Fafa's is a street-food stop in Punavuori, Helsinki.
Fafa's started on Iso Roobertinkatu and grew into a Finnish pita chain, but the original still turns out the falafel and halloumi that made its name.
Tip: The Iso Roobertinkatu branch is the original. Vegetarians are well served; the halloumi pita is the move if falafel feels too familiar.
Address: Iso Roobertinkatu 2, 00120 Helsinki
Eromanga near Kasarmitori is an old-school bakery-cafe whose lihapiirakka meat pie is still made to a secret 1946 recipe, topped with sausage and egg.
Try: Lihapiirakka (Finnish meat pie)
Tip: Ask for the meat pie with sausage and a fried egg, the full vesisemmu treatment. A pre-war recipe baked the same way since 1946.
In summer, tented stalls on the Market Square fry vendace and salmon to order and pour pea soup, a very Finnish lunch eaten standing by the harbour.
Try: Fried vendace (muikku) and salmon
Tip: Best on a dry summer day; the stalls thin out in cold weather. Guard your plate from the harbour seagulls, they are bold.
Hanko Sushi is the Finnish fast-sushi chain in the big malls, including the central Forum, serving fixed salmon, prawn and maki sets at quick prices.
Try: Sushi sets
Tip: Inside the Forum mall on Mannerheimintie. Not destination sushi, but a fast, fair-value set lunch when you are downtown.
Soppakeittiö inside the Old Market Hall ladles out the city's reference bowl of creamy salmon soup with all the rye bread you can eat; the queue says it all.
Try: Salmon soup (lohikeitto)
Tip: The salmon soup is the order, but the bouillabaisse and other daily soups are strong too. Come at lunch before the hall winds down.
