Elm is a mediterranean restaurant in Ullanlinna, Helsinki.
Elm on Puistokatu in Ullanlinna cooks Mediterranean sharing plates around a wood fire, set in a restored 1880 villa near the Kaivopuisto seafront.
Signature dishes: Wood-fired vegetables, Mediterranean sharing plates
Must order: The wood-fired vegetables and a spread of sharing plates for the table.
Tip: Set inside a restored villa near Kaivopuisto park. The menu is built for sharing, so come with a group.
Address: Puistokatu 4, 00140 Helsinki
305 on Toinen linja in Kallio holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for inventive seasonal cooking and natural wine, run by chefs Janne Keskevaari and Dani Hänninen.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Natural wine pairings
Order: Whatever the short seasonal menu offers; the natural-wine list is the real draw.
Tip: Keskevaari cooked at Grön before opening here. Bib Gourmand value in a Kallio side-street; book ahead for weekends.
Skörd on Fredrikinkatu in Punavuori cooks a seven-course menu where every ingredient except the salt is Finnish game, fish, herbs and berries.
Signature: Seven-course Finnish menu, Game and freshwater fish
Order: The seven-course menu; the only imported ingredient on the plate is the salt.
Tip: Fiercely local cooking that changes with the foraging calendar. Closed Mondays; the room is small, so book.
Bona Fide on Vironkatu in Kruununhaka holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for fresh, modern Finnish cooking built on sustainably sourced fish and vegetables.
Signature: Sustainable Finnish fish, Seasonal vegetables
Order: The fish course; the kitchen builds the menu around the day's sustainable catch.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday from 17:00. A short, sharp menu in a calm Kruununhaka room; reserve for the weekend.
Plein in Vallila is a Michelin Bib Gourmand bistro known for a tight seasonal menu and an unusually deep wine list, a tram ride north of the centre.
Signature: Seasonal bistro plates, Strong wine list
Order: Let the kitchen send the seasonal menu; pair it from the long, well-chosen wine list.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings only. Vallila is residential, so treat it as a destination dinner rather than a quick walk-up table.
Nokka, in a Katajanokka harbour warehouse, won a Michelin Green Star in 2024 for sustainable Finnish cooking around an open kitchen and named producers.
Signature: Game and lake fish, Producer-led menu
Order: Game in autumn, lake fish in summer; the kitchen names its farms and foragers.
Tip: A converted red-brick warehouse on the Katajanokka canal. The Green Star reflects long relationships with small Finnish producers.
Kuurna on Meritullinkatu is a small, long-running Kruununhaka bistro whose short menu changes every three weeks around Finnish regional ingredients.
Signature: Three-week changing menu, Finnish regional ingredients
Order: The fixed menu of the moment; it rolls over every three weeks so regulars never repeat a dinner.
Tip: Tiny and popular in quiet Kruununhaka. The rotating menu and fair prices are why locals keep the tables full; book ahead.
