Cozy and delicious spot in Helsinki with a lovely warm atmosphere. There is a fairly limited menu…read moreand you can do a 3-course tasting, but it may be worth checking ahead if you're picky (but note it is veg-friendly). They have a nice variety of wines as well to go with your meal. Everyone seemed to enjoy everything immensely.

Wonderful cozy spot perfect for dinner with friends or a date night. You can choose from a set…read morecourse menu of two or three courses. We weren't hungry so we choose the two courses. The menu changes every two weeks depending on what is fresh and available. While the food was excellent, what puts this restaurant at a five star level is the personalized service. It is a one man show in here - he is probably the owner, manager, and wait staff all in one. He came over to our table, had a small talk about our tastes, and suggested an excellent red wine to go with our meal. So far this is normal for most restaurants of this caliber. As we were finishing our meal, he came over and asked if we want dessert. I was hesitant and my husband was too full for dessert. However, Mr. All-in-one (I cannot remember his name) encouraged us to try the dessert and then brought us some dessert wine to try (on the house!). He explained to us how this particular wine pairs well with the dessert. The best part is that he genuinely wanted us to enjoy our meal and experience his wonderful hospitality. That alone puts this restaurant on the five star level. Service beyond excellence and the food is delicious! One of the highlights of our culinary tour of Helsinki.

The food is good and the pasta portions are bigger than they appear on the photos because they…read moreserve in deep dishes . I was disappointed by not getting bread with the meal because the sauce was very good. there is not table service , they have beer and wine . I would repeat for lunch , not dinner .

Great service and wonderful food! We found Cafe Bar 9 while out walking and decided to stop in…read more Very glad we did. We will definitely be back.

Perfect 5 course dinner in this 1 year old fine dining Restaurant in Southern Helsinki near the…read moreRussian Embassy. The owner is former Michelin star chef. Perfect wines and nice staff. I recommend.

We were very cold and wet from a nasty weather day and wanted to try something warm. Also wanted…read moresomething local to Helsinki as well and Yelp said this one would satisfy our taste buds. Not a single tourist in site, everyone speaking Finnish so we knew this was the perfect spot. Had only 30 minutes before lunch ended so we ate quick and snapped as many pictures as I could. Very interesting salads with unique dressings, most them couldn't tell what in the world made them taste so good. Helsinki proved to be awesome and to not copy Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Finland borders Russia on the East side which might be why their foods are so different and yet so delectable. Would be better to visit when the weather is warmer with some sunshine. For sure would return to this place as it was superb!

Love the unpretentious lunch hidden in the street corners of Helsinki city centre here. You kind of…read morehave to look for a place as it doesnt have street front...just a sign they put outside to say they are open...and you kind of have to brave yourself to step in a small corner inside the streets to actually get to the restaurant. There are all types of clienteles here and you pay right when you arrive, get your plate, grab your food from the buffet line and seat whereever the table is free. Pretty casual and stress free...and the staff there do run like a well-oiled machine. They clear thr empty plates and clean the tables, and refill the food in tje buffet line as much as they can. The buffet line has a section for vegetarian and regular hot meal food. There's also a separate corner to grab your own tea/coffee as you wish, too. For ~€12 and quality all you can eat lunch...this is a very very good deal! I did try everything from the buffet line and they all tasted fresh! I had 2 full plates and a cup of tea..and didn't feel bloated after eating so much afterwards at all. If I had time to come back to Helsinki again, I would definitely want to have lunch here again. I debated goinf back there again my last day in Helsinki but unfortunately didn't have enough time to go back there...else I would be back there again! Give yourself and your friends a nice casual lunch when you are in Helsinki and you will be happy to stopped by for sure!

Ties for best pizza in Helsinki. I know, I know...the reindeer pizza that is not on the menu is the…read morereal draw but for a vegan who likes to break her own rules every now and then, The choose-your-own €14 pizza with 4 toppings can't be beat! Go with bleu cheese, sweet pepper, onion, and rucola and you will be in heaven. The interior reminds me of my favorite place in my hometown (San Francisco), so warm and modern and cozy all at the same time. Nothing utilitarian or mundane about Central: a nice, sleek bar pairs well with the down to earth dining room. They have a large(ish) terrace for nice days, and the service is good while the food comes quickly. We recently entertained friends from San Francisco who loved Central. I highly recommend. Great value, great prices, delicious food, and good vibes. Definitely in my top 5 faves for Helsinki.

What I like about Central is that they have a child-friendly corner and some toys to distract them…read more And that there's a children's menu, even though there's not a lot of healthy choices with vegetables. I've always found the food a little dissapointing; either too fatty, too much sauce, or just not very tasty. But it definately is what I would call 'comfort food' and the dishes remind me of food that was commonly served a generation ago (my parents). The staff is friendly.

Excellent service and food. The atmosphere is cozy and upscale. I cannot say enough about the…read moredishes. All were very good - not a single misstep. Cannot say that very often.

What an absolutely wonderful dining experience. It is obvious that the staff work together and…read moreenjoy presenting unique and interesting flavors.

Ari was the best bartender we met in Helsinki! His cucumber martini and the punches were the best…read moredrinks I've ever had! Would recommend you visit.

I would not know whether or not to recommend this place for food, but it's awesome for drinks! They…read morehave a large wine selection, housemade punches, and carry Finnish gin and make great cocktails!

Fine dining in this part of town is the norm, therefore , I expect the very best …read more Nevertheless, there was an atmosphere which cannot be fabricated. laughs and chatter from almost every table...loved it ! I had the Toasted duck and others had the pike perch. they were both extremely tasteful. the combination of vegetables and ingredients was something to look forward to . I with I would've had an appetizer because the portion was a little small for my big appetite. We had the Tarte Tatin for dessert, which is basically vanilla ice cream over heated apple pie. service was good . I would repeat to try other dishes . Reasonable prices, considering the area.

We know that we were in a pricier touristy area when we came across this restaurant. However, this…read moreis one of the best meals that we had during our visit to Finland. We were unable to get a reservation online so we decided to see if we can walk in and we were warmly received. We were given a very comfortable table in the center of the dining room. We opted to order the steak and fries, as well as escargot and the smoked trout. The bread service was also outstanding. We paired our meal with a cocktail and a glass of wine. Service was very friendly and helpful. We then finished with an apple dessert. We almost returned the second night, but we were too tired from sightseeing all day. I highly recommend this location and would definitely return in the future.

Date of visit: 9/4/2024…read more What a let down! We had high hope for this restaurant as it was our last meal in Helsinki and hubby had had enough of eating salmon and shrimps and reindeers lol. Anyways, almost all orders were a mess! Hubby's orders: - Pastis escargots gratinated with Roquefort: EXTREMELY SALTY! The sauce was inedible! - Foie Gras brioche with apple and thyme chutney: it was a slice of liver, lightly cooked (pan fried) served on a piece of brioche. Def not how we usually had it in France. Not a fan! - Grilled flank steak with roasted carrot and sauce bavaroise: Not good! Meat was neither tender nor juicy. The sauce was also bad. Hubby knows his way around his meat so when he says no good, it's better to stay away from it! - Pastis truffle fries: the fries on its own was fantastic, the sauce it comes with, however, was really REALLY salty to the point it was inedible! I ordered the 4-course Menu du Chef (set menu): - Tartar ala Pastis with egg yolk and dijonnaise: shrimp tartar. it was ok. - Chantarelle soup with pickled chantarelles and pepper oil: delicious! - Poached cod with savoy cabbage and creamy tomato sauce: fish was perfectly cooked (confit). Sauce was ok, again a bit on the salty side. - Dessert was poached pear with some cream on top: not a fan. We ended up just eating the poached pear for not wanting to waste it. Service was great. When asked why some dishes were extremely salty, our server just answered that's how Finnish people like their food: with a lot of salt! We were like REALLYYYYYY?!?!?!?! Oh well!

This French restaurant has a lively ambience perfect for a date night or nice evening out! The…read moreservice is amazing and the food is fabulous!! You simply can't go wrong on any menu item. The cream of asparagus soup is to die for! Be sure to order it. It's creamy and delish! We ate here a couple times on our visit to Helsinki because the food and ambiance was so lovely. This is a must visit!!