Latva is probably my favorite bar in Helsinki and every time I come here I always wonder why I do…read morenot go here more frequently. It is located very close to one of the main streets in the center (the Esplanad) but still the surroundings are very tranquil and especially in summer it is just lovely to sit outside and sip on a glass (of wine or beer). There is seating available indoors as well and that is great for winter and bad weather as well as after 10pm when they have to close outdoors. They offer a great range of micro breweries from around Finland. I do not often find good Finnish beer abroad but here it is clearly shown that it is not because it is jot produced. The staff are very knowledgeable and do take the time to find something that suits your taste. The great thing with Latva is that they do not only have a great selection of beer but also a very good wine selection. The selection by the glass is usually very exciting. As if that was not enough they also serve some pretty great food so when in Helsinki do not miss this place!

Are you looking for a good wine bar in Helsinki? Then come to Latva (Treetop). The small bar in…read morePunavuori offers a big selection of excellent wines from all over the world. Don't just ask for a glass of wine at the bar but take your time to browse through the long list of delicious reds, whites and rosés. If you still can't decide let the staff help you. Just let them know what you normally drink or what you are looking for and they will recommend you something. Latva is not just a place for wine though. They also have tasty local beer on tap. Except for Sandels all their beers come from microbreweries in Finland. Try for example the New Zealand Amber Lager or the light Vehnä wheat beer.

Five stars just for being one of the few places in Helsinki with some proper pinball tables! In…read moregeneral this is a pretty cool bar, seems to be popular with tourists and expats, which is funny because it's up in Kallio where you wouldn't think a bunch of tourists would be. But there you have it, you'll hear lots of different accents of English spoken here. They have 2 pinball tables; at the time I went it was the brand-new Oktoberfest table and the older X-Men one. I drained quite a number of Euros on both, while I was draining a few glasses of their decent but not huge supply of beers. It's known as a hard rock bar but the music isn't all that loud, which is very much to my liking; a similar "hard rock" bar in the US would surely have been blasting the music at the highest possible volume. The pizzas are pretty decent too. I had the "overcooked wild boar" pizza (the menu really does say that), and it basically tasted like a BBQ chicken pizza, but pretty solid.

Simply put best pizzas in Helsinki. Even when compared to Dennis gourmet pizzas loosister still…read morewins by clear margin with taste and price. You can also get glutein free as well as vegan version which is great.

You want to enjoy lunch or just have a drink at one of Helsinki's most beautiful terraces and…read moreoverlook the city at the same time? Then you should go to Loiste on top of Sokos warehouse at Mannerheimintie. They just opened their terrace again for this season. Here you have one of the best views of Helsinki. While sunbathing and sipping from your sparkling wine glass you can watch people on the streets rushing from Kamppi to the tram, see the cars, busses and taxis making their way through Mannerheimintie or see the dome of Tuomiokirkko rise into the sky over the city. Prices here are quite high but it's definitely one of the places you should visit on a sunny day.

Great Terrace when the sun is shinning. ...good view over the Kamppi shopping center…read more One of the places in town with the most horrible service. Do not go for lunch, it is really slow!

Simple but solid lunch buffet in a fun little building overlooking the water with an old-school…read moreScandinavian vibe. They have a few menu items like hamburgers if you aren't a fan of the buffet offerings.

Carelia is one of those places that has been where it is for a long time. It is an old apothecary…read moreturned restaurant almost 20 years ago located in my childhood neighborhood of Töölö. A popular venue among opera-goers and athletes as it is located near to the stadium and the Opera of course. I can't believe that this was the first time I visited as it for sure will not be my last. We were invited for dinner by an old friend of mine, who is also the sommelier of the restaurant. She had picked an aperitif for us, a bottle of Pierre Gimonet Oenophile Premiere Cru 2008. I peaked at the menu and noticed another Gimonet (Cuis1) only around 13 euros for a glass, that is a definitely a fair price here in the Nordics. For food (starters) we ordered the beef tartar and asparagus with Hollandaise accompanied by some semi-sweet Riesling. Both dishes were very good, but I must say the asparagus was perfect, a simple dish with no compromises. For mains we had the classic entrecote with Bernaise, fries and salad, and some tasty small chicken (why is it that the smallest are always the tastiest?). The meat was wonderful and made exactly like we ordered, medium rare (almost mooing). To accompany the mains the sommelier selected a nice Pinot Noir from Chambolle-Musigny. For dessert we shared a platter of cheese, the rhubarb sorbet with almond and rosemary sauce and the Tarte tatin. After the dinner things started getting "out of hand". I am not talking drunken wild, just that we ordered a great many wines for tasting (we ordered one glass of each and split them by four people). The staff were very friendly and understanding of our extensive wine tasting needs, so they arranged several glasses for everyone ans stayed to chat about the wine. We tried several Rieslings from Auslese and a Muscat de Rivesaltes Grand Guilhem. The Rieslings were served from beautiful Magnum bottles and tasted fresh and fruity. The Muscat was interesting with light notes of port wine but a very low alcohol content. A nice dessert wine. To end the evening, we moved to the bar (to get out of the way from hungry opera goers) and ordered another bottle of bubbly: Blanc de Blancs (2007) from Lilbert & Fills (awesome!). All in all Carelia is a beautiful restaurant. The wine list is awesome with closer to 30 different champagnes and prices are not a rip-off. Of course champagne is always quite pricey, but Carelia has clearly positioned its self as a place for wine-lovers, and most wine-geeks will stay home and drink from their own cellar if the restaurant aims to rob you blind. I must say I had similar feelings or reasonable pricing at Sinne Helsinki, so it seems like the Helsinki wine-scene is really starting to get on its feet. The food is nothing innovative (it does not aim to be), but it is classical dishes made extremely well. My salute to the kitchen! Last but not least, the sommelier at the place is really something, so if you visit, I recommend leaving your wine-adventure into her capable hands.

This is a nice brasserie that was near our hotel on Mannerheimintie. I went here once for dinner,…read moreonce for coffee, and it strikes me as a safe, reliable option--nothing will necessarily blow you away, but everything is good, and nothing will let you down either. The service is very good, and the atmosphere is pleasant. They've preserved some of the original decor from the original pharmacy that existed in the space since the 1920s, but the feel of the place is modern. (There is an actual Carelia drugstore around the corner on Runeberginkatu). We had the fish, the veal, and the steak frites, all of which were good. The only thing I'd say is that there are not a lot of options for vegetarians, but for a single meal, most people will still find a good choice. (Also, I didn't ask about it, so it's possible the chef would prepare an off-menu vegetarian option). They also had a nice sourdough bread, and I had an apple sorbet that tasted exactly like an apple. A little bit on the pricier side, but I think worth it if you are looking for a good meal in the area.

High-quality burger joint. The location in the very center if Helsinki makes it easy to visit this…read moreplace. The cheese goat burger, with tasty meat and incredients and accompanied by sweet potato fries, was fantastic. Friendly service and nice ambient. Will come back here when craving a good and juicy burger.

We were thrilled to find Morrison's when traveling in Helsinki. We had an 11 hour flight and were…read morepretty jetlagged and wanted an easy "American" style meal for the family. Luckily I found Morrison's only 3 blocks from our hotel (Hotel Kamp). The menu has something for everyone. They have a good selection of appetizers like mozzarella sticks and loaded fries. The burger list is extensive including chicken and plant-based burgers. There is also a good selection of beer and some wine. I had the weiner schnitzel which was excellent! The burgers were all great and huge. There were also salads and other options. There is a kids menu with burgers, chicken fingers, and pasta. Heads up...the kids burgers are not small! All servers spoke English and were extremely nice to us. The drinks and food came out in a good time. The location is like a small restaurant/diner style. There were about 15-20 tables and there was a large table for our party of 8. Still water was free for the table and they had Pepsi products (the only thing I would change!!). They also do take-away. We loved Morrison's so much that we ate there again on our last night in Helsinki. If you are in the mood for good "American" style food in Helsinki, Morrison's is exactly what you are looking for! We were so jetlagged that I forgot pictures of the food...sorry!!!

Service was fairly fast, they had to change a tap. Lots of beer choices and I liked what they had…read moreon tap. Food was bar food. Plenty of space, good outdoor seating thought it was raining, probably good for sports. We needed something near by. It was ok, not sure I would go back for food, the beer I would!

My husband and I stopped in for some chicken wings and a drink. You order inside and can sit…read moreanywhere either inside or outside. We both got an alcoholic drink. I went with a cider on draft and my husband got a local beer. The wings were meh by chicken wing standards and on the smaller side. The chicken wings come with one dipping sauce and some veggies. The service was quick which was pleasantly surprising. I recommend eating your meal in the patio area for people watching.

We had News Years Eve dinner here with a large group…read more Pros: 1. House made pizza was delicious! The dough was crunchy, and delightful 2. Friendly staff who was knowledgeable about the menu and gave us some solid suggestions. 3. Appetizers and entrees were a good size 4. Wine list was great Cons: 1. Slow service 2. Small dessert menu

I've had both lunch and dinner here. Nice try, but actually the food is below avarage. Service is…read moreslow and the final decision for me not to visit this restaurant ever again, when we we're passing by with my son who had to go to toilet. Presto did not let us in. Gladly, there are lot of nice, friendly restaurants in the neighbourhood. My tip is: skip Presto.