Visiting Helsinki by cruise boat? Not knowing what to do and where to go?
Nomadig.com Helsinki cruise guide to the rescue! As natives to Helsinki, we have collected the best of breed shops, restaurants, cafés and sights under one roof.
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Colorado Mts. is one of the best tex-mex / cajun / creole (or as they put it, South-West Menu) restaurants in Helsinki. The food is excellent, and the beer flows fast -- what else would you need in these restaurants. The service is surprisingly courteous and personal. The flipside of the restaurant is general noisiness and too much smoke especially later in the evening. ... More >
Helsinki downtown has two fish restaurants, Fishmarket and Havis. I have visited them both and cannot really say which one is better -- both shine in different areas. ... More >
Ichiban sushi bar is centrally located, but sort of hidden sushi bar in downtown Helsinki. If you don't know the exact spot, you can miss the place very easily. The restaurant is on the upper floor near movie theater Bristol, in Aikatalo. You have to first go into an inner courtyard inside the building and then climb a set of stairs to the restaurant. There are no signs, but fortunately there are not so many stairs either. ... More >
Updated May 9, 2007: The restaurant has moved to Hotel Glo on Kluuvinkatu. ... More >
La Famiglia is a relaxed and easy-going Italian-American restaurant in the very centre of Helsinki, next to Stockmann department store and the busy shopping district nearby Aleksanterinkatu. The restaurant is surprisingly big, there is two floors, ground floor and basement, and thus chances are quite good that you find a table at least for a small party. ... More >
If you want to get a culture shock and a glimpse of the idyllic mental image of old times Finnish countryside, go to restaurant Zetor. The restaurant is famous for its traditional Finnish meals, very funky decor, and really odd menus -- you have to be careful to understand what you are ordering in reality. Fortunately, the waiters are glad to help. ... More >
Café Ekberg on Bulevardi is one of the traditional cafés in Helsinki -- they have been established during the Russian era, and for most parts have stayed the same during all these years. ... More >
Restaurant Teatteri enjoys residing at the one of the best spots in Helsinki, in Swedisth theater building at the western end of Esplanadi park. The restaurant complex has several different places to hand around, including a fine dining restaurant, a café and a couple of bars. ... More >
Kamppi shopping mall has several snack eateries on the ground floor, serving the busy commuters to and fro Espoo. One of the more appealing one is Gusto sandwich bar. They provide sandwiches, salads, sodas and coffees. ... More >
JohtoCafe is very nice coffeehouse on the fifth floor in Kamppi shopping mall. The café has an excellent open area in middle of shops with normal café tables and also lounge seats. All normal coffeehouse stuff is available with okay prices. They sell also beer and drinks. ... More >
Belge is a largish Belgian styled restaurant and bar in the very centre of Helsinki, just one block from the Esplanadi Park. The atmosphere, especially in the bar, is very relaxed and the settings make you feel like being in a private club of a sort. One nice perk is the terrace facing to busy Aleksanterinkatu, so you can watch people walking on the most fashionable blocks in Helsinki. ... More >
Academic Bookstore (Akateeminen kirjakauppa in Finnish) is the biggest bookstore in the Nordic countries. The store caters for all wishes of bookaholics, and they'll order those books that aren't in the stock. There is also a good magazine department with several newspapers around the world, and the basement sells IT stuff and games. ... More >
Oct 17, 2006: Changed the web address based on Pete's comments. ... More >
Iittala is one of the best known Scandinavian design houses based in Finland. They provide a full selection of tableware, kitchenware, utensils and decorative items made of glass, porcelain and steel. As usually in Finnish design, the form of follows the function in Iittala items. ... More >
Marimekko is one of the modern Finnish design flagships. Their colourful clothes, bags and other accessories have a refreshing mix of retro and trendy feel. ... More >
Back on the old days, Nanso was known to produce cheapish garments that were used by the elder folks. A few years ago they radically changed their course, hired Paola Suhonen to design bleeding edge clothes and now they are one of the most fashionable houses in Finland. ... More >
If you are looking for stylish pair of shoes or boots, go directly to Rizzo on the corner of Aleksanterinkatu and Mikonkatu. Inside, you will find a plethora of different models, classic and contemporary. ... More >
The fifth floor of Kamppi shopping mall is devoted to young fashion, and of the best shops on that floor is Spiritstore limited. The shop is quite big, compared to the fellow stores, and the selections are very nice, for both ladies and gentlemen. The brands include, among others, J.Lindeberg, Juicy Couture, Rock & Republic and Penguin. ... More >
Stockmann department store is by far the best shopping experience in Finland. Their main store on Aleksanterinkatu has eight floors full of goodies. ... More >
Vanha Kauppahalli (The Old Market Hall) is a collection of small shops and cafes near Kauppatori in Helsinki center. There are specialty meat and fish shops, a kitchen utensils stall, wine boutique, chocolatiere and a few cafes and stalls selling snack food. ... More >
Art museum Ateneum is the best place to spend an afternoon, if you are interested specificall in "Finnish golden age", or are a fan of art from the 19th century in general. ... More >
Helsinki Cathedral, the white monumental church with its apostle statues on Senaatintori is one of the most well-known symbol of Helsinki. Built on the Russian era, the church dominates the whole square and the other buildings around it, including the University of Helsinki and the governmental buildings. ... More >
If you are an arts fan, consider visiting Kiasma, the contemporary art museum. It is very centrally located, near Sokos department store, and the exhibitions are well-thought. You may not recognise a single name on the walls, as Kiasma is focusing mostly to Finnish and Scandinavian art, but you could spot the next art superstar... ... More >