Story Old Market Hall is a nordic cafe brunch spot in Keskusta, Helsinki.
Story inside the 1889 Old Market Hall serves an easygoing breakfast and brunch of Finnish hall food with an international turn, a fine harbour morning table.
Must order: The brunch spread or a bowl of salmon soup
Tip: Inside Vanha Kauppahalli, so it doubles as a market visit. Mornings are calmer; the hall gets busy by midday.
Address: Eteläranta 18, 00130 Helsinki
Café Savoy, the ground-floor brasserie below the fine-dining Savoy, serves a Southern French breakfast and lunch on the Esplanadi, with summer terrace tables.
Order: A French bistro breakfast on the Esplanadi terrace
Tip: The casual face of the Savoy building. Aim for the Esplanade-facing terrace on a bright morning for the best of it.
Brasserie Lionne on the Esplanadi, from the Bistro Bardot team, serves a French breakfast of silky eggs benedict and croissants from its own bakery.
Order: Eggs benedict and a flaky croissant from the in-house bakery
Tip: The in-house bakery croissants are among the best in the centre. Reserve for weekend breakfast; the Esplanadi tables fill fast.
Café Savoy, the ground-floor brasserie below the fine-dining Savoy, serves a Southern French breakfast and lunch on the Esplanadi, with summer terrace tables.
Order: A French bistro breakfast on the Esplanadi terrace
Tip: The casual face of the Savoy building. Aim for the Esplanade-facing terrace on a bright morning for the best of it.
The Karl Fazer Café on Kluuvikatu lays on a weekend brunch under its 1891 glass dome, a spread of Finnish breakfast plates, pastries and the house chocolate.
Order: The weekend brunch with Fazer pastries and chocolate
Tip: Weekend brunch sells out, so reserve. The setting under the historic glass ceiling is half the reason to come.
Lykke in Etu-Töölö pours specialty coffee with an all-day breakfast and brunch plates, a relaxed cafe near the railway park that drifts into wine by evening.
Order: Specialty coffee with the all-day breakfast plates
Tip: Good for a slower weekday brunch away from the centre. Coffee is the strength, and the room turns into a wine bar by evening.
Way Bakery in Kallio opens for Sunday brunch with sourdough toppings, granola and avocado toast, a laid-back natural-wine bakery the neighbourhood adopts.
Order: Sourdough with toppings, yogurt with granola, or avocado toast
Tip: Walk-in only and busy on Sundays, so go early. The natural-wine list is open at brunch if you want a glass with the sourdough.
Brasserie Lionne on the Esplanadi, from the Bistro Bardot team, serves a French breakfast of silky eggs benedict and croissants from its own bakery.
Order: Eggs benedict and a flaky croissant from the in-house bakery
Tip: The in-house bakery croissants are among the best in the centre. Reserve for weekend breakfast; the Esplanadi tables fill fast.
