The best view over Helsinki

Helsinki doesn't have many very high buildings. One of the highest ones is Hotel Torni. And on the very top of it you find Ateljee Bar.

Coming up here is a must for every tourist visiting Helsinki. From both their terraces you have a great view over the whole city and can get a good overview of what is where in Helsinki. You can see all of Helsinki's main sights and neighborhoods from Linnanmäki to Kaivopuist, from Katajanokka to Lauttasaari.

But Ateljee is not only a place for tourists. Also for locals it's a great place to come from time to time to see their beautiful city from above and enjoy the view with a glass of wine or an outstanding cocktail.

To get to Ateljee Bar you have to enter from the main entrance of Hotel Torni and take the small evelator to the 12th floor. You have to climb the last steps yourself. And if you are at Ateljee don't forget to go to the bathroom. The toilets here are the most impressive in whole Helsinki.

Check it out!

Excellence at EMO

Are you searching for a really good, stylish restaurant with amazing food and nice service? Then check out EMO in Kasarmikatu.

This relatively new place just around the corner from Esplanadi is the perfect place for a wonderful dinner experience. EMO has a really short menu of all together ten courses. But they are all fantastic. 

I highly suggest, if you are two then get the ten course menu and share it. This way you get to experience everything EMO has to offer. Go on a journey through the best the European kitchen has to offer.

Btw. all the ingredients used at EMO come from small producers and farms around Europe.

And of course don't miss out on the wonderful wines they have. The list is long and the selection really good. Get some recommendations from the staff.

You can also come to EMO just for the wine. Next to their restaurant they also have a nice and cozy wine bar that even offers some delicious EMO snacks.

Enjoy your evening!

Dinner with a Michelin Star

Ravintola Ask is without a doubt one of the best restaurants in Helsinki. And that is not just according to my humble opinion. The Michelin jury agreed and awarded the small restaurant in Kruunuhaka a Michelin star.

Ask is run by the couple Filip and Linda who together with their staff are doing an amazing job of making your evening an unforgettable experience. 

Ask offers a list of eight outstanding dishes and gives you the opportunity to choose four out of them or go for the whole menu. If you have the time (about three to four hours) go for the full experience. You can also choose a wine menu in combination with the food. Single wines are a good choice as well. But in any case ask for their recommendation. All their wines are carefully selected and have their own story.

When it comes to the food be prepared to be amazed. The dinner starts of with two small greetings from the kitchen to give you a first hint of what is still awaiting you. 

At Ask they don't need many words to explain their dishes. The menu doesn't reveal to much. The food here speaks for itself.

All their ingredients that come from farmers and producers are organic and biodynamic.

If you want to experience Ask for yourself don't forget to book a table in advance. The restaurant is quite small. And if you are planning on having all eight courses don't be there too late. It takes a while.

Enjoy and have a wonderful time at Ask!

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.

The Mexican from Shanghai

Do you already have some plans for the next days? What about a lovely dinner with delicious Mexican food?

One of the best Mexican places you can find in Helsinki is Shanghai Cowboy. Well, and as the name already suggests it's not pure Mexican but Mexican fusion kitchen with a hint of Asia.

The here has a really fresh taste and the combinations they use remind a bit of Farang and Gaijin. Still it's a completely different experience. Try e.g. their Salmon on Stone Bread which is a good started to share for two.

A wonderful main dish (also good for sharing) are the Beef Tacos. The absolute highlight from their kitchen are the Choclate and Coke Ribs. You'll love them, believe me. And don't let the name scare you away. You can check out the whole menu from their website.

Shanghai Cowboy is located at Erottaja and shares entrance and premises with Adam's. It's a rather small restaurant so get a reservation especially if you plan on coming here during the weekend.

A taste of Asia at Gaijin

One of my all time favorite restaurants in Helsinki is for sure Farang. Fortunately the owners of this lovely place also have two other restaurants in the city one of which is Gaijin.

 

Gaijin follows Farang's footsteps a bit, but is still a completely different experience after all. Their menu takes you to North Asia and also manages to surprise with a unique combination of tastes and flavors.The interior is more cozy and intimate then what you might know from Farang.

I would highly recommend a tasting menu here as well. Those menus of around eight to ten small dishes will make your taste buds celebrate. 

Enjoy some Soft Shell Crab with apple and fennel, flavored with honey, mirin and hazelnut.

And get carried away by the tenderness and taste of the Baby Back Pork Ribs.

Gaijin also has really nice cocktails. You should consider having one as an aperitif.

Prices are in the same range at Farang. But the money you pay definitely pays off. Don't forget to make a reservation in advance!

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!

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

Chjoko in Kruunuhaka is THE place for chocolate lovers. The small shop offers a pretty impressive selection of classic and extraordinary chocolate products. And almost all of it is self-made.

Try their heavenly pralines, cakes and petit fours. And don’t miss out on their macarons! They are some of the best I ever had.

Of course there is also chocolate ice cream. You’re saying chocolate ice cream is boring? Then you haven’t tried the ones at Chjoko. They have several different versions all based on either white, milk or dark chocolate combined with some spicy or fruity flavors.

Oh, and if you are a real chocolate fan you might want to come to their Saturday ChocolateBrunch where you can try and eat as much as you can for just 16 €.

Enjoy!

The favorite-place-finder

The Visit Helsinki blog just launched a cool new tool. It can help you find your favorite place in Helsinki. And that might be one you have never even heard of before.

It’s really easy. Go to www.visithelsinki.fi/favouriteplace and answer three short questions about what you’d like your favorite place to be like. The tool will then give you loads of great suggestions on how to spend an amazing weekend in Helsinki exploring new and interesting places that suit exactly your preferences.

If you participate you can even win a Helsinki travel package for four. So don’t wait and find your favorite places in Helsinki right away!

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!

More space at Skiffer

Skiffer on Liuskaluota is one of the must-go places in Helsinki during the summer. They have the best pizza and one of the top summer terraces in the city. And since this year their terrace got bigger.

Anyway I highly recommend coming their early if you want to get a table. Be there around five if you want to have dinner at Skiffer.

Skiffer is open from Tuesday to Thursday between 12:00 and 21:00, Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 till 22:00 and on Sundays from 12:00 till 19:00. For more information on the place read the HelsinkiIn review or check out Skiffer’s website.

Fazer brunch for insiders

The brunch at Fazer on Kluuvikatu is well known and very popular. But have you tried the Fazer brunch on the top floor of Stockmann at Tema already? Enjoy a top quality brunch for a reasonable price in a stylish and comfortable environment.

Most people probably don’t even know that the eighth level at Stockmann has more to offer than just a café. But when you leave the elevator and turn to the right you will soon come to Ravintola Tema that is part of the Fazer group. They have Sunday brunch from 12 to 17:00. For just 19,90€ you can eat from the buffet which includes a wide assortment of delicious starters and desserts. For an additional 10 € you can also have warm main dish. But believe me the buffet will make you more than happy. You find everything from fresh salads with asparagus, shrimps, olives and feta cheese to cold smoked salmon, chicken curry or beef with spring onion topped with raspberry sauce. But keep some space for a sweet berry smoothie and one of the heavenly Fazer cakes for dessert.

The brunch at Tema is no doubt one of the best you can find in Helsinki. And since it’s not that well known yet you don’t have to worry about not getting a table or queuing for the buffet.

Enjoy your brunch!

Food in perfection at Rafla

Helsinki has lots of really good restaurants. One of the best is definitely Rafla. It’s located on Uudenmaankatu and one of the most popular dinner places in Helsinki.

 

Rafla offers excellent food with a Scandinavian and French touch. The menu is not overloaded with millions of different dishes but you can be sure to be amazed by the taste no matter what you choose.

Should you take a starter you should seriously consider trying one of the absolute highlights though: the beef carpaccio with wasabi dressing.  And keep some space for the dessert. It’s a shame to miss out on them.

 

Consider reserving a table beforehand at Rafla. Considering the quality of the food you get the prices at Rafla are really reasonable.

Prepare to be amazed and enjoy!

Best falafel in town

If you want to try real good falafel there is no way around Fafa’s. Their diner in Iso Robertinkatu is already well known and always crowded. Recently they opened a second place in Kallio on Vilhovuorenkatu. This one is pretty small but also offers the same amazing food. And it’s as fresh as it gets since here they also bake the bread that is used in both diners.

To make the waiting easier they always serve a small snack of olives and roasted bread. But keep some hunger left for the main dish. It’s great! Go e.g. with the Falafel & Halloumi. Of course you can also get your pita with kebab meat.

Enjoy!