Helsinki

A21 Cocktail Lounge

A high-priced but incredibly high quality cocktail bar situated in the city center, a few hundred meters from Stockmann's. Generally serves classic cocktail drinks with a twist, but also features several cocktails with a distinctly Finnish vibe (featuring garnishes such as birch leaves and fresh cloudberry) and innovative house specialities. According to worldsbestbars.com, this unlikely find is one of the world's best bars, winning the title of the best bar in the world in 2009 and 2010.

Drinks €7-25, try the Birch Cooler, Blinker or XXX.

Adler Wine House

A summer wine bar open from the end of May until the beginning of September.

Sun–Mon 12:00–18:00, Tue–Sat 12:00–22:00

Ahjo

Named after the forge where the mythical Sampo of the Kalevala was made, this is a slick modern bar-lounge with two sides to it: a pure white space as you enter, with a bar counter and sofas, and a darker back room with nooks and crannies for a quieter chat. Try the drink Ahjotonic.

Mon-Sat·Drinks €6–8

Angleterre

Oldest British pub in Helsinki since 1976. Only fifth outside the UK to gain the Cask Marque -award for excellence in serving real ale.

Mon Tue 15:00-00:00; Wed Thu 15:00-01:00; Fri Sat 14:00-02:00; Sun closed

Ateljee Baari

Despite the name it's more like a cafe, located on top of Hotel Torni, Finland's first high-rise. Excellent views over Helsinki's downtown. You even have a view from the (famous) toilets. Highly recommended. Find the elevator close to the lobby to get there, but be prepared for expensive drinks. If you're on a tight budget, you can just enjoy the view on the elevator level.

Aussie Bar

The name says it. Place to go get some drinks with some international fun. Live music every Wednesday and the weekends are always crazy in Kangaroo Land.

Mon Tue Sun 14:00 - 02:00, Wed-Sat 12:00 - 03:00

Bar Molotow

Small and always cosy indie/alternative/electro/goth rock bar. Nice summer terrace.

Black Door

English pub. Weekdays are relaxed, weekends have live DJs and a full bar. A place to go for quality beers, ales, ciders and whisky.

Butterfly

previously Baarikärpänen

Offers R & B and Top 40 hits in a nice lounge-type bar with big comfortable sofas and a dance floor. Reasonably cheap.

Cafe Engel

Where the locals go for tea and snacks. Very relaxed, lovely courtyard out the back with films projected late into summer evenings.

Cafe Mutteri

Lovely small café in an octagonal old wooden building just at the Lauttasaari bridge. Its name translates to café "nut" as something you use with a bolt. Coffee, pies, pastries and ice cream are on offer. You can enjoy a slightly nostalgic atmosphere of the place, or just get pleasantly cosy on a freezing day.

Mon-Fri 06:00-19:00, Sat Sun 10:00-16:00

Cafe Succès

This traditional cafe serves excellent delicacies. Famous for their enormous cinnamon rolls (korvapuusti), also available in Cafe Esplanad.

Café Ekberg

One of the classic Helsinki cafés and a Bulevardi institution, which was founded in 1852. Was renovated in 2017 and at that lost some of its old flair. Ekberg has two premises right next to each other, with separate entraces. One of them is the main café which also functions as a lunch restaurant, the other is a bakery shop.

Mon–Fri 07:30–19:00, Weekend 09:00–18:00

Café Kafka

A lovely building with a relaxed atmosphere. Here you can find one of the best espressos in town.

Café Regatta

A pleasant little café located at the seashore in western Töölö. Serves good coffee and pastries. In summertime, the café tends to be absolutely packed with locals and tourists. You're better off sitting at the terrace rather than inside the café. Coffee costs EUR 2, but if you have an additional cup, the café actually gives you 5 cents back instead of charging you.

10:00–23:00

Café Tin Tin Tango

A uniquely Helsinki combination of café, restaurant, bar, laundromat and sauna, Tin Tin Tango serves up all-day breakfast, soups, salads and sandwiches, but stays open late with wine and occasional live music. Laundry/dryer €4/2. Sauna rental €22-32/hour (1–10 people), reservations required.

Mon-Fri 07:00-00:00, Sat Sun 09:00-02:00

Café and Eepos

A hidden gem. Delicious pastries, pies and buns – and books for reading. There are even glasses available for those with poor eyesight.

Corona Bar & Billiards

A bar and billiard hall owned by the film director brothers Aki and Mika Kaurismäki, echoing the melancholic mood of their films. Also check out the affiliated Kafe Moskva bar next door for authentic Soviet style experience, complete with Russian music played on dusty vinyls and Russian vodka and champagne. Downstairs is Dubrovnik, a small club-cum-movie theater that can be rented for private events and host occasionally live gigs or clubs.

DTM

Formerly "Don't Tell Mama", DTM is the largest combination of gay cafe, bar, disco and nightclub in Scandinavia, with 2 dance floors and 3 bars. Popular among younger, trendy people and some celebrities. Straights usually welcome, too, as long as they don't "take over" the place. Entrance Su-Th €2.50, F €5, Sa €8 (on special nights fees may vary).

Daily 21:00-04:00

El Patron

former Jenny Woo, Vatican

Tries to profile itself as a nightclub for trendy young adults. You can lie on couches next to the crowded dance floor while sipping some bubbly.

Erottaja Bar

A small, consciously crude bar, that used to be one of the primary hipster hangouts in central Helsinki. The bar is now all but deserted by the trendy crowd, and the music turned into the usual fare of hit-list pop, but on the upside the service is friendly and there is ample sitting room at the tables.

Espresso Edge

A cosy bohemian café with a South American vibe, popular among the artsy types of the Kruununhaka neighbourhood, and Faculty of Social Science students from across the street.

Fazer

Famous for its decor, architecture, ice-creams, pastries and coffees, this café opened in 1891, run by Finland's largest chocolate maker, has been an institution since its birth. There's also the Fazer Bakery shop next to the café. If you are visiting, pay attention to the round room topped with a dome. People say that if you tell secrets here, the other customers will hear them across the room due to the acoustics of the dome.

Gran Delicato

A very cosy cafe serving Mediterranean salads and paninis, and a variety of coffees. The Greek owner is a showman, usually around to amuse customers.

Mon-Fri 08:00-22:00, Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun closed·Coffees €2-4, salads €7-9, pastas and soups €7-9

Hercules Gay Night Club

One of the busiest gay nightclubs in Scandinavia, mainly a 30+ clients, dance floor and 2 bare, good for bare-faced cruising. Entrance free; coat check €2.50 (on special guests nights fees may vary).

Juttutupa

Helsinki's (probably) oldest still operational pub, housed in the "workers' house", a nice old granite house called Graniittilinna. It has historically been the bar of the political left. While Lenin was hiding out in Finland planning the upcoming Russian revolution he was known to frequent Juttutupa; the table he used to sit at is kept in his memory (the one in the back with a good view of the entrance). On Wednesdays, there are often free Jazz concerts. Juttutupa also serves food from the neighbouring restaurant's kitchen.

Mon–Wed 10:30–22:00, Thu 10:30–23:00, Fri 10:30–01:00, Sat 12:00–01:00

Kaarle XII

A Helsinki institution better known as Kalle, this former church hasn't had a renovation in years and really needs one. It still continues to pack in a hard-partying thirty-something crowd, especially on Thursdays. Six bars (all small), playing top-40 tunes, rock and Finnish pop. The last of the bars has a dance floor and gets particularly packed, with people dancing on the tables. Minimum age 24.

Thu–Sat 22:00–04:00

Kaffecentralen

This little shop concentrates on selling espresso paraphernalia, and also serves excellent cappuccino.

Kahvila Sävy

Small, retro style café with excellent coffee from a Finnish roastery. There are only a few seats in the former barbershop, next to the Sörnäinen metro. Also peculiar percolators for sale.

Kakkugalleria

French-type cafe in the Design Forum. Try the lovely Sacher cake. Take away is cheaper.