Restaurants in Center (Kamppi) (Helsinki)

Ilves

Ravintola Ilves has been associated with the rock concert venue next door, Tavastia, for a long time, although they are in fact independent of each other. Nonetheless, Ilves is one of the favorite hangouts of many famous Finnish rock stars and their admirers. The best time to visit Ilves is directly before a concert at Tavastia, because the audience generally hangs out here, having a few beers before the concert begins. Although it is traditionally a rock place, all kinds of people come here, as it is such a relaxed place with easy-going staff and clientele.

Madame

Anyone who used to take part in the Helsinki nightlife of the late 1980s remembers that as bars used to close quite early, people would head for night cafés, spread all over central Helsinki. During the last ten years these have pretty much disappeared, but lately there have been signs of their revival. Café Madame is part of this, a new café near Kamppi metro station. Find soft drinks, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and food such as filled French bread or pizzas. These have become quite popular among local late-nighters. There are also lots of pies, buns and pastries.

Omenapuu

This peaceful restaurant across the street from the railway station specialises in buffets. Every weekday a different lunch buffet is available. If the buffet is too much, perhaps the vegetable fantasy or an original pepper steak will fill you up. On Sunday afternoons come by for the famous Brunch Buffet. Tables of different delicacies and dishes make the price bearable. Sundays also offer music courtesy of a jazz band. Omenapuu also has a separate bar on the first floor, called Friday. This pub is quite busy, regardless of what day of the week it is.

Eerikin Pippuri

Eric's Pepper, as the name translates, is a popular late-night stop for the pub-goers around the Kamppi area. This small fast-food place serves mainly kebab dishes, which have become very popular in Finland. The price-to-quantity ratio is excellent, whereas a discussion of quality is not necessary. It is good for any time from lunch until it is time for a midnight snack.

Lautanen

Lautanen is a newly renovated restaurant located in the city centre. After a change of name and décor, this place has gone from looking like a fast-food steakhouse to a stylish formal dining restaurant. Prices have gone up a notch, and dishes have decreased a litte in size. However, you can still get a good portion of fried whitefish or an impressive ox steak. All dishes include a salad buffet for starters. The eatery also features a good selection of wines and other drinks.

Rivoli Cheri

Restaurant Rivoli's kitchen serves southern European cuisine. Specialising in fish and seafood, the menu at Rivoli is quite impressive, but also expensive. A fairly affordable and popular dish is the green risotto with herbs and goat's cheese, after you have spoiled yourself rotten with six fresh mussels. The décor at Rivoli is top-of-the-line, and everything is spotless and shiny. The service works very well, as it should in a high-class restaurant such as this one. Recommended to all seafood lovers.

Café Lasipalatsi

This café is centrally located near the railway station, the bus terminal and Kamppi metro station, as well as the best shops of the city centre. Next to the café, a popular TV programme for young people is filmed on weekdays. The bar here is fully licensed and serves various kinds of coffees. You can also have breakfast here and take away pastries and drinks. The lunch menu changes daily and includes pasta dishes, salads, soup, baked potatoes and homemade meals. The outdoor terrace doubles the capacity of the café during the summer months.

Mother Bar and Kitchen

The first thing you notice about Mother Bar and Kitchen is the interesting interior décor. In the center of Helsinki, the restaurant is nice and cozy, with tables, bar stools and sofa areas. A glass ceiling covers the stairwell going downstairs to the restrooms, giving quite an eerie feeling. The menu consists mostly of different kinds of snacks, sandwiches and cold dishes. Prices are, in a stylish place like this, fairly high. Overall, good dishes and an impressive artistic taste make up for the notched-up prices.

Tavastia

Generally considered the definitive live venue in Helsinki, Tavastia is conveniently located, right by the main bus station in Kamppi. Live artists, local and foreign, are featured on many nights every week. The club is open on other nights as well, and since the place is owned by a university student organisation, special events are frequent. Short music festivals focusing on certain genres are also common, and twice a year record fairs draw in a crowd. In terms of acoustics, Tavastia is one of the best live venues in town, though it is relatively small. Its maximum capacity is less than a thousand people, only just over half of whom can fit into the actual live side of the club. Therefore, many artists playing there sell out, even when they play for two or more nights in a row.

Ravintola Torni

Torni Hotel's own restaurant is one of the many high-quality hotel-owned restaurants in the city. The menu is original in its own way, trying to keep it short but versatile. The high standard of service needed at a hotel is reflected here on the restaurant side, too. Waiters are polite, and the place is very clean wherever you look. Torni is obviously not a choice for everyone, but if your wallet is thick, dining here is certainly not a bad idea.

Kosmos

Restaurant Kosmos has always carried the image of a very expensive restaurant. Business meetings and lunches are popular here, and while dining, a Finn might recognise some well-known locals. The atmosphere in the restaurant is very official, with huge chandeliers hanging in each of the rooms. Everything shines, and not a speck of dust has the chance of reaching a customer. The menu is very sophisticated, and the prices go along with that. The food takes a while, but tastes all the better after the wait.

Kabuki

Kabuki is perhaps the most popular Japanese restaurant in Finland, and for good reason. The interior of the small restaurant is very much like countless similar places in Tokyo, with regular as well as traditional low-height Japanese tables on tatami. The menu offers excellent fish and meat dishes cooked in the traditional Japanese style. Try a portion of fried tuna and sukiyaki, which you must fry at your own table. Japanese beer, apart from other types of drinks, is available here. Come here and learn why this restaurant is liked by both the critics and the regular foodies.