Primula goes Skiffer

After being closed for a while the new renovated Primula opened again a couple of weeks ago. The renewed place comes also with a new concept.

Half of the location was turned into the Old Skiffer, a new gin bar by the owners of the Skiffer restaurants. The other half remained Primula which still offers delicious modern Scandinavian food which is now complemented with the famous Skiffer liuskas (pizzas).

Pay it a visit and dine in a stylish yet cozy sail style ambiance. And if you are still up for it, head over for a perfect gin or Skiffer's own brewed beer at the Old Skiffer next door.

Or go check out Primula for their brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Candy wonderland in Punavuori

If you are into candies and sweets there is one place you should not miss out on. Roobertin Herkku is one of the nicest and at the same time probably one of the oldest candy shops in Helsinki. Martti and his sister run it already in the third generation. 

And here you can get pretty much anything a sweet tooth can wish for. From mixed gummibears, licourice and salmiakki to peanut butter cups, caramel and nougat bars, candy stick and even self made ice cream and soda Roobertin Herkku has something for everyone.

After opening on Iso Roba (which also led to the name) it is now located on Frederikinkatu. Check it out! Not just the selection but also decoration is something special.

Brewing dogs and dead ponies

It's Friday! Looking forward for a good beer tonight? Then head to Punavuori and drop by at BrewDog. You might now their bars from other places around the world. Especially in the UK, the origin of the company, you can find their bars in many cities.

But even though BrewDog basically belongs to a chain it has a really original atmosphere to it. And the selection of beers in incredible. Aparts from a good variety of draft beer they have countless bottled ones. Many of their beers are their own productions, such as the Dead Pony Club Ales.

You can get your beer in normal but also in very small sizes which gives you the opportunity to try many different ones on the same visit.

Give it a try and have a great evening!

Meat fresh from the butcher

In Helsinki you normally get all your groceries from the supermarket. Small shops have a hard time competing against the big S and K chain. But luckily you can still find a few local businesses around town.

One of them is Fredan Lihakauppa. It's a typical old fashioned butcher that sticks to one thing and one thing only - good, fresh meat. The shops is located in Frederikinkatu in Punavuori and the perfect address if you need something special for lunch or dinner.

Give it a try. Fredan Lihakauppa is open on weekdays from 10 to 19.00 and on Saturdays from 9 - 17.00.

Casual, central and delicious

Are you searching for a casual place with good beer and decently priced but delicious food? Then come to Café Bar 9. It's located on Uudenmaankatu and the perfect place for a filling lunch or a casual dinner.

Café Bar 9 offers a selection of sandwiches, burgers, pasta, wok, salads and soups for. Mains are around 10 - 18 € and the portions are always quite big. So don't worry about having to leave hungry. One of their all time favorites that made this place favorite is their Pollo Limonello Pasta.

But even if you are not hungry you can alsoways drop by just for a drink and watch people pass by outside on the street.

Give it a try and enjoy!

Great kebab in Punavuori

For years it was basically impossible to find good kebab here in Helsinki. Now suddenly several new places pop up that serve excellent versions of it. After I already reviewed Döner Harju here earlier I came across another fantastic place for Döner and Shawarma. 

What makes Vivo's on Iso Robertinkatu special is that instead of the horrible, horrible meat stripes that are normally used for kebab in Finland they have the real stuff. The meat they have on the grill stick there consists of several layers of real meat slices. This gives their döner and shawarma a whole different quality.

 

 

So if you have longed for the real döner experience and were not lucky to find it in Helsinki then don't waste any time, drop by at Vivo's and enjoy! Vivo's of course also has delicious vegetarian dishes, salads and falafel.

Fine dining without the glamour

Ravintola Kolo in Punavuori doesn't attract much attention when you pass by on the street. In fact you will even have difficulties to read it's name from the outside or even find out that it's a restaurant. Even if you visit their website you won't find out much about them other than there opening times and address. Nevertheless this small restaurant is probably one of the best in town.

Kolo knows how to impress without making much noise about it. The food is served on old dishes that seem to come straight from grandma's cupboard. This along with the size and low-key interior gives the place it's very own atmosphere.

But let's focus on the food. The staff at Kolo really know what they are doing. Both the quality of the food and the service are excellent. I highly recommend going with a three course menu to not miss out on their great appetizers and desserts. Try e.g. their heavenly mussels with homemade potato chips as a starter, some tasty tiger prawns as a main course and enjoy their delicious brownies together with a cup of coffee. The waiters can give you great wine recommendations. Also consider trying their dessert wine. It's really good.

Have a wonderful evening at Kolo! But don't forget to make a reservation before.

Lunch at Maya's

Do you happen to be around Punavouri around the lunch time? Then check out Deli Café Maya for some really good and delicious food. The small deli is located on Punavuorenkatu one blog away from Iso Robertinkatu.

It is really quite small and the interior is kept really simple. But Deli Café Maya has everything you need for a good lunch. First you choose your main dish from one of the daily offers. They always have something vegetarian. Along with the main dish which is prepared for your and will be brought to your table (quite rare in Helsinki) comes a great salad and appetizer buffet. Also a soup is included.

When you're done, take your time for a cup of coffee and maybe a small piece of cake if you like. All included in the price of course.

Check it out!

Hawaii in Helsinki

Are you up for some new tastes in the new year? This long weekend gives you the perfect opportunity to try out nice restaurants in Helsinki. One of the best ones is Hoku.

The small place in Punavuori has a Japanese-Hawaiian fusion kitchen and that is something you shouldn't miss out on. The simple interior is dominated by bamboo and wood and together with some small pictures from Haiwaii makes you feel a bit like being on a vacation.

But the best thing at Hoku is of course the food. Go e.g. for a typical Japanese starter like Edamame (soy beans) or some Gyoza (filled dumplings).

For the main course you can choose from a selection of wonderful meat and fish dishes like Braised Crispy Pork Belly, Bi Bim Bap (Teriyaki Beef) or Salmon Teriyaki. And why not have a Hawaiian Longboard beer with your dinner to make the experience complete.

Portions at Hoku are big and filling. But if you still can after the main course you should also go for one of their delicious deserts like the Guava Cheesecake or the Fudge Brownie with Kahlua Ice Cream.

Enjoy!

Less beef, more fun

Despite its name We Got Beef in Punavuori is not a butcher or a steakhouse. Actually they don’t have much to do with beef at all. But what they have is a lot of party, drinks and fun.

We Got Beef is one of the most well know places in Helsinki. Since its opening in 2003 this bar and club has established itself as one of THE places to be in the city. We Got Beef hosts all kinds of gigs from Reggae to Rock, from Hip Hop to Jazz. Show up on the weekend for some DJs and dancing or for just hanging out with your friends for a drink.

Una cerveza, por favor!

The weekend starts again. And that is always a good opportunity to try out new places in the city.

My recommendation for today is Los Cojones. This Spanish bar was opened not long ago and is already one of the most popular places for drinks in town.

Los Cojones is decorated with attention to details. The Spanish theme can be seen in every part of the bar. You can even sit in a small bull fight arena. You also find the Spanish influence in their selection of drinks. You won’t find such a wide range of beers and wines that you might be used to from other places in the city but almost everything they offer comes from Spain. So time to try something new.

Oh, and be there early. Especially on weekends it gets crowded in no time.

Have a great weekend! 

Perfect sushi in Punavuori

You might have read my review of Sushibar + Wine calling it THE place you should go for sushi in Helsinki. Well, that is not entirely true. You can also get the same great sushi at Sushibar in Punavuori by the same owners.

Located in Uudenmaankatu this small sushi place offers the same quality and the same wonderful wines you also find at Kampintori. All together there are now four of their places in Helsinki. For directions check their website.

Tip: Try the EDAMME soy bean next time as a starter while you wait for your sushi. They are delicious!

Coffee break in Brooklyn

One of the probably coziest cafés in Helsinki can be found in Punavouri. The Brooklyn Café, run by two American sisters is a place where you immediately feel at home.

The space is limited in this small café which means that especially on the weekends you will have to share a table to fit in – something pretty unusual for Finns. But this way you always meet new interesting people. This, the friendly service and the really good pastry are what makes this place special. Everything from bagels to blueberry crumble muffin is homemade – and you can taste it.

Drop by and stay for a cup of coffee or two. And you might even leave with some new friends.

Organic every day

Wouldn’t it be great to have a store that sells organic food but at the same time provides you with everything you need for your daily life?

Well that’s what the owners of Aitokauppa (the real shop) thought, too. And so they opened a shop in Helsinki that do exactly that. Aitokauppa in Punavuori is not just an organic shop. It fully replaces a supermarket offering everything you need.

If there is no organic alternative they at least make sure they products they sell are local and as high quality as possible.

Deutsche Bäckerei

Did you know that there is a German bakery in Punavuori? Crustum is located on Pursimiehenkatu and offers anything you will also find in a good bakery in Germany. No matter if it’s delicious Graubrot, crunchy Krustenbrot or wonderful sweet pastry.

Crustum is also a café. So sit down, enjoy your pastry together with a reasonably priced coffee and listen to German radio and read German magazines at the same time. Crustum is run by a German family who managed to make this place original.

Come and try it out!

Wine in the treetop

Are you looking for a good wine bar in Helsinki? Then come to Latva (Treetop). The small bar in Punavuori 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.

Enjoy your evening!