Reviews for Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki got its first lifestyle / design hotel a few months ago when hotel Klaus K was opened at Bulevardi. The nightclub of the hotel, Ahjo, follows the bleeding edge design of the rest of the hotel. The upper deck of the club is purely white and you may find the pure white chairs a bit intimidati... 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... More >

Annabella stocks French and Italian clothing and shoes that are not available in any other stores or boutiques in Helsinki.

The clothes are fashionable and of good quality. They are not haute couture brands, but still have excellent styling. Annabella has an especially excellent selection of good... More >

Ateljee Bar has the best views on the town, or over the town. The bar is located on the fourtheenth floor on Sokos Hotel Torni and there are no obstacles anywhere nearby to block the scenery. If you are a buff of metropolitan landscapes, go up there to see the rooftops of Helsinki.

The bar itself... 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.

The museum boasts over 20,000 works of art. Of course, only a fraction of them are on the exhibition -- but the most famous ... More >

The best Tapas in Helsinki are served in this small joint in Uudenmaankatu. Bar Tapasta cannot sit more than twenty people and you have to either reserve a table, come early or eat on the bar (not bad option).

Bar Tapasta has a few main dishes every day and over ten different tapas. If you are re... More >

Basilica is a good Italian restaurant that is unfortunately located somewhat far away from the Helsinki city centre, in Lauttasaari and in Ruoholahti. The Lauttasaari restaurant, 3-4 kilometers from the railway station, is the original and oldest. They have just opened a new restaurant in Ruoholahti... More >

Oct 17, 2006: Changed the web address based on Pete's comments.

If you are an American or British ex-pat or just otherwise feeling a bit homesick, visit Behnford's to find your favourite food and drinks, such as coffee, candy, salad dressings and so forth.

The quite small store is located on W... 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 Aleks... More >

If you are a fan of Japanese design, consider visiting Blippo in Kamppi shopping mall. The store is filled with funky coloured items, such as garments, bags, toys and all kind of things you never knew existed.

Most of the stuff is very cute, pink, round and somewhat cushy, but there are also some... More >