on the premises. You probably have to call ahead for visiting.

• Metropolia Polytech main buildingThis impressive 19th-century building next to the Hietalahti square hosted the Helsinki Technical University until the 1950s, nowadays it's the main building for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. As you're there, check out the Hietalahti market hall and market square.

KFP

• Aleksanterin teatteri

  address: Albertinkatu 32
  The Alexander theater, named after the Russian czar Alexander II and finished in 1879 is likely Helsinki's most beautiful venue for performance art. Occasional shows and concerts in English.

• Computer and video game museum

  address: Tyynenmerenkatu 11
  Interested in old video games, game consoles, computers and related paraphernalia? Then this place is definitely something for you.

• LasipalatsiAnother of Helsinki's most iconic functionalist buildings right next to Mannerheimintie, the "glass palace" by Viljo Revell, Heimo Riihimäki and Niilo Kokko was finished in 1936 and is functionalist both on the inside and outside. It was planned as a temporary office building and shopping mall, to be replaced by a bigger one in the future but that never happened. In the 1980s and 90s the building was in a fairly sorry state but due to opposition by citizens and the Board of Antiquities it wasn't demolished but underwent a major restoration at the turn of the millenium. Today the gorgeous white building with colorful neon signs houses shops, restaurants, the movie theater Bio Rex, and beneath it, the art museum Amos Rex.

• Aleksanterin teatteri

  address: Bulevardi 23-27

• Annantalo

  address: Annankatu 30
  Feel creative? Annantalo, a multimodal "house of art" arranges art workshops and courses for both kids and grownups, as well as performances and exhibitions.

Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

• The Cable Factory

  address: Tallberginkatu 1
  The former cable factory in Ruoholahti is nowadays a multi-purpose culture center. It hosts concerts, fairs, art workshops and odd/original museums like the restaurant museum and photography museum. There is a Restaurant/Café/Bar Hima & Sali in the building. At lunch time you can choose your meal from a daily menu or watch the cook prepare your wok from ingredients you selected. Good place for vegetarians.

• Huone

  phone: +358 20 78 51 440
  address: Länsisatamankatu 16
  Huone ("Room") claims to be the world's first event hotel, providing premises and services for their customers to hold their own events. There are twelve rooms of different sizes, and each can be rented for a day, a morning or an evening. Huone can host various kinds of events such as business meetings, birthday parties or sauna evenings. The customer holds the event - Huone provides the premises and services, including catering, with alcoholic drinks or without.

• Kasinonranta Beach, Lauttasaari

  address: Tiirasaarentie
  A popular place in summer with a large playground for children and a pleasant café Kasinonranta (in summer season open M-F 15:00-19:00, Sa Su 10:00-19:00). At the beach and the park around you can picnic, kick a ball, play a beach volleyball, swim, canoe or skatefurf. In winter it is possible to snowkite here or hike, skate or cross country ski on frozen sea around Lauttasaari island and even reach some nearby islands.

• Outdoor skating Lauttasaari

  address: Lahnalahdentie 2
  Two outdoor skating rings, open approximately 2 Jan - 24 Feb, depending on weather.

• Little Theater

  address: Eerikinkatu 2

• Salmisaaren Liikuntakeskus

  address: Energiakatu 3
  New sports mall in Helsinki, includes indoor beach, bowling, ice hockey, wall climbing, gym, Megazone, restaurant and lots more...

• Tennispalatsi

  address: Salomonkatu 15
  The Tennispalatsi ("Tennis palace") was built to house tennis events for the 1940 and 1952 Olympics. Nowadays, it retains no trace of its Olympic past. Instead, it functions primarily as Helsinki's biggest movie theatre, with more than ten halls on two floors, showing movies both from Finland and abroad. As well as functioning as a movie theatre, Tennispalatsi also houses cultural exhibitions, small stores, restaurants (including Pizza Hut and Hesburger) and cafés.

• Yrjönkadun Uimahalli

  phone: +358 9 310 87401
  address: Yrjönkatu 21b
  An art-deco bath house with three types of saunas and a swimming pool. Take a sauna and swim in the nude. There are separate days for women and men. Bathing suits are not banned, but almost everyone goes without one. Men's swimming days are: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; Women's days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. 1st Floor €5 (or €5.40 with a lockable stall or 'cabin'), 2nd Floor €14. The second floor (accessible only the afternoons from Tuesday to Sunday) includes access to a steam sauna and a wood-heated sauna, as well as a café.

Ralf Roletschek

• Kamppi CenterBig shopping mall in the center of Helsinki. Plenty of international brands and restaurants. Long-distance bus terminal in the basement.

• ForumKamppi center's next door older brother with plenty of shops, restaurants and other services.

• Kauppakeskus RuoholahtiQuite small compared to the suburban malls along the ring roads, but this urban mall still has a Citymarket and a couple of speciality stores and cafes.

• Verkkokauppa.com2 km from the Helsinki city center in the Western Harbour (Länsisatama). Northern Europe's and possibly Europe's largest home-electronics store with 20 000 m 2 of retail space. The best spot for electronics, computers, digital cameras, mobile phones and gadgets in general in Helsinki. They not only sell electronics but also imported snacks (mainly from the USA) to enjoy while watching TV or barbecuing - think soda, chips, barbecue sauce, candies and such. In addition to being a store it features a couple of fast food outlets one of them with Australian meat pies, and a computer game museum on the 5th floor. Literally on the top of it all, the 7th floor features Finland's largest sightseeing terrace with views of Helsinki, the sea and prime view of cruise ships in the summer and in the middle of it a real MiG-21BIS fighter plane, the entrance is free. Free parking underground and on an outdoor parking area behind the complex.

• Ruslania

  phone: +358503889439
  address: Bulevardi 7
  Ruslania offers Finnish and Russian products (which includes for example souvenirs, literature, music, candy, posters and cards). A nice, not that big shop full of mostly Russian products which makes it a heaven for lovers of Russian culture or Soviet-y stuff.

Shops

• Helsinki 10

  phone: +358 10 5489801
  address: Eerikinkatu 3
  This bright-white "lifestyle department store" sells both international and Finnish (designer) labels such as Raf Simons, Wood Wood, Acne and April77 as well as second-hand clothes, accessories, records, magazines etc.

• Paloni

  phone: +358 50-5894131
  address: Eerikinkatu 7
  Paloni is a creative design concept store. It sells items that are designed and made by over 70 independent designers. Paloni's product range covers women's clothing, accessories, jewellery, home decor, gift items and children's clothing.

• Keltainen Jäänsärkijä

  address: Urho Kekkosenkatu 4-6 A
  Helsinki's largest indie store, covers virtually everything except classical and electronic. Lots of indie vinyl at reasonable prices.

• Compact Records (Dark Side of the)

  address: Lönnrotinkatu 23

Markets

Ralf Roletschek

• Hietalahti Old Market Hall

  phone: +358 9 670145
  address: Hietalahdentori
  One of Helsinki's three traditional market halls until the turn of the millenium, after that concentrating on antiques and as of 2019 a kind of a food court, with some gift shops.

• Hietalahti Open Air Flea marketNext to Hietalahti Old Market Hall, this is the most popular flea market in Helsinki. Open year round, but busiest from May to August.

Budget

• Yeti-Nepal

  phone: +358 9-6933010
  address: Itämerenkatu 12
  One of many Nepalese places. It might not be the cheapest one, but the food is great. The restaurant is well visited and often full at lunch time.

• Barbarossa

  address: Yrjönkatu 29
  Good price-quality ratio pizzaplace, always fast service. Very small location though, so you might have to eat your pizza elsewhere.

• Eerikin Pippuri

  address: Eerikinkatu 17
  One of the more popular kebab places in town. On the same street as many bars, so good for a midnight meal as well.

• Pompier

  address: Albertinkatu 29
  Run by the Volunteer Fire Brigade, this restaurant serves a daily changing buffet of hearty Finnish fare in a cafeteria straight from the 1950s, complete with grim portraits of moustached Hosemasters staring down at you. Pea soup and pancakes on Thursday are particularly popular.

• Singapore Hot Wok

  address: Kamppi Shopping Centre, E floor, Urho Kekkosen katu 5 B
  Select from a few tasty plates of Wok.

• Sky Express

  address: Annankatu 31
  A pizza spot very close to the city center. It's a relatively small place, but the service is very fast and the place is open late at night. Opens around 11:00, and closes at 23:00 (22:00 on Sundays). Try the Päivän jättipizza ("Daily giant pizza"), which is a large, thin pizza with a varying selection of fillings plus a 0.4 liter soft drink for €6, which is almost unbeatably cheap. They also offer a liter of beer + the daily giant pizza for €13.

Mid-range

Amanuenssi

• Colorado Bar & Grill

  address: Simonkatu 9
  Tasty Tex-Mex food.

• Empire Plaza

  address: Urho Kekkosen katu 1, Kamppi Shopping Centre
  Tasty Chinese food.

• Faro

  phone: +358 10 424 9830
  address: Kellosaarenranta 2
  A rather nice restaurant and bar located right at the seashore, offering nice views. Serves lunch and à la carte menu. Lunch is affordable, if not quite cheap, but the à la carte menu is a bit on the pricier side. Also functions as a bar. Serves a variety of cuisine, lunch varies daily.

• Fisken på Disken

  phone: +358 401971157
  address: Urho Kekkosen katu 1
  The name means "The fish on the table" in Swedish, and the restaurant indeed focuses almost exclusively on fish and seafood. Located on the fifth floor of the Kamppi shopping centre amongst other restaurants, easy to find as it's right next to the escalators. Rather crowded so reservations are recommended, although not mandatory. Try the fish and chips, available at €16.

JIP

• Halikarnas

  phone: +358 9 685 1862
  address: Ruoholahdenkatu 18
  One of the most famous Turkish restaurants in Helsinki. Famous for its Mediterranean-style buffet, served not only on working days but on weekends also (it's a bit more expensive on weekends though), but also serves quality Turkish à la carte dishes. The coffee, although served from a nondescript thermos can, is one of the best coffees available in Helsinki. Spacious with stylish Turkish decor, with artwork depicting ancient Mediterranean cities on the walls. Buffet around €10, à la carte dishes €14 - 22.

• India House

  phone: +358 504630155
  address: Simonkatu 8, Forum
  The only Indian restaurant in Helsinki accepted as decent by Indians here.

• Ka-Shing

  phone: +358 9 676 319
  address: Lauttasaarentie 14
  Probably the best Chinese restaurant on the residential and office district of Lauttasaari. Rather small, and can be quite packed at lunch time. Lunch is very cheap, usually €7-8, but on evenings and weekends à la carte courses cost €12 - 20. The restaurant provides Donald Duck comic books in Finnish for the customers to read.

• Konstan Möljä

  phone: +358 9 694 7504
  address: Hietalahdenkatu 14
  Traditional Finnish food. Very nice if you want to try all kinds of Finnish meals!

• Kosmos

  phone: +358 9 647 255
  address: Kalevankatu 3
  A Helsinki institution dating to 1924, proudly serving "Helsinkian" food — a melange of Russian, French and Swedish influences. Try one of the three classics: Vorschmack with duchess potatoes, the Sylvester Sandwich au gratin and Baltic herrings with mashed potatoes.

• Limone

  phone: +358 50 562 5010
  address: Nahkahousuntie 1
  A real Italian restaurant in the mostly residential district of Lauttasaari, serving authentic Italian cuisine, mostly pizzas and pastas. Easy to arrive at as it's located almost right next to the terminus of bus line 21V. Open for lunch (weekdays only) and à la carte dining.

JIP

• Loop

  address: Lapinlahdentie 1
  A novel concept: The restaurant serves food made of the waste of other restaurants and groceries, giving new life to food left uneaten. Satisfactory and tasty fare, but don't expect an exquisite culinary experience. The restaurant is located in an old, abandoned mental hospital, giving its location and interior a unique charm.

• Mai Thai

  phone: +358 9 685 6850
  address: Annankatu 31-33
  One of the best Thai restaurants in Helsinki - simply incredible! Make sure to reserve a table in advance, and heed the chilli ratings when ordering.

• Meng Loong

  phone: +358 9 682 0866
  address: Itälahdenkatu 27
  A nice Chinese restaurant in southern Lauttasaari. Not much in the way of à la carte dishes, but a very tasty buffet provided at lunchtime every weekday, with the dishes on offer varying every day. For an extra €1.50, you can have a sushi buffet with your Chinese lunch buffet.
  The Chinese food on offer includes chicken, pork, beef, fish and tofu every day. There are various kinds of spicy sauces available.
  Be sure to get in early, as the restaurant is quite packed. In early afternoon, actual Chinese customers come to the restaurant to eat a pre-set menu. They have tables reserved well in advance so they won't bother you. After a few hours past noon the buffet food tends to get a bit tasteless though. This restaurant is sometimes favoured by the Finnish police forces.

• Meritähti

  phone: +358 451712277
  address: Itämerenkatu 14
  The name means "starfish", but despite that, there is actually very little seafood on the menu. The menu is very meat-oriented, with the restaurant specialising in Hungarian cuisine. The restaurant is rather small, and about half of it consists of a pub area. Very easily accessible as it is next door to the Ruoholahti metro station. Main courses €12-30.

• Mt. Everest

  phone: +358 9 6831 5450
  address: Lapinlahdenkatu 17
  Good Nepalese food.

• New Bamboo Center

  phone: +358 9 6943117
  address: Annankatu 29
  Well-known and popular downtown Malaysian-Chinese restaurant. Cheap lunch/dinner. Vegan-friendly with several vegan dishes. If you like elbow room you might want to pass on this restaurant, since the seating is somewhere between "intimate" and "cramped". The food is very good, though. The restaurant is famous for its hot Malaysian curry dishes, which are among the hottest dishes available in Helsinki.

• Pikku-Nepal

  phone: +358 9 6931778
  address: Annankatu 29
  A very good Nepalese restaurant. Good vegetarian options.

• Salve

  phone: +358 10 7664 280
  address: Hietalahdenranta 11
  Harbour restaurant. Salve's operations began in 1897 as a small food kiosk for sailors. Even now, you can catch the feeling of Salve's past - a time when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel! Herrings of Salve you should taste.

• Suburritos

  phone: +358 441 709 0777
  address: Yrjönkatu 29
  Mexican-style restaurant near the Forum shopping centre. Famous for its lunch buffet, where you can fill up tortillas and tacos with toppings of your own choosing.

• Monal

  phone: +358-50-5969316
  address: Annankatu 4
  The restaurant provides excellent hospitality and a wide variety of authentic Indian cuisine. An affordable and changing lunch buffet, dinner, delicious Indian desserts, take away service and catering for smaller or larger events. Lunch €10, main dishes €15-20.

• Bites Burgers

  address: Lapinlahdenkatu 3
  Tasty burgers made to order, with a regular, vegan, vegetarian and special option that can be further customized. They have a good selection of sodas and craft beer. In their Kamppi location there's also an inner yard open during the summer with live music most nights. They also have a restaurant in Vallila and in the Leblon Merihaka food court.

Splurge

• Gaijin

  phone: +358 10 3229386
  address: Bulevardi 6
  One of Helsinki's finest Asian cuisine restaurants, serving a mixture of Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisine. Famous for its tasting menus. As the restaurant is very popular and a bit cramped, prior reservations are recommended, although not mandatory. The food is a bit expensive but extremely tasty, and the staff are very friendly.

• Kabuki

  phone: +358 9 694 9446
  address: Lapinlahdenkatu 12
  Helsinki's best-known Japanese restaurant and a favorite of Finnish celebrities, which explains the signed ice hockey jerseys and Star Wars memorabilia scattered throughout. Alas, while the food is decent, it's not quite the real thing. Reservations recommended. Closed Sat.

• Karljohan

  phone: +358 9 6121121
  address: Yrjönkatu 21
  Very nice restaurant opposite the Hotel Torni with Swedish and Finnish traditional cooking and keeping high standards. On Thursdays, try the traditional lunch of pea soup and pancake.

• Lappi Restaurant

  phone: +358 9 645 550
  address: Annankatu 22
  Although Lapland (Lappi) is on the other edge of Finland, you can enjoy cuisine of Lapland in Helsinki too.

Cafes

User:JIP

• Cafe Mutteri

  phone: +358 45-6335418
  address: Lauttasaarentie 2
  Lovely small cafe in an octagonal old wooden building just at the Lauttasaari bridge. Its name translates to café "nut" as something you use with a bolt. Coffee, pies, pastries and ice cream are on offer. You can enjoy a slightly nostalgic atmosphere of the place, or just get pleasantly cozy on a freezing day.

• Ateljee Baari

  address: Kalevankatu 5
  Despite the name it's more like a cafe, located on top of Hotel Torni, Finland's first high-rise. Excellent views over Helsinki's downtown. You even have a view from the (famous) toilets. Highly recommended. Find the elevator close to the lobby to get there, but be prepared for expensive drinks. If you're on a tight budget, you can just enjoy the view on the elevator level.

• Café Ekberg

  phone: +358 9 6811 860
  address: Bulevardi 9
  One of the classic Helsinki cafés and a Bulevardi institution. Was renovated in 2017 and at that lost some of its old flair.

• Gran Delicato

  phone: +358 9 694 0403
  address: Kalevankatu 34
  A very cosy cafe serving Mediterranean salads and paninis, and a variety of coffees. The Greek owner is a showman, usually around to amuse customers.

Bars, pubs and clubs

• Amsterdam

  address: Itämerenkatu 1C
  Dutch beer house in Ruoholahti.

• A21 Cocktail Lounge

  address: Annankatu 21
  A high-priced but incredibly high quality cocktail bar situated in the city center, a few hundred meters from Stockmann's. Generally serves classic cocktail drinks with a twist, but also features several cocktails with a distinctly Finnish vibe (featuring garnishes such as birch leaves and fresh cloudberry) and innovative house specialities. According to worldsbestbars.com, this unlikely find is one of the world's best bars , winning the title of the best bar in the world in 2009 and 2010.

• Ravintola Wanhakettu

  address: Malminkatu 22
  A journey into traditional Finnish bar culture, where fireside debates and poetry recitals are a common place occurrence in this historical tavern. Frequented by a more intellectual if not boisterous crowd, the common traveler will find a home away from home at Wanhakettu. A famous haunt for many members of the classical artist communes of Käpyla and Suvela. According to historian Antti Mäjänen of the Ostrobotnious Historical Society, it was in this very spot that the second treaty of Vyborg was signed in the summer of 1902, adding character and flavor to this lovely tavern of old.

• Aussie Bar

  address: Salomonkatu 5
  The name says it. Place to go get some drinks with some international fun. Live music every Wednesday and the weekends are always crazy in Kangaroo Land.

• Baker's

  address: Mannerheimintie 12
  A great place to start up your party. From Tues to Sat they have a sparkling wine happy hour from 17:00: for 100 minutes, a glass of cava costs 100 cents (that's €1). The service might be somewhat rough. Also lots of young people there on weekends. Has a bar, nightclub, pub and serves also food.

• Corona Bar & Billiards

  phone: +358 9 751 75611
  address: Eerikinkatu 11
  A bar and billiard hall owned by the film director brothers Aki and Mika Kaurismäki, echoing the melancholic mood of their films. Also check out the affiliated Kafe Moskva bar next door for authentic Soviet style experience, complete with Russian music played on dusty vinyls and Russian vodka and champagne. Downstairs is Dubrovnik, a small club-cum-movie theater that can be rented for private events and host occasionally live gigs or clubs.

• Loose

  address: Annankatu 21
  A very street-credible rock bar, it is highly popular among Finnish rock musicians.

• Le Bonk

  address: Yrjönkatu 24
  Design music club with 3 floors. During the summer very nice roof terrace.

• The Circus

  address: Salomonkatu 1-3
  Music venue club.

• DTM

  address: Mannerheimintie 6 B, 2nd floor (with stairs/elevator)
  Formerly "Don't Tell Mama", DTM is the largest combination of gay cafe, bar, disco and nightclub in Scandinavia, with 2 dance floors and 3 bars. Popular among younger, trendy people and some celebrities. Straights usually welcome, too, as long as they don't "take over" the place. Entrance Su-Th €2.50, F €5, Sa €8 (on special nights fees may vary). Around the corner is Hercules Gay nightclub.

• Hercules Gay Night Club

  address: Lönnrotinkatu 4
  One of the busiest gay nightclubs in Scandinavia, mainly a 30+ clients, dance floor and 2 bare, good for bare-faced cruising. Entrance free; coat check €2.50 (on special guests nights fees may vary). Around the corner is located DTM Gay nightclub.

Lumijaguaari

• Tavastia/Semifinal

  address: Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6
  One of the most prominent rock clubs in Scandinavia, a must see for fans of live rock of any kind. Semifinal has smaller indie/alternative bands for a young crowd. On special nights the two clubs are joined, but usually they host separate gigs. Tickets for all gigs can be bought in advance from the Tiketti ticket sellers next door. The annual Tavastia new year party is an institution in itself, with fans flying from all over the world for the show.

• The Tiger

  address: Urho Kekkosen katu 1
  Formerly Lux, this is a contestant for the title of Helsinki's classiest mainstream nightclub, with its dress code, stylish decor, relatively high prices and an age limit of 24. Five bars, two spacious terraces, a VIP lounge and six luxurious booths that can be reserved. Live music on Thur.

• El Patron

  address: Simonkatu 6
  Tries to profile itself as a nightclub for trendy young adults. You can lie on couches next to the crowded dance floor while sipping some bubbly.

MattiPaavola

Budget

• Omena Hotel Yrjönkatu

  address: Yrjönkatu 30
  A self-service budget hotel concept with no front desk in the centre near Kamppi. Book and pay on the Internet and let yourself in with a passcode. Toilet, shower, 26" LCD-television, small fridge, microwave, water kettle + disposable cups, coffee, tea, hair dryer and dining table. Omena-breakfast €7.50/person. Business-package €16/night includes Internet connection, two volitional movie per day and breakfast. Parking €17.50/night. Omena hotellis have been established in most major Finnish cities and are used widely by Finns travelling in their own country.

• Omena Hotel Lönnrotinkatu

  address: Lönnrotinkatu 13
  The same budget hotel chain has another hotel a couple of blocks south.

• Hotel Finn

  phone: +358 9 6844360
  address: Kalevankatu 3B
  A young, regenerating hotel in the city center. Even though the rooms are small and fairly no-frills, the hotel is comfortable and cheap. Under new management, the hotel seems to be getting better (and cheaper) by the day. There are 27 rooms, which can accommodate from one to four people per room. Location absolutely perfect.

Mid-range

• GLO Hotel Art

  phone: +358 10 3444 100
  address: Lönnrotinkatu 29

• Travellers Home

  address: Lönnrotinkatu 16 D
  Central location, clean, and good amenities. Wi-fi €5/day.

Splurge

• Holiday Inn Helsinki West

  phone: +358 9 4152 1000
  address: Sulhasenkuja 3

• Radisson Blu Royal Helsinki

  phone: +358 20 1234 701
  address: Runeberginkatu 2

• Sokos Hotel Aleksanteri

  phone: +358 20 1234 643
  address: Albertinkatu 34
  Situated in the heart of the city in the trendy Punavuori neighbourhood, next to the historical Alexander Theatre.

• Clarion Hotel Helsinki

  phone: +358 10 850 3820
  address: Tyynenmerenkatu 2
  At 78 m, this upscale hotel is one of the highest buildings in all of the Capital Region. 425 rooms, rooftop pool.