We were very cold and wet from a nasty weather day and wanted to try something warm. Also wanted…read moresomething local to Helsinki as well and Yelp said this one would satisfy our taste buds. Not a single tourist in site, everyone speaking Finnish so we knew this was the perfect spot. Had only 30 minutes before lunch ended so we ate quick and snapped as many pictures as I could. Very interesting salads with unique dressings, most them couldn't tell what in the world made them taste so good. Helsinki proved to be awesome and to not copy Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Finland borders Russia on the East side which might be why their foods are so different and yet so delectable. Would be better to visit when the weather is warmer with some sunshine. For sure would return to this place as it was superb!

Love the unpretentious lunch hidden in the street corners of Helsinki city centre here. You kind of…read morehave to look for a place as it doesnt have street front...just a sign they put outside to say they are open...and you kind of have to brave yourself to step in a small corner inside the streets to actually get to the restaurant. There are all types of clienteles here and you pay right when you arrive, get your plate, grab your food from the buffet line and seat whereever the table is free. Pretty casual and stress free...and the staff there do run like a well-oiled machine. They clear thr empty plates and clean the tables, and refill the food in tje buffet line as much as they can. The buffet line has a section for vegetarian and regular hot meal food. There's also a separate corner to grab your own tea/coffee as you wish, too. For ~€12 and quality all you can eat lunch...this is a very very good deal! I did try everything from the buffet line and they all tasted fresh! I had 2 full plates and a cup of tea..and didn't feel bloated after eating so much afterwards at all. If I had time to come back to Helsinki again, I would definitely want to have lunch here again. I debated goinf back there again my last day in Helsinki but unfortunately didn't have enough time to go back there...else I would be back there again! Give yourself and your friends a nice casual lunch when you are in Helsinki and you will be happy to stopped by for sure!

This was my first night in town and I wanted to try a nice place that didn't break the bank. I…read morewalked over from my hotel and got a table for 1. First impressions was the place looked like it had been here for a long time given the somewhat outdated decor. However the menu options looked very nice and everything came with a wine pairing so it made my life easy. I asked the waitress for a recommendation but ultimately ordered my first instincts. 4/5 Tomato Salad with buffalo mozzarella cheese - a nice refreshing star of to my dinner and the white wine was excellent 4/5 Meatballs - tasted very similar to Swedish meatballs and served with gravy and cranberry sauce and steamed carrots. Honestly reminded me of the meatballs that ikea has but so much better. This was so good and the red wine pairing was also very good. The waitress suggested the salmon soup and I'm definitely giving that a try if there's a next time. By the end I was very full even though it didn't seem like I had much to eat. Loved it!

Back to the future.. Sorry back to the past but in a good way. The restaurant has been in the same…read moreplace since 1938 and renovated last maybe in the 1980's. Cool place to go with your dad or mom. For all the foodies this is a good restaurant to go and #reset your taste buds from all the cross kitchen coriander asian hamburger kebab sushi tapas you've been eating 24/7. Back to basics! Food: Dishes are CLASSIC Finnish restaurant dishes prepared just right. Ingredients are top notch and the cooks know how to prepare them. Can I repeat myself again, CLASSIC. Simple dishes with great taste. Steak was good, potatoes were good, the sauce was good, everything was good. Nothing for you to jump to the moon but all in all really tasty and CLASSIC. We had a couple of different dishes sirloin and tenderloin steak with cream and cognac sauce and risotto with prawns. Everything was prepared as we liked and my mom 70 years old really loved the food. For us younger generation the food represented probably the food our parents ate in restaurants in Finland between 60's and 90's. Environment: Renovated probably around 80's and that shows but not in a really bad way but in a kind of sympathetic way. You can feel the old glamour and sense the restaurants gold age being a couple of decades ago still not fading what it is today. When you walk in there is a doorman to get your coat (3€). The restaurant is quite large on the inside and there are lots of tables. A lot of tables to seat also big groups. Service: Service was really friendly and old fashioned in a good way. Food came out in a timely manner and the waiter was helpful with the menu and different choices. One of us chose the fillet steak which came flambéed by the waiter next to our table. Great show to spice up your family dinner for the old folks ;) Price: Not the most expensive restaurant but in the upper middle class. Sirloin steak 28€ and tenderloin 32€. Pretty standard for Helsinki. Taking in to account that the food was well prepared and tasty it was rather reasonable. Food: 4/5 Environment: 3,5/5 Service: 4/5 Price: 4/5

Local food with exceptional service. We missed our reservation so they called and were flexible…read moreenough to accommodate us. Our waiter was delightful, explaining each dish, recommended wine pairings. The experience was delightful and delicious. We had an epic night.

Aito was so perfect for a special meal in Helsinki with my husband. We did a four course tasting…read moremenu and it was so creative and delicious. The server was great at explaining everything to us and we love how cozy it felt. I highly recommend aito for people who want modern Finland food.

SHRIMP SANDWICH! SHRIMP SANDWICH! SHRIMP SANDWICH!…read more You must get the shrimp sandwich. My first bite of that sent me to another world. This makes it one of the best dishes I've ever had in my life. The creamy shrimp and the dill sauce and the not too sour pickled onions paired aMAZiNGLy! Literally smiled so big as I took a bite... Probably looked creepy to other customers since I was eating alone. On the other hand... Bread basket: was mid. little cold and hard 5/10 Shrimp sandwich: 15/10 Veal liver: I loved everything about the dish, except the liver. Mashed potatoes were fantastic, gravy was amazing, liver was not it. More of a personal preference but I will not be eating liver again. (8/10) Creme brulee: It was like a flan and creme brulee fusion. The berry sauce was great. (10/10)

This restaurant is in a quiet and beautiful residential area in Helsinki, and the food was so good…read morethat we ended up coming back and having our last meal here! Both times when we ate the food and staff were amazing, and we were the only non-locals there. They also had vegan options which was nice. The food is a little pricey but pretty standard for eating out in Helsinki. Overall, a great place to get some traditional Finnish meets modern Scandinavia food, and explore a beautiful residential Helsinki neighborhood. I cannot stress enough how good the food was!

Me and my co-worker friend stayed in Viisi Penniä for a couple of drinks after a hard 16-hour day…read moreof work. There were like three (3) bar workers at the booth, two of them were very welcoming and talkative and the third was silent. At first the evening was very nice, and me and my friend were able to relax a bit. Anyhow, after our thirds of cold beers, two of the three bartenders left (probably because their shift was over.) and one (the silent one.) was left to serve the remaining customers and close the bar eventually. We decided to order more beer as the evening was getting nicer and I was getting my happy and relaxed mood right on so I went to ask for the silent bartender if he could pour me another one and put on a favorite song. The answer of that bartender was "Yeeeah I could, but I won't." and he had a little smile on his face. I smiled back and thought "ok, no problem." and went back to our table with my new beer. Then, time moves forward just a little so that we were done with the beers and we decided to get one more beers before we leave and go back to our hotel for a good night o' sleep. So we walked once again to the bartender and ordered the last beers This time we stayed at the counter instead of going back to our table. So I asked one more time if the bartender could take on the song wish. This time he was very tense and seemed to get a little angry about the question. He answered "No means, no!". I was a bit dazzled by the strict response of the bartender and thought about the first thing he said at the first time I asked for the song, "Yeeeah I could, but I won't.". ; If he COULD, why he won't? With a thousand question marks on my mind: -Does he want to be mean to us on purpose? -Who would it hurt if it's really just one song that me and my co-worker both wanted to hear? -etc. Without thinking any longer, I asked him politely: "But why..?" This is where things escalated quicker than I could ever imagine and the silent bartender was not so silent anymore. He started screaming at us "WHAT DON'T YOU GET?? NO MUSIC, NO SONGS, NO WISHES! I said "Alright! Alright! Calm down, I just wanted to know why?" *Jeez!* And all that did, was that he ignited even more. He then continued to scream in rage that he didn't have to explain himself to anyone, better yet, to us. (Which is true, he doesn't have to. It would be polite to tell people why, but not a must/have to.) Then I (The customer) had to explain that I am sorry that I managed to anger him with my questions, and I didn't mean anything bad/harm to him, with them. He still kept screaming that he doesn't care or give a s***. Then he started yelling: "GET OUT!" we weren't even finished with our beers, in fact they were nearly full since this all happened so quickly that we didn't get much chance to drink it from our confusion. Then I gave up on the thought that the bartender would calm down, so I asked him in the midst of his yelling "GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!" That can't we even finish our beers first? Then he screamed that we can finish our beers NOW but we can't stay to enjoy them in peace as we have to get out. We finished our full 0,5l beers with one gulp and marched away from the bar. I know drunken people and customers can be annoying sometimes, (but trust me, this is was not the case. I really can hold my liqueurs.) I should know, I am a former bartender myself. But this is NOT how you behave as a bartender or in any other job that requires customer service skills, not at least where I come from. Imagine how it feels to be a tourist in Helsinki and you get screamed up in a bar by a bartender for just a couple of simple and NORMAL everyday questions? What ever happened to the shine in "Good/Great customer service" or so-to-speak "Customer is always right." -principle? Well I ain't going back to Viisi Penniä ever again when I visit Helsinki. And I feel bad for the owner of the bar (hopefully this raging bartender wasn't the owner, or if he was, in which scenario then I don't feel bad.) for writing this review because it wasn't everybody's, who work there, fault. Just one rotten apple.. I guess the two other bartenders could have been much nicer and more customer service -spirited and we got the wrong one. PS. When I walked out of the Viisi Penniä -Bar, I promised to the bartender that I would write a Yelp -review based on this case, In which he replied laughing and yelling as we walked away: "Ahaha! So they all say, and they never do!" GUESS WHAT?! I just did.. ;)

One my favourite pubs in Helsinki to go enjoy a good beer. Very nice selection of beer on draft…read moreand they bring in new beer frequently. You can also find nearly any sort of beer in a bottle. Most of the staff know what they are doing and will gladly help you find the beer just for your tastebuds. I only wish they would bring in more red ales, but other than that the place is pretty much all im looking for when going for few drinks with friends.

Came here on 2 separate occasions. Since it was near my hotel. The food wasn't anything crazy and a…read morelittle pricey. This place is known for their fried herring. First few bites of this were pretty good. Salty and flavorful that comes with mashed potatoes that helps reset your taste buds when it gets too salty. But after halfway, I got tired of the taste. Wasn't enough variety. The salmon wasn't anything crazy. The shrimp tartar sauce that came with it was really tasty.

First meal in Finland, after checking into the hotel checked Yelp for a real Helsinki style…read morecuisine. This came up and we took Uber and arrived 10 minutes later. We tried quite a few things, my buddy wanted to sample their different looking items as well. It was fun trying their seafood, their unique sauces that accompanied them, the lamb, the mystery fish which I couldn't find in google translate, the wild mushroom soup, and to top it off was that excellent cloudberry cheesecake. Had to google was 'cloudberry' was and this was the definition "Cloudberries are very juicy, and they taste a bit like a cross between a raspberry and a red currant". We were sold! So unique and different at the same time had to upload a picture so one could see what they look like before turned into a dessert. For sure would return to this place, great service, excellent tasting food which is so different from other countries.

Fine dining in this part of town is the norm, therefore , I expect the very best …read more Nevertheless, there was an atmosphere which cannot be fabricated. laughs and chatter from almost every table...loved it ! I had the Toasted duck and others had the pike perch. they were both extremely tasteful. the combination of vegetables and ingredients was something to look forward to . I with I would've had an appetizer because the portion was a little small for my big appetite. We had the Tarte Tatin for dessert, which is basically vanilla ice cream over heated apple pie. service was good . I would repeat to try other dishes . Reasonable prices, considering the area.

We know that we were in a pricier touristy area when we came across this restaurant. However, this…read moreis one of the best meals that we had during our visit to Finland. We were unable to get a reservation online so we decided to see if we can walk in and we were warmly received. We were given a very comfortable table in the center of the dining room. We opted to order the steak and fries, as well as escargot and the smoked trout. The bread service was also outstanding. We paired our meal with a cocktail and a glass of wine. Service was very friendly and helpful. We then finished with an apple dessert. We almost returned the second night, but we were too tired from sightseeing all day. I highly recommend this location and would definitely return in the future.

I had a work related lunch with colleagues at Famu today. It was my first visit to the place…read more There's plenty of seating, so easy to accommodate large groups. The restaurant was busy and there were still plenty of tables free. You can order from the menu, or take the buffet -- we had the latter. There were two parallel lines on the buffet with plenty of options. For a starter, I had cheese and cauliflower soup with bacon bits. Then for the main, salad with marinated mushrooms, feta cheese, and salmon cooked in a cream sauce. Meatballs with marinara sauce and mashed potatoes was also an option, as well as green beans and potato salad. All the food I tasted was appetizing. The service was good and the staff continuously restocked the platters. Although I did not have dessert, I was a bit disappointed with the selection -- all I saw was what looked like Fanipala (off-the-shelf Finnish chocolate covered waffle bites). I feel Famu is a good choice for a slightly higher standard lunch in a professional, modern setting. But with a 29 EUR lunch buffet price tag, it's hard for me to see myself dining here if it's not work related.

Came by for lunch the other day and it was a tasty experience. Karl Johan is located away from the…read moretouristy areas and seems to cater to locals. Reservations are not accepted for lunch. They have a rotating lunch menu and I opted for the tenderloin lunch special for 25 euros. Ordering and payment is done at the counter. Complimentary salad, bread, and water are self service by the bar next to the cashier. Staff bring out entrees and also bus the tables. To my surprise, the tenderloin was excellent. The medium was a perfect medium rare and it was seared on the outside to perfection. This was served with some flavorful grilled vegetables that were seasoned to perfection.

I was rushing by looking for a restaurant that no longer existed due to Covid. I decided to go to…read moreKarl Johan instead and it was a great decision. The lovely server immediately gave me some bread with the best tapenade I've ever eaten. It was a combo of olives and dried tomatoes with tons of flavour, but very little salt. I started with the traditional Finnish Vorschmack. It takes three days to make this delicious beef and fish mush. It's served with chopped onions, beets, pickles, sour cream and a large dollop of mashed potato's. It's the perfect comfort food and I could get seriously addicted to Vorschmack!!! Everyone around me was happily ordering pork schnitzels. I ordered the green risotto. It had a lot of vegetables in it: green beans, arugula / rocket and fresh peas. I found it bland and missing a taste direction. I do not recommend the chocolate dessert, it was the least impressive part of the meal. I think they need to up their dessert game. Based on the description, I thought it would be a chocolate mousse, but instead a dense hard cube of chocolate ganache arrived with a Basil flavoured green whipped cream. Toasted Quinoa was sprinkled on top which led to an unpleasant, gritty taste sensation. Totally unnecessary addition to the dessert.