Pub Sirdie in Helsinki is the one and only place for me to feel the Kallio spirit in its original form! Gentrification in the last 10-15 years has transformed the district a lot with trendy bars, cosmopolitan restaurants, hip cafés and all that cool stuff you basically find in most big cities all over Europe nowadays. But Pub Sirdie has been here, just like it is today, for more than five decades. They say that during the years of prohibition (1919-1932) there already used to be a speakeasy here!
You won’t find any other spot in Kallio that still maintains the original rough and rugged punk rock spirited vibe the district was known for. They even have the old jukebox in operation, with an incredible selection of great old school Finnish rock tunes and international classics! Even though Pub Sirdie has always been more or less shabby, ragged and cramped, there’s no other place in Finland where as many bands have shot either a photo for their album cover or a music video! You wouldn’t imagine that when you look at the place outside.
Pub Sirdie has been a local classic and favourite for ages! In 2018, people got thunderstruck with the news that the place was for sale and started seeing nightmares. So, a bunch of Kallio activists organized a fundraising and the Friends of Sirdie collective purchased the bar, which they run nowadays! That’s a prime example of how much people love Pub Sirdie and old school Kallio. So do I!
Find your way with 65 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
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65 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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