Upscale in Helsinki: 32 editor picks

32 upscale places in Helsinki, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Helsinki: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Helsinki food.

Baskeri & Basso ★ 4.7

punavuori · Tehtaankatu 27-29, 00150 Helsinki

Baskeri & Basso on Tehtaankatu pulls from Parisian bistros and Italian osterias, with ingredient-driven cooking and a deep natural-wine list.

Tip: Entrance is through the courtyard. The BasBas group also runs BasBas Kulma and BasBas Studio nearby in Punavuori.

305 ★ 4.5

kallio · Toinen linja 3, 00530 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.

Tip: Keskevaari cooked at Grön before opening here. Bib Gourmand value in a Kallio side-street; book ahead for weekends.

Skörd ★ 4.4

punavuori · Fredrikinkatu 37, 00120 Helsinki

Skörd on Fredrikinkatu in Punavuori cooks a seven-course menu where every ingredient except the salt is Finnish game, fish, herbs and berries.

Tip: Fiercely local cooking that changes with the foraging calendar. Closed Mondays; the room is small, so book.

Bona Fide ★ 4.4

kruununhaka · Vironkatu 8, 00170 Helsinki

Bona Fide on Vironkatu in Kruununhaka holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for fresh, modern Finnish cooking built on sustainably sourced fish and vegetables.

Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday from 17:00. A short, sharp menu in a calm Kruununhaka room; reserve for the weekend.

Nokka ★ 4.4

katajanokka · Kanavaranta 7 F, 00160 Helsinki

Nokka, in a Katajanokka harbour warehouse, won a Michelin Green Star in 2024 for sustainable Finnish cooking around an open kitchen and named producers.

Tip: A converted red-brick warehouse on the Katajanokka canal. The Green Star reflects long relationships with small Finnish producers.

Nolla ★ 4.4

punavuori · Fredrikinkatu 22, 00120 Helsinki

Nolla on Fredrikinkatu was one of the world's first zero-waste restaurants and now carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand, cooking local seasonal plates.

Tip: The name means zero in Finnish. Producers deliver in reusable crates and the in-house composter closes the loop.

The Bull and the Firm ★ 4.4

kallio · Fleminginkatu 10, 00530 Helsinki

The Bull and the Firm in Kallio pairs an a la carte kitchen with a cocktail bar, with dishes like confit black salsify and a cracker-thin beef-cheek lasagne.

Tip: Restaurant and cocktail bar in one Kallio room. Good for a dinner that slides into late drinks without moving.

Liberty or Death ★ 4.4

keskusta · Erottajankatu 5, 00130 Helsinki

Liberty or Death on Erottajankatu is one of Helsinki's most ambitious cocktail bars, with a seasonal menu built on fresh and unusual ingredients.

Tip: Sit at the bar and ask the team to steer you. The menu shifts with the seasons, so trust the bartender's pick.

Trillby & Chadwick ★ 4.4

kruununhaka · Katariinankatu 1 D, 00170 Helsinki

Trillby & Chadwick is a hidden Kruununhaka cocktail bar styled as a 1900s detective agency, with no sign, just a buzzer, and drinks built to order.

Tip: Look for the unmarked door and ring the buzzer. Cocktails run around 17 euros; reserve, as the room is tiny.

Chihuahua Julep ★ 4.4

keskusta · Erottajankatu 9, 00130 Helsinki

Chihuahua Julep on Erottajankatu drew international notice for its agave-leaning cocktails and a no-phone policy that keeps the room conversational.

Tip: Phones go away at the door by house rule. Come for the mezcal and tequila drinks and stay for the focused atmosphere.

Wine Bar Apotek ★ 4.4

kamppi · Lapinlahdenkatu 1 a, 00180 Helsinki

Wine Bar Apotek fills the cabinets of a former pharmacy with organic family-grower wines, grower Champagnes and Burgundies, an award-winning list.

Tip: The old apothecary cabinets now hold the bottles. Glasses run roughly 12 to 18 euros; the grower Champagnes are the move.

Plein ★ 4.3

vallila · Suvannontie 18, 00510 Helsinki

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.

Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings only. Vallila is residential, so treat it as a destination dinner rather than a quick walk-up table.

Kuurna ★ 4.3

kruununhaka · Meritullinkatu 6, 00170 Helsinki

Kuurna on Meritullinkatu is a small, long-running Kruununhaka bistro whose short menu changes every three weeks around Finnish regional ingredients.

Tip: Tiny and popular in quiet Kruununhaka. The rotating menu and fair prices are why locals keep the tables full; book ahead.

Aoi ★ 4.3

ullanlinna · Neitsytpolku 10, 00140 Helsinki

Aoi is a small Ullanlinna room in the Michelin Guide, run by a trio cooking a short four-course menu where global ideas meet Nordic produce like pike perch.

Tip: A personal, low-key dining room on quiet Neitsytpolku. The menu is short and rewritten often, so trust the kitchen.

BasBas Kulma ★ 4.3

punavuori · Tehtaankatu 27-29, 00150 Helsinki

BasBas Kulma is the walk-in sibling of the Baskeri & Basso group, a corner counter pouring a dozen-odd glasses with a strong French natural bent.

Tip: Glasses run about 11 to 16 euros. Easier to walk into than the parent bistro; the corner counter is first-come.

Wino ★ 4.3

kallio · Fleminginkatu 11, 00500 Helsinki

Wino near Karhupuisto in Kallio is a restaurant and natural-wine bar with a weekly changing list of Old World bottles and a short seasonal kitchen.

Tip: The by-the-glass table rotates every week. The kitchen runs hits like beef tartare and pumpkin ravioli; book for weekend tables.

Flor ★ 4.3

ullanlinna · Korkeavuorenkatu 4, 00140 Helsinki

Flor on Korkeavuorenkatu carries David Alberti's all-natural philosophy into a small Ullanlinna food-and-wine bar of seasonal organic plates.

Tip: All natural, no exceptions, with a tight seasonal kitchen alongside. Small room south of the design district, so reserve.

Wellamo ★ 4.2

katajanokka · Laivastokatu 18, 00160 Helsinki

Wellamo has anchored a quiet Katajanokka corner since 1975, with a chef-led team cooking seasonal Nordic plates from local producers in an unhurried room.

Tip: One of the older neighbourhood rooms in the city, on a residential Katajanokka street. Calm, local and reservation-friendly.

Nolita ★ 4.2

punavuori · Kankurinkatu 6, 00150 Helsinki

Nolita on a quiet Punavuori street is a trattoria with a zero-waste streak and a Finnish-ingredient slant on Italian cooking, led by handmade pasta.

Tip: A low-key Italian room committed to using the whole ingredient. Good for a relaxed dinner away from the tourist streets.

Café Savoy ★ 4.2

keskusta · Eteläesplanadi 14, 00130 Helsinki

Café Savoy on the ground floor of the Esplanadi building brings Southern French bistro cooking to central Helsinki, below the fine-dining Savoy.

Tip: The casual ground-floor counterpart to the fine-dining Savoy upstairs. Terrace tables face the Esplanade park.

HogoHuene ★ 4.2

kallio · Viides linja 7, 00530 Helsinki

HogoHuene on Viides linja in Kallio is a rum-focused cocktail bar with a deep back-bar and a tiki-tinged menu that the city's drinks crowd seeks out.

Tip: The rum selection is the reason to come; let the bartenders build something around a bottle you have not tried.

Muru Wine Bar ★ 4.2

kamppi · Lönnrotinkatu 14, 00120 Helsinki

Muru Wine Bar sits around the corner from the bistro Muru, pouring a daily-changing glass list from a 750-bottle cellar, with charcuterie and plates.

Tip: The by-the-glass board changes daily; the full list runs to hundreds of bottles. Cold cuts and risotto come from the sister kitchen.

Elite ★ 4.1

toolo · Eteläinen Hesperiankatu 22, 00100 Helsinki

Elite in Töölö has been the artists' restaurant since 1932, its walls hung with paintings, serving Finnish classics like vorschmack and fried Baltic herring.

Tip: The terrace and the artist-portrait walls are the draw as much as the food. A living room for Helsinki's cultural set since 1932.

Elm ★ 4.1

ullanlinna · Puistokatu 4, 00140 Helsinki

Elm on Puistokatu in Ullanlinna cooks Mediterranean sharing plates around a wood fire, set in a restored 1880 villa near the Kaivopuisto seafront.

Tip: Set inside a restored villa near Kaivopuisto park. The menu is built for sharing, so come with a group.

Siltanen ★ 4.1

kallio · Hämeentie 13 B, 00530 Helsinki

Siltanen on Hämeentie is a Kallio mainstay, a bar and terrace by day and a club by night, with weekend DJs, a big summer terrace and pizza to share.

Tip: The terrace is the summer draw; the back room turns into a dance floor late on weekends. Cash or card, casual dress.

Ambient Bar ★ 4.1

arabia · Hämeentie 133, 00560 Helsinki

Ambient Bar on Hämeentie in Arabia is a listening bar built around a hi-fi system and records, pairing careful 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 back.

Tislaamo ★ 4.1

teurastamo · Työpajankatu 2 A, 00580 Helsinki

Tislaamo in the old Teurastamo abattoir district is a distillery bar pouring gin and whisky from its own still, with cocktails built around the house spirits.

Tip: Set in the Teurastamo food-and-drink yard. Order a gin made on the still you can see behind the bar.

Struts ★ 4.1

kallio · Fleminginkatu 13, 00530 Helsinki

Struts on Fleminginkatu is a Kallio cocktail and queer bar with a welcoming room, a tight cocktail list and weekend DJs, a hub of the area's nightlife.

Tip: A friendly Kallio cocktail bar with a queer crowd and weekend DJs. Drinks are well made without the speakeasy formality.

Haka ★ 4.0

kallio · Toinen linja 7, 00530 Helsinki

Haka on Toinen linja near Hakaniemi is a craft-beer bar pouring Finnish and guest taps for the Kallio crowd, built around the glass not the decor.

Tip: A no-frills beer bar near the Hakaniemi hall. Check the tap list for small Finnish breweries you will not find downtown.

Harju 8 ★ 4.0

kallio · Harjutori 8, 00500 Helsinki

Harju 8 on Harjutori is a Kallio corner that works as a cafe by day and a wine-and-beer bar by night, with outdoor tables facing a quiet neighbourhood square.

Tip: Coffee in the morning, natural wine in the evening. The square-facing tables are the spot on a warm Kallio afternoon.

Lykke ★ 4.0

toolo · Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21a, 00100 Helsinki

Lykke in Etu-Töölö shifts from morning coffee to an evening wine-and-snacks bar, with a glass-friendly European list served near the railway park.

Tip: By night it is a relaxed wine-and-snacks room rather than a cafe. Good before or after an event at the nearby opera.

Wine Bar Klaava ★ 4.0