Holy Moly! This place was great! Stark bleak and minimalist interior is endearing as the food is phenomenal. Best döner I have had probably anywhere! Not much more to say... Try it and love it! Chicken off the spit was great and the seitan was juicy and perfect as well! Good Hungarian bell pepper soup and I don't even like bell peppers. My only wish is that there was more more more! Great lounas deal. Go try it soon! read more

Döner Harju - Can't wait to return - Kebab Near Me - Helsinki, 18

Fly in to a place you never visited. Looking for that hole in the wall with a interesting crowd, relaxed vibe, semi hipster location and great food and beer. Extra points for having a vegetarian orientation. Maybe even fast, efficient service and a funky set up, oh yeah. It's raining and we've walked from the station to Kallio the long way around the harbor to see the sights. We make it to Made in Kallio, a shop specializing in local designer items. I bet she has a good idea for lunch. We ask for vegetarian and no hesitation, Doner Harju a block away. You can take the 9 tram from the main station and be there in 12 minutes. For around € 9.50 you get a self serve soup, a plate with your choice of sliced meat kebab style but the best part are the veggies sides and salad piled high on the plate. A massive portion of goodness eaten in a crowded but happy room or out on the terrace. Served on metal plates this place would be a smash hit in San Francisco as a mash up in the Mission but here it is just the real deal. Be sure to try their carefully curated selection of Finnish beers. You will really like this place. read more

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No English menu, but they speak English and will translate the menu for you. Here's what you need to know! Three options of fillings: 1. Lamb 2. Chili chicken 3. Vegetarian Two serving options: 1. On a plate with veggies 2. In a wrap One plate and drink was €18 This place serves delicious food and the staff is super friendly and helpful. The portions of food are huge too, so although it's not the cheapest, you get your money's worth. The plate comes with three different types if salads, meat, hummus, and a pita. read more

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The pickles on top of the sandwich were really good but gave me too much hope for the rest of it. The lamb was awkwardly seasoned and didn't taste very clear, the sauces were average, and the bread was flavorless and a bit soggy. It's worth noting more generally how the menu works---you can get chicken, lamb, or seitan, as a sandwich or a full plate. And that's it. Minimalist indeed (even more of why I was disappointed...). read more

Truly amazing! We ended up at Döner Harju after our first choice was closed. I am so glad our first choice was closed, otherwise we never would have discovered this restaurant. The menu was simple; just a few choices of lamb, chili chicken or a vegetarian options. We ordered the lamb and the chicken. Wow! What flavor! We enjoyed every single bite. The apple-habañero sauce gave it an extra kick. We sat outside on a Saturday night and we're so happy we found this little diner-like place just around the corner from our Airbnb. This is definitely a must-experience place while you are in Helsinki. read more

A great döner place, best kebab in Helsinki! I love their pitas! They usually have loads of coriander and mint in the sauce, so if you don't like these herbs, remember to ask them not to add the sauce. The service has always been very friendly and relaxed. Döner Harju is still somewhat trendy, which means rush sometimes. The place is always full and very plain and bar-like; you are not expected to sit and chat there long after you have finished your dish. There's also only one toilet for customers, which means you have to queue quite long time sometimes. read more

This was my first time at the restaurant. I'm a vegetarian, so my reviews are always going to be based on the veggie meals. I ordered a seitan döner to take away. Plus sides: It was 8,50 €, and the size was big enough. I though about ordering the plate version, which is a bit more expensive; or ordering french fries on a side. I'm glad I didn't, because it was really filling. The quality of the sandwich was excellent. The bread (some kind of pita bread) was really good and crispy. The tomato slices were ripe, red, and tasty. The seitan's texture was great. It was crispy and consistent enough, without being too heavy. There was some fresh celery and parsley. The celery's flavour is strong, and it makes an important part in the general taste of the sandwich. The parsley is uncut, so it's easy to take it out, if you want to. There was also a tiny little bit of onion, and some lettuce. The sauce tasted like greek yoghourt or tzatziki. It was really yummy, however, I regret I forgot to ask whether the sauce was vegan or not. So do remember to ask if you're a vegan or have lactose intolerance. Overall, the taste was great. Crispy, fresh, full of flavour. I definitely recommend this sandwich, and I'll order it again! Minus sides: Even though I gave the place 5 stars, there's always room for improvement; so here we go. Eating the sandwich was really, really messy. I do recommend that you ask for a fork and a knife. The seitan file fell off the pita bread, and my hands were dripping with oil and sauce. I had to run to wash them. The place does smell like cooking oil, they have an open kitchen. The smell still surprised me, because we're talking about an above-the-average fast food restaurant. I ordered take away, but had I eaten in the restaurant, my clothes would have most likely catched the smell. The decoration was simple and minimalistic. It could be cozier, however, this can be a matter of taste. Due to the open kitchen it's not a quiet place, but then again, we're talking about a fast food restaurant. Overall, I highly recommend the place. Do give it a try! read more

This is not a secret - absolutely the best vegetarian fast food place in Kallio (Harju). Delicios Seitan Kebabs, and small but tasty selection of Finnish can beers. Highly Recommend! Bevare, there might be a long line or full house even in weekdays. read more

Fantastic Doner! This is one of those little lunch restaurants that you see everywhere in Helsinki. Get lunch including soup, water and coffee for 9,50. I had the caulieflower soup as a starter, which was good. The main gives you a choice of regular kebab, pork and halloumi. I had the halloumi one, which turned out to be a great choice. Served with bread, salad, spicy sauce and garlic sauce this is a real winner! Great taste and a good portion. No wonder this place is always jam packed! Must go for lunch. read more

Döner Harju - Cauliflower soup - Kebab Near Me - Helsinki, 18

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Honestly, compared to Central Europe the döner kebab you find in Helsinki is normally not really that good. At least that is what I thought so far. But then a friend introduced me to Döner Harju. And that is really something special, I can tell you. Döner Harju can't be spotted that easily from outside. Like most of the really good places in Helsinki they don't make any big fuzz about themselves through banners or such outside. But you might quite easily spot them anyway. Just look out for the long queue at the entrance. At Döner Harju you have different meat choices that vary depending on what they just decided to put on their big döner sticks. You can then choose between leipä (the take away version) and lautanen (on a plate, if you'd rather have something more and would like to eat there). Whatever you choose, it's great. They have their own ideas how to make the meat taste a bit more special then the normal boring kebab meat you find in so many other places. With it come fresh, crisp vegetables and salad all wrapped up in a freshly baked ciabatta bread. Fancy a bit with that? They have four different Keisari (from the can though) here. A really good choice with the döner and anyway some of the best Finnish beer you can find. Give it a try and enjoy! read more

What a great place for lunch. I've been here several times, and I typically have the chicken plate which comes with a fresh vegetable mix (new each day), tzatziki with fresh herbs/mint, bread, soup, and coffee or tea. Fantastic doner/kebab/shawarma, and I think the chicken is the best, although the lamb is good too. I'm still getting used to the practice of a red tomato sauce on dishes like this, but at Doner Harju it's great - much better than other doner places. Overall, it's excellent food for only about €9.50. read more

Try their apple-habanero sauce, it's delicious! Also the chili chicken meal is very good.

The lamb kebab is absolutely amazing. Döner Harju is truly one of the best kebab places I've ever eaten at. The plate consists of rich, meaty and succulent lamb meat served with all the good trimmings; hummus, yogurt sauce, chili sauce, couscous, pickled cucumber and carrot, red cabbage slaw and some lovely bread (a crossing between naan and focaccia). This is truly amazing. Worth the stroll from city centre. read more

Best Döner in Helsinki! Offers vegetarian döner as well! It's usually packed, so you might not find a place to sit right away.

Visiting Helsinki and ordered in from Foodora. I can't say enough good things about my meal. Absolutely delicious and abundant! Definitely put them on your list for eating in or going out! Thank you!! read more

Helsinki in early March was a mixture of melting slushy snow and minimalist brutalist architecture* as I started my hunt for Döner Harju. Still feeling the jet lag of having flown in from Washington DC the night before I thought I'd shut my eyes for a moment when I noticed that outside the train had gone from the city center to a white wonderland within ten minutes. Sigh, less than five minutes into my hunt for shawermas and I was already lost. It had started to snow again. A quick check on the smartphone (data plans while traveling are the best) told me I had overshot Harju by quite a distance. I got off and took the train back and with a little help with locals (who while they can seem very reserved actually melt as quickly as the snow) figured out that I was supposed to take the tram, not the train. Finally, I got into the tram (in my defense those icons look very similar on google maps) but feeling a little unsure I asked a kindly looking elderly gentleman if I was going in the right direction. He asked where exactly I was trying to get to and showed him the shawerma shop I'm trying to get to. He said yes I'm going the right away and a few minute of silence adds of how he remembered when pizzas and shawermas first came to Helsinki not too long ago. He remembered when Harjun first opened it had lines going right out the door. He gets off at the correct stop with me and points the shop out to me as he mutters a few more reminiscents while walks away. I'm here. It's shawerma time! The outside of the shop looks great with a lovely logotype (yes this is that kind of review - if you haven't figured it out yet this activity is an exercise in personal indulgence). You can see the kitchen from outside and inside is very modern and inviting. But we are here to eat. I make my way to the counter and 15 Euros get's me a plate of shawerma that I believe is lamb (Lammasleipä) and I marry that with a grapefruit soda. The first thing you notice as you bite the shawerma is the fresh cilantro and pickled veggies. Both of which add a freshness to the overall taste. The meat is a bit overly processed and a little bland in my view. There was no individual texture to the lamb. Also, the way it had been sliced off lacked in crispiness to the meat when allowed to properly brown against a grill. The yogurt sauce isn't doing much to help. Light but not certainly not something that stands out. The bread was a very nice flattened bun (probably this type of bread has a specific name in Finland that if anyone can share I'd love to know more about). All to say that with the predominant flavors being more of cilantro and pickles in some good bread I was left me feeling the sandwich was little unbalanced. This was before I tried the hot sauce... The unsuspecting little jar of sauce on the side packed a huge flavor. It had a sweet tangy start and ended with a big spicy kick that frankly kicked this shawerma into high gear. It was so good I had to ask the vendor what was in this amazing sauce. Proudly she shared it was made in house with Habenero peppers and Apples. Damn, it was good. I'd buy bottles of it if I could. The grapefruit soda is bitter and with a sharp sweet taste. Unexpected but quite good. A perfect for settling the spice of the habanero/apple hot sauced shawerma. Hmm. I was a happy customer. Overall I'd say it started off being a solid B shawerma for me but with the Harjun Omena-Habanero hot sauce, it really levels it up to a B+. Definitely, a place to check out if you are Helsinki! read more