3 Best Restaurants in Helsinki, Finland

Situated on the north side of the Esplanade amid stylish design boutiques, this popular café is a great place to sample a giant version of the korvapuusti, roughly translated as a "slap around the ear"—a sweet bun fresh from the oven and made all the more delicious by virtue of the cinnamon sprinkled between its folded layers. Mix-and-match salads, filled bread rolls, and other enormous confectioneries are on offer as well, eased down with some of Helsinki's best coffee or something stronger if required. It's a good option for evening snacks as well as lunch. 

Named for the architect Carl Ludvig Engel, this café on Senate Square serves traditional lunch fare, and it's also open for breakfast, with porridge, muesli, croissants, cheeses, eggs, and fruit on the menu. Lunch portions are hearty—you can fill up on salmon soup, meatballs, reindeer stew, or the cold smoked salmon sandwich; for a lighter snack, try a savory Karelian pie (karjalanpiirakka) or one of the smaller open-face sandwiches. Locals stop in for coffee, wine, and desserts, which include seasonal treats such as lingonberry cheesecake, fruit tarts, and an excellent Sacher torte. The outdoor Kesäkino Engel summer cinema is held in the courtyard, which is also the occasional venue for recitals and other events.

The original branch of the local bistro Story started in Vanha Kauppahalli—the Old Market Hall near the South Harbour—and that's where it's still going strong as a popular lunch restaurant. It offers tasty and affordable snacks, breakfast, brunch, and lunch, including especially irresistible burgers, but there are vegan options too. Other branches have since opened across the city, and they all offer dinner as well.