Archives for “cafe” tag

Apollo cafe/ street bar is the coziest place for after work in town. The big cafe/ bar is divided into two spaces: One is a very chilled out lounge and the other one is a terrace indoors where you can watch the shop-goers passing by. The cute cafe is in the Forum mall.

On Wednesdays they organize a fun trivia-game where the teams (from 1 to 4 people) compete against each other. The winning team gets free tickets to the Apollo Night club (next door). It doesn’t cost anything to participate either, so it is good fun after work.

For a Helsinki bar it is quite cheap (to be such a nice place too!). They have excellent offers from Monday to Friday between 16:00 – 19:00: 12 cl of wine for 3 euros or a class of wine or a bottle of beer and a toast for 6,50 euros. That’s cheap for Helsinki!

…not only is cafe Fanny a nice place for a good Sunday brunch, but it’s generally a really nice spot to sit outside and enjoy the warm days in the sun on their terrace, if you don’t feel like sitting on the grass. It’s located right at the entrance to Koff Park, which is a very popular place to hang out.

Their Sunday brunch is frequently busy and a great place to meet Helsinki locals. They also offer a nice lunch menu at reasonable prices! The café also has a really cool arty interior with interesting pictures and photos up there. So if you just want to spend some relaxing time with a hot chocolate or stop by for a snack after your visit to Sinebrychoff Art Museum, you’re just right!

Café Talo is a great café right next to the Hakaniemi market hall. Their coffees are extremely good and probably the best value in the whole city (or at least in this area, try Kaffecentralen if you’re in the centre! I highly recommend skipping the bitter, expensive coffee when you visit the “kauppahalli” and stop by here instead after you’re done with your shopping! I love their high ceilings, randomly chosen furniture and wall colors. My favorite are the two armchairs that are on the left hand upper corner when you enter, probably the “most intimate public place” in Helsinki.

Café Talo is a place that’s ideal for a nice afternoon coffee or also a cocktail at night, or try their brunch on a lazy Sunday!

Interesting is also their selection of boardgames and movies that you can chose for the place! Talo really invites you to spend hours there, try every drink on their menu and play a few games or just watch people pass by through the huge windows that give you a nice view on the main street of the Kallio district.

Café Regatta is the cutest little café in the city. It is a small wooden hut with space for only about 4 tables inside! When inside you might get the feeling the place will fall apart within the next few minutes (it won’t). The cafe is stuffed with the most random items you can imagine: old kitchen appliances, musical instruments, old pictures etc. – it is so cozy and wonderful!

Café Regatta makes great cinnamon buns (Korvapuustit), and they always come fresh from the oven when you order them, it seems! In wintertime it is the best place to warm yourself up and in summertime it’s great to enjoy the outside area, where there are many more seating options available. They have an open bonfire where you can barbeque your own sausages (sometimes they also sell them right there), also in wintertime, then you can borrow blankets and pillows so you won’t get cold!

It’s only a few steps from the famous Sibelius monument, right at the seaside, so this is your place to go after the obligatory visit there! They only accept cash, so make sure you at least have enough to try those buns!

One of the first places I found on my exploration tours in Helsinki, was Café & Eepos on Sammonkatu/Runeberginkatu. I was mainly attracted by the smell of the Korvapuusti (delicious cinnamon buns) and the interior of the café instantly made me feel comfortable: a mixture of new and antique furniture, books, carpets, curtains and a somewhat retro-styled counter, high ceilings, large windows and that aforementioned smell…wonderful.

A nice range of savory pies and cakes completes their menu, but you cannot leave Helsinki without having tasted their chocolate cake with vanilla sauce! Pair that with a coffee (free refills!) and it made your day. You can linger in Café & Eepos for hours, browse through (mainly Finnish) books and magazines that they offer, try the cakes and pastries, that are homemade in the bakery and “conditoria” that is directly connected to the café area. Or simply just sit there and watch the people passing by. This is particularly nice in winter when you hold on to your coffee-cup and be happy you’re inside!

The “design” of the place – if you can call it that – is interestingly random and very cozy, they like to decorate the place with antique kitchen appliances and a crocheted doily here and there, so you might feel like you’re paying your grandma a visit (that feeling is strengthened by the nice ladies working there).

The café is located just around the corner from Temppeliaukion kirkko (the famous rock church) so it’s a perfect stop after a visit there!