Restaurant Bali Hai – Ad peoples haunt

In spite of the name, Bali Hai has nothing to do with the South Pacific. Quite the opposite, it’s a very modern restaurant in a very cold northern country, but supposedly the young guys who own the place were dreaming of the South Pacific when they named it.

The interior is very stripped and modern, with big windows and walls decorated with Kari Caven’s art “Täti Lila ja muut värit” (Aunt Violet and other colors) and the old checkered black-and-white floor saved from the shop that used to be here. The clientèle is mostly advertising and other creative people from the Punavuori district, and in the evenings it can be very loud and lively. Look closely at the ‘Design District Helsinki’ sticker in the window, it’s not what you think it is. Instead, this one says ‘Drinking District Helsinki’.

The food is modern, not expensive, sandwiches, a couple of burgers, salads, pasta and a few typically Finnish dishes like salmon soup or fried liver with mashed potatoes, onion and a sauce made with juniper berries. Their lunches, between 8-9 euros are quite popular and you might have to wait for your table for a while. The personnel is young, speak several languages and the service is very friendly and non-formal.