Cancel

Open app

Search

Café Esplanad

3.6 (33 reviews)
ModerateCoffee & Tea, Sandwiches
Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Café Esplanad Photos

CAFÉ ESPLANAD ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - Café Esplanad

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Salmon soup and dark bread.  Nice.
Lisa G.

Cafe Esplanad is a good place if you are looking for an easy meal on a popular street. Is it great food? Eh. Is it good food if you need something while walking around being a proper tourist? Sure. My friend and I were in Helsinki for the day and he had talked about getting salmon soup. He had been here before and enjoyed it so while shopping a couple of stores down from Cafe Esplanad, we headed over. Before we headed to the restaurant, we asked the cashier of the shop if Cafe Esplanad was a good place for this soup. She said, well, its okay" while shrugging. Well, she was right. It was ... "okay." It was good for a quick meal. It was hot, semi-tasty but not great. We also got a rhubarb pastry that was okay as well. It wasn't life changing but it was satisfactory. For those tourists who are eating here, its helpful to know that there are trays set up on both sides of the U shaped counter when you walk in. So, you pick up a tray on either side and order in the middle. Get in line if there is one. Its confusing if you don't know the drill and you will be ignored if you don't know how to order. Its not the friendliest place but were busy when we visited ... and we were tourists. As for the location itself, its a great place to take a break and you can sit inside or outside and watch the world go by. They also offer more private seating to the right up some little stairs if you prefer less bustle. Restrooms (or the WC) can be found up there as well. So, there ya go. It's an okay place with okay food.

Tuna and Salmon salad
Ivy W.

Since my trip through Scandinavia, I have become so much more grateful for free Wi-Fi. All major cities should take a cue from Taipei and offer free Wi-Fi for everyone! But one can only dream, right? Anyway, without Wi-Fi nor data while traveling abroad, Yelp and TripAdvisor apps are deemed useless; you end up picking a random restaurant with a decent amount of people inside and hope for the best. Thankfully, there is free Wi-Fi at Café Esplanad. We came here for a light snack after the lunch rush hour. The restaurant is more quick-service, where you order at the counter, grab your food, and take it to an available table. There's a U-shaped counter in the center and it was kind of confusing trying to figure out how it worked. The counter seemed to be sectioned off into threes: pastries, sandwiches/salads, and coffee, but there didn't seem to be an order/cashier area anywhere. We ended up sharing a soup and a tuna and salmon salad. I didn't try the soup, but the salad was decent. The fish was fresh but the salad itself was quite bland as they don't give too much dressing. Café Esplanad wouldn't be my first pick again if I'm ever back in the area, but I'd have no problem using their free Wi-Fi to find another place to eat...

Anthony G.

Old fashioned cafe in Helsinki where you can sit inside the posh interior or if the weather is good, grab a table outside and people watch off Esplanadi. Came for breakfast and though both pastries were really good, the house coffee was awful. Service was slightly rude and this was probably the most expensive breakfast I ever had. A couple pastries and a couple coffees nearly €20! It's touristy so that's to be expected. If you gave extra bucks to piss away then this is a good place to stop for a pastry.

Nice little café in the heart of The Esplanad.

See all

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Ivy W.
1735
1367
2867

12 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 8
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of John E.
88
108
246

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of David P.
1046
1057
120

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Aus B.
0
151
3

13 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

This place is so mediocre. They also don't serve breakfast all day. It's overhyped, Go someplace else.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Joe F.
25
108
10

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

19 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Café Esplanad Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Café Esplanad

Each visit to Finland we go there about two to three times a week, for a refresher (coffee), pastry, and/or lunch via the salmon soup.

Mentioned in 5 reviews

Read more highlights

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

Bock - Terrace - Bock Terrace hammock

Bock - Terrace

5.0(2 reviews)
0.5 kmKruununhaka
€€

Nothing can be better than lying in that yellow hammock and watching light blue summer night skies…read moreand seagulls cruising it after a marvelous Street Gastro sandwich. There is no English menu, but the staff will explain all options you have: beef, pork, chicken or vegetables only. 9 € each and knowing that portions in Finland are generally generous, I expected a huge sandwich and did not get disappointed. No matter how starved you are, you will need that hammock to relax and digest afterwards ;o). Stretching out with a full tummy feels so good! And it was a smart excuse to listen to the club lounge music they were playing much longer. So get the sandwiches, get the chilling vibes and get into Helsinki´s white summer nights!

Are you searching for a new summer terrace in the city to have a drink and also something nice to…read moreeat? Then look no further and check out the Bock Terrace of Street Gastro. The amazing sandwiches of Street Gastro were mentioned here on HelsinkiIn before and are of course also available there. The back yard in the torikortteli offer much more though. Here you can sit down on one of the comfortable outdoor sofas or even jump into the hammock if you like. Bock Terrace of course also has some good summer drinks on the menu. Appart from wine and beer you can also go for a delicious Aperol Spritz while enjoying the cozy athmosphere of the place. On the weekend the Bock Terrace is open till midnight and has DJ music. Check it out!

Photos
Bock - Terrace - The hammock :oD

The hammock :oD

Bock - Terrace - The terrace

The terrace

Bock - Terrace - ... sandwiches under the tree :o) ...

See all

... sandwiches under the tree :o) ...

Café Esplanad - coffee - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...