Lighten up your day with a piece of cake

Did you know that you can get some of the best cakes in Helsinki at Herkku and the backery at Stockmann? They make and sell some sweet, delicious cakes and pastries.

Get them for take away or have a slice right there.

Brooklyn's best

The Brooklyn Café in Frederikinkatu is probably one of the nicest small, cute cafés Helsinki has. And their pastry is just amazing. It's freshly made every day by the two owners and one of the best things about this wonderful place.

Did you know that it's also possible to have their gorgeous cakes, muffins, cupcakes and more also as a take away? Just a few meters up the street from the café you find the Brklyn Bakery that has all those wonderful treats for you to take home with you.

Check it out and 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!

Sweet, sweet, sweet

Do you like it sweet? Really sweet? Are you sure? If you still say yes, you should definitely try Marenki (Meringue). Most of you might know it as decoration on cakes or have had them as really small sweet treats on their last trip to France.

In Finland you can get them at quite a few cafés and the version you get here is huge. It’s quite a challenge actually to finish one of them alone. So maybe share it. Get them e.g. from Café Esplanadi where they sell them in two different flavors (original and chocolate).

Enjoy! But don’t forget a big glass of water on the side!

From Belgium with love

On a nice and sunny day when strolling through the center there is nothing better than a short break at a nice café in between. And there are a lot of nice opportunities for that in Helsinki. But what about trying something new? 

Have you been to Café Neuhaus so far? It’s a tiny café on Unioninkatu right around the corner from Senatintori. You probably passed by this place several times already most likely not even being aware it is a café. But it’s definitely worth to stop and try their nice pastry and good coffee. 

Neuhaus is a coin collector’s shop at the same time. Take a look at their collection if you are interested. It anyway gives the place a quite unique atmosphere and appearance.

But the main reason to come here is of course to try the amazing Belgian Neuhaus pralines. Neuhaus is one of the most renowned producers of Belgian chocolate and pralines.

So stop by and enjoy!

Bienvenue sur le marché français!

You watched the French presidential election yesterday, saw pictures of Paris and while following what was happening where thinking that it would be nice to go to France again sometime soon? Well, then you will have to book a ticket. But if you can’t wait to enjoy French delicacies you should come to the center of Helsinki during the next days. The French market opened again on Lasipalatsi Square. 

Till May 13^th you can get delicious food and other fine products from France there. Try e.g. a freshly backed croissant or maybe an original French crêpe. The market is open from noon till 7 p.m. and be assured that the products and even the sellers are from France.

Bon appétit!

P.S. There are also some stands selling traditional Italian products.

Grocery shopping with charm

It is one of the most important sights of Helsinki and something to recommend to everyone that visits Helsinki. The Wanha Kauppahalli (old market hall) offers its visitors not only a huge variety of good and fresh food, it also has its very own and unique atmosphere. And it’s not just a place for tourists. Also the locals come here to get their groceries. Even if you don’t really need anything it is fun to just walk along the stands, look at the typical Finnish products and maybe buy a small snack. After seeing all the nice things they sell you will want to also try some of them. But it is a place in the center which means: don’t expect low prices.

You find Kauppahalli next to the market square at the end of Esplanadi next to the sea. It is also a good place for rainy days. You should take the tram 3T then and get out at Kauppatori.

Pop-Up Café at Espan Lava

Espan Lava Pavilion on Southern Esplanadi is used as a stage for music and theater or hosts art installations during summer. The rest of the year it is normally closed. But a few days ago Café Köket opened its doors there. The pop-up café will be there till April 10^th. 

 

It is a really nice and bright location. You should check it out. They have delicious cakes and a nice variety of coffee and tea. (Try the licorice tea and the sitruuna-marenkipiirakka!)

After April 10^th Café Köket will move to its normal location a few meters down the street to a tent next to Kauppatori.

UPDATE: Café Köket is now back at it's ususal location on Esplanadi a few meters down from Espan Lava.

Korvapuusti Deluxe

One of the most traditional Finnish pastries is Korvapuusti (slapped ears). It is a cinnamon roll that is served with coffee.You will find it in basically every café. Today I tried some kind of deluxe version of it at Arnolds (the Finnish Dunkin' Donuts). They call it Spinny and you get it for 3,20 €. It is covered with a tasty sauce, they warm it up for you and it's just great! This sweet delight is of course not the healthiest snack. But come on, it's weekend.

For those that want to make their own Korvapuusti I found this recipe.

Enjoy!