The location is good: very close to Esplanadi. Decor and service were OK. Loud atmosphere on…read moreSaturday night. Decent bread, olive oil, and wine. But the pasta ala pescatore were very salty and boring (pasta with 3 shrimps and 3 octopus rings, buried under green onions and nothing else. No peas, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, or anything. The artic char was correctly cooked but incredibly salty, and served with plain steamed veggies (boring again), and a side of risotto which was a pale version of anything resembling a risotto (bland, more liquid than creamy). 2 (decent) glasses of wine and 2 (terrible) entrees will set you back Eu 65. Ouch. Our forays into foreign cuisine in Helsinki have not paid off. It seems that there is a higher chance (although no guarantee) of getting a decent meal if you stick to traditional Finnish food. It won't be cheap either, but at least it might be edible.

On the recommendation from the concierge at the hotel we were staying at we went to Gastone's for…read moredinner last night. Located right off the Esplanadi it was easy to find & in a wonderful area. We were seated at a great table for two right by the front window that was wonderful, not sure of the seating in the rest of the restaurant but our spot was great. I started with the mushroom soup that was very good while my wife ordered a pasta with mushrooms that she loved. For a main course I enjoyed a stuffed rolled eggplant that contained cheese & spinach in a light tomato sauce while my wife had the grilled lamb tenderloin which was also very good. Finally for dessert I enjoyed the cheese plate with 3 different cheeses one of which was just outstanding and my wife had the caramelized pineapple cake which was good. The waiter was very helpful in wine pairings & did a good job. They also offered a 3 or 4 plate fixed menu that looked good which we did debate about trying but just decided to order ala carte. Being from the US it was much different then what we would usually see in an Italian restaurant so if you want a different experience I'd say give it a try.

Right near the train station this restaurant has a great variety of food! Our pizzas were…read moredelicious and perfect after a day of shopping! Our server was very nice and courteous! I thought it was in Italy was realized I was in Finland! Even the lemon drink was refreshing! Please stop by here if you are visiting

Tomato soup and salmon pasta were pretty good but way too expensive - 10€ and 19€, respectively…read more There were gnats everywhere and the place smelled bad, like... Garbage. Food took a long time to come out, staff inattentive. Come on, Finland!!! You have to beat Germany in the restaurants contest!! We're so looking forward to better restaurants than there.

I really enjoyed this place. I had the Risotto ai gamberini (Crab risotto. Scampi, onion, garlic,…read morefresh thyme, butter, parmesan, parsley oil). They had both large and small portions so I opted for the latter. It was arguably the best risotto I've had in ages ... just delicious. The small was likely the best size for me but I'm sure I could have eaten the larger portion because it was so good. Service was great and the restaurant was comfortable. Highly recommend.

Rodolfo used to be a nice place with a kind of an old classic Italian restaurant feel. Then they…read morerenovated the place. It lost its feel. The overall look and feel of the interior is very light colored where as it used to have darker wood etc for a better ambiance. Now it looks like 2123421245 other restaurants in Helsinki. Also they've cut back the menu a lot in terms of what is available. Barely any pastas?? Used to love the ragu with spaghetti and everything else they had. They've ruined what used to be a nice cozy place with a traditional feel.

Kampin Pippuri is a casual but super friendly local restaurant with a menu of Turkish kebabs and…read moregrilled meats. My pick was the Falafel with Salad, a plate of four flat falafels served over a grainy hummus along with a simple salad (lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes) and Turkish bread. But an even more memorable part of the meal was the complimentary plate of house salads, which included shredded white cabbage, shredded carrots, shredded red cabbage, bulgur with tomato paste, and a white bean salad, all of which were super fresh and tasty. This restaurant may have seemed simple and unassuming, but the quality, service, and prices were all on point.

Nothing spectacular but a good deal price-wise: usually has some kind of pizza+drink offer at…read moremodest price. Open late so caters to the late night traveler...

After a super long travel day, we landed in Helskinki starving. This restaurant was close to our…read morehotel and seemed to meet our needs. You order at the bar and they bring the food. We both had the Penne Mare Chiaro which had warm smoked salmon, shrimp and roe in a creamy tomato sauce. It hit the spot and was delicious.

Service was polite. Dining room was clean enough…read more The pizza was delicious. Beer, wine, spirits available. Needed ventilation or a fan. Very yummy. Ill be back.

Jamie W. and I were staying in the heavily residential Töölö area of Helsinki when we decided we…read moredidn't want to traipse downtown in the bitter Nordic cold for dinner. I noticed on the Yelp app that this Italian eatery was about a five-minute walk from our hotel, so we decided why not. After all, we were bold enough to try ramen in the afternoon, so Italian food seemed marginally less risky given Rome is closer to Helsinki than Tokyo. Approaching the restaurant on a quiet side street, it turned out to be the main floor of a large apartment building with an enclosed patio where diners brought their dogs (photo: http://bit.ly/1WX2RaM). Inside the main area was a casual bar and eatery that looked like someone's 1970's-era den (photo: http://bit.ly/1T0koxs). The menu had a little bit of everything: pastas, pizzas, main and side dishes, and just one salad, the 15 € Insalata alla Caesar with grated Parmesan, a wedge of lemon, and a choice of a side. I decided on grilled octopus which came out as one thick, charred tentacle (photo: http://bit.ly/1YiYlC6). For my entree, I tried the 18 € Filetto di Manzo Marmorizzato (Grilled Marbled Fillet of Beef), which was a hefty, juicy portion of what tasted like skirt steak (photo: http://bit.ly/1WkDsZq). It was prepared medium rare and was certainly all the protein I could handle on a plate. Even though they offered vegetable sides, I still went for the 4 € Pasta al Aglio (with Garlic) which turned out to be a creamy garlic sauce the looked like it was squeezed out of a tube (photo: http://bit.ly/1qapyLH). It wasn't my favorite. Jamie got all predictable and ordered the 14 € Salame Classico Pizze with salami slices, artichoke hearts, and buffalo mozzarella. It was prepared rustically in an irregular shape with balsamic vinegar drizzled all over it (photo: http://bit.ly/1UOBf7z). It was the simple pizza Jamie wanted but not substantial enough to satisfy his appetite, which may explain why we made a beeline to downtown afterward for dessert at Kappeli. There was just one server for the restaurant, but he was adept at managing a lot of tables through the course of the evening. It's the type of place I probably wouldn't even notice back in the states, but there was a certain amount of cozy comfort found here that we enjoyed for a spell. FOOD - 3 stars...nothing that stands out but nothing that offended either, just unadorned Italian comfort food AMBIANCE - 3 stars...felt like somebody's house during the Watergate era SERVICE - 4 stars...that one server kept awfully busy, he could have used a helper TOTAL - 3 stars...not the cutting edge of Helsinki's culinary scene

visiting Helsinki for 1st time, walked around for dinner and found this place…read more definitely different menu vs USA. reindeer, moose, rabbit. tried the octopus, delicious. went salame artichoke pizza, very good as well. nice atmosphere, nice servers.

I typically never give a chance to restaurants below three four stars. However, my friend suggested…read moreto go to this place as she was craving Italian food. Neither of us had been here. We were so happy with the food that we came back here two times in our four day stay in Helsinki. It was conveniently located in the city center just around the corner from the Helsinki train station. It wasn't typical Italian food but my friend and I both had the BBQ chicken and bacon pasta. We loved it, although it was a bit greasy. My friend had one of the pizzas and it was very big. The only downfall is it was quite expensive for the size of the pasta portion. The waitress was super helpful in giving wine recommendations and spoke English. I would definitely recommend despite the lower ratings. But next time I definitely want to try out some Finnish food and other restaurants.

Probably the best pizza I have eaten in a long time. All the pizza is thin crust and has to be…read moreeaten with a knife and fork. Good selection of food and it stays open until 2:30 AM. Three bars to include one outside. The food came quickly and I had no complaints. There are all types of pizza ranging from vegetarian to triple meat!

We had News Years Eve dinner here with a large group…read more Pros: 1. House made pizza was delicious! The dough was crunchy, and delightful 2. Friendly staff who was knowledgeable about the menu and gave us some solid suggestions. 3. Appetizers and entrees were a good size 4. Wine list was great Cons: 1. Slow service 2. Small dessert menu

I've had both lunch and dinner here. Nice try, but actually the food is below avarage. Service is…read moreslow and the final decision for me not to visit this restaurant ever again, when we we're passing by with my son who had to go to toilet. Presto did not let us in. Gladly, there are lot of nice, friendly restaurants in the neighbourhood. My tip is: skip Presto.