Dance clubs, live music, rooftop bars, speakeasies, LGBTQ+ venues, listening bars and late-night dives in Helsinki.
Dance clubs, live music, rooftop bars, speakeasies, LGBTQ+ nightlife, listening bars and late-night dives across Helsinki, with where to go and what is worth the late night.
Siltanen on Hämeentie is a Kallio bar and terrace that turns into a club at weekends, with DJ sets in the back room running until 3am and pizza to keep the night going.
Tip: The summer terrace is the draw early; the dance floor fills after midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Trillby & Chadwick is an unmarked Kruununhaka cocktail bar styled as a 1900s detective agency, entered through a buzzer door, with bespoke drinks built to order in a tiny room.
Tip: There is no sign, just a buzzer. Reserve, as the room is small; cocktails run around 17 euros.
Struts on Fleminginkatu is a Kallio cocktail and queer bar with a welcoming room, well-made drinks and weekend DJs, one of the anchors of the neighbourhood's LGBTQ nightlife.
Tip: Friendly and unpretentious, with a queer crowd and weekend DJ sets. Drinks are made well without the speakeasy formality.
Ambient Bar on Hämeentie in Arabia is a listening bar built around a hi-fi system and a record collection, pairing carefully made cocktails with a clear, loud soundtrack.
Tip: Come for the sound system as much as the drinks. North of Kallio in Arabia, so plan the tram ride home.
18 Grams on Livornonkatu in Jätkäsaari is a specialty coffee bar and vinyl listening room, pouring espresso and filter to a soundtrack of records through the day and into the evening.
Tip: Coffee by day, records throughout. A relaxed listening stop in the newer harbour district of Jätkäsaari.
Haka on Toinen linja near Hakaniemi is a craft-beer bar pouring Finnish and guest taps for the Kallio crowd, an unfussy room built around the glass rather than the decor.
Tip: Check the tap list for small Finnish breweries you will not find downtown. No-frills and reliably local.