Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Helsinki for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Helsinki for grown-ups.
Liberty or Death on Erottajankatu is one of Helsinki's most ambitious cocktail bars, with a seasonal menu built on fresh and unusual ingredients.
Signature drink: Seasonal cocktails with fresh and exotic ingredients
Food: Snacks
Tip: Sit at the bar and ask the team to steer you. The menu shifts with the seasons, so trust the bartender's pick.
Trillby & Chadwick is a hidden Kruununhaka cocktail bar styled as a 1900s detective agency, with no sign, just a buzzer, and drinks built to order.
Signature drink: Bespoke cocktails in a 1900s detective-agency setting
Food: None
Tip: Look for the unmarked door and ring the buzzer. Cocktails run around 17 euros; reserve, as the room is tiny.
Chihuahua Julep on Erottajankatu drew international notice for its agave-leaning cocktails and a no-phone policy that keeps the room conversational.
Signature drink: Agave-led cocktails
Food: Snacks
Tip: Phones go away at the door by house rule. Come for the mezcal and tequila drinks and stay for the focused atmosphere.
Siltanen on Hämeentie is a Kallio mainstay, a bar and terrace by day and a club by night, with weekend DJs, a big summer terrace and pizza to share.
Signature drink: Beer and house cocktails
Food: Pizza and snacks
Tip: The terrace is the summer draw; the back room turns into a dance floor late on weekends. Cash or card, casual dress.
HogoHuene on Viides linja in Kallio is a rum-focused cocktail bar with a deep back-bar and a tiki-tinged menu that the city's drinks crowd seeks out.
Signature drink: Rum-forward cocktails
Food: Snacks
Tip: The rum selection is the reason to come; let the bartenders build something around a bottle you have not tried.
Haka on Toinen linja near Hakaniemi is a craft-beer bar pouring Finnish and guest taps for the Kallio crowd, built around the glass not the decor.
Signature drink: Finnish and guest craft beer
Food: Snacks
Tip: A no-frills beer bar near the Hakaniemi hall. Check the tap list for small Finnish breweries you will not find downtown.
Ambient Bar on Hämeentie in Arabia is a listening bar built around a hi-fi system and records, pairing careful cocktails with a clear, loud soundtrack.
Signature drink: Cocktails to a vinyl soundtrack
Food: Snacks
Tip: Come for the sound system as much as the drinks. North of Kallio in Arabia, so plan the tram ride back.
Tislaamo in the old Teurastamo abattoir district is a distillery bar pouring gin and whisky from its own still, with cocktails built around the house spirits.
Signature drink: Gin and whisky from the on-site still
Food: Snacks
Tip: Set in the Teurastamo food-and-drink yard. Order a gin made on the still you can see behind the bar.
Struts on Fleminginkatu is a Kallio cocktail and queer bar with a welcoming room, a tight cocktail list and weekend DJs, a hub of the area's nightlife.
Signature drink: House cocktails
Food: Snacks
Tip: A friendly Kallio cocktail bar with a queer crowd and weekend DJs. Drinks are well made without the speakeasy formality.
Harju 8 on Harjutori is a Kallio corner that works as a cafe by day and a wine-and-beer bar by night, with outdoor tables facing a quiet neighbourhood square.
Signature drink: Natural wine and beer
Food: Snacks and small plates
Tip: Coffee in the morning, natural wine in the evening. The square-facing tables are the spot on a warm Kallio afternoon.