14 cafe rooms in Helsinki we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Helsinki | Cafe across every city.
Cafe culture is central to how Helsinki spends its afternoons, from designer landmarks to specialty roasters. Café Aalto on Pohjoisesplanadi and Karl Fazer Café in Kluuvi anchor the classic end in the centre, while the wooden lakeside Cafe Regatta in Töölö is a postcard in itself. The newer wave of specialty coffee shows up at Sävy in Kallio, Andante in Punavuori and Rams Roasters in Ullanlinna.
Story Old Market Hall ★ 4.6
keskusta · Eteläranta 18, 00130 Helsinki
Story sits inside the 1889 Old Market Hall on the harbour, serving breakfast, brunch and easygoing Finnish hall food with an international turn.
Karl Fazer Café ★ 4.4
kluuvi · Kluuvikatu 3, 00100 Helsinki
Karl Fazer opened this French-Russian cafe and cake shop on Kluuvikatu in 1891, still the city's grand chocolate-and-cake room under a glass dome.
Cafe Regatta ★ 4.3
toolo · Merikannontie 8, 00260 Helsinki
Cafe Regatta is a tiny red lakeside cottage near Sibelius Park serving korvapuusti and coffee; in summer the tables spill onto the shoreline rocks.
Café Aalto ★ 4.2
keskusta · Pohjoisesplanadi 39, 00100 Helsinki
Café Aalto sits on the upper floor of the Academic Bookstore, a 1969 Alvar Aalto building on the Esplanadi, looking down over the books and skylights.
Café Ekberg ★ 4.3
kamppi · Bulevardi 9, 00120 Helsinki
Ekberg has run on Bulevardi since 1852, the oldest cafe and bakery in Helsinki, where the patisserie counter keeps an old-world ritual alive.
Andante ★ 4.4
punavuori · Fredrikinkatu 20, 00120 Helsinki
Andante opened in a former Punavuori flower shop, pouring fruity hand-brews from rotating European micro-roasters that change every couple of weeks.
Sävy ★ 4.3
kallio · Aleksis Kiven katu 12, 00500 Helsinki
Sävy on Aleksis Kiven katu in Kallio is a reference specialty cafe, pouring Good Life Coffee beans and guest roasters in a stripped-back room.
Lykke ★ 4.1
toolo · Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21a, 00100 Helsinki
Lykke in Etu-Töölö is an all-day cafe and bistro near the railway park, pouring specialty coffee in the morning and turning to wine and small plates by night.
Café Clé ★ 4.0
kruununhaka · Mariankatu 21, 00170 Helsinki
Café Clé on Mariankatu brings a quiet, design-led coffee stop to Kruununhaka, pairing specialty coffee with light plates a few blocks from Senate Square.
Cafelito ★ 4.0
kallio · Hämeentie 26, 00530 Helsinki
Cafelito on Hämeentie is a Kallio coffee-and-wine bar with a Spanish slant, pouring espresso by day and natural wine by night in a corner room.
18 Grams ★ 4.0
jatkasaari · Livornonkatu 6, 00220 Helsinki
18 Grams on Livornonkatu in Jätkäsaari blends a specialty coffee bar with a vinyl listening-bar setup, pouring espresso and filter to a soundtrack.
Rams Roasters ★ 4.1
ullanlinna · Neitsytpolku 10, 00140 Helsinki
Rams Roasters on quiet Neitsytpolku in Ullanlinna is a family-run cafe and bakery pouring top roasters, known for some of the city's best cinnamon buns.
Cafe Regatta ★ 4.5
toolo · Merikannontie 8, 00260 Helsinki
Cafe Regatta (Cafe) in Helsinki: Take the coffee and a korvapuusti outside to the shoreline rocks. Busiest on sunny afternoons; the indoor space is minute.
Rams Roasters ★ 4.1
ullanlinna · Neitsytpolku 10, 00140 Helsinki
Rams Roasters is a small family-run ullanlinna cafe and bakery on a residential street that regulars treat as a second kitchen, off every tourist coffee map.