Carelia is one of those places that has been where it is for a long time. It is an old apothecary…read moreturned restaurant almost 20 years ago located in my childhood neighborhood of Töölö. A popular venue among opera-goers and athletes as it is located near to the stadium and the Opera of course. I can't believe that this was the first time I visited as it for sure will not be my last. We were invited for dinner by an old friend of mine, who is also the sommelier of the restaurant. She had picked an aperitif for us, a bottle of Pierre Gimonet Oenophile Premiere Cru 2008. I peaked at the menu and noticed another Gimonet (Cuis1) only around 13 euros for a glass, that is a definitely a fair price here in the Nordics. For food (starters) we ordered the beef tartar and asparagus with Hollandaise accompanied by some semi-sweet Riesling. Both dishes were very good, but I must say the asparagus was perfect, a simple dish with no compromises. For mains we had the classic entrecote with Bernaise, fries and salad, and some tasty small chicken (why is it that the smallest are always the tastiest?). The meat was wonderful and made exactly like we ordered, medium rare (almost mooing). To accompany the mains the sommelier selected a nice Pinot Noir from Chambolle-Musigny. For dessert we shared a platter of cheese, the rhubarb sorbet with almond and rosemary sauce and the Tarte tatin. After the dinner things started getting "out of hand". I am not talking drunken wild, just that we ordered a great many wines for tasting (we ordered one glass of each and split them by four people). The staff were very friendly and understanding of our extensive wine tasting needs, so they arranged several glasses for everyone ans stayed to chat about the wine. We tried several Rieslings from Auslese and a Muscat de Rivesaltes Grand Guilhem. The Rieslings were served from beautiful Magnum bottles and tasted fresh and fruity. The Muscat was interesting with light notes of port wine but a very low alcohol content. A nice dessert wine. To end the evening, we moved to the bar (to get out of the way from hungry opera goers) and ordered another bottle of bubbly: Blanc de Blancs (2007) from Lilbert & Fills (awesome!). All in all Carelia is a beautiful restaurant. The wine list is awesome with closer to 30 different champagnes and prices are not a rip-off. Of course champagne is always quite pricey, but Carelia has clearly positioned its self as a place for wine-lovers, and most wine-geeks will stay home and drink from their own cellar if the restaurant aims to rob you blind. I must say I had similar feelings or reasonable pricing at Sinne Helsinki, so it seems like the Helsinki wine-scene is really starting to get on its feet. The food is nothing innovative (it does not aim to be), but it is classical dishes made extremely well. My salute to the kitchen! Last but not least, the sommelier at the place is really something, so if you visit, I recommend leaving your wine-adventure into her capable hands.

This is a nice brasserie that was near our hotel on Mannerheimintie. I went here once for dinner,…read moreonce for coffee, and it strikes me as a safe, reliable option--nothing will necessarily blow you away, but everything is good, and nothing will let you down either. The service is very good, and the atmosphere is pleasant. They've preserved some of the original decor from the original pharmacy that existed in the space since the 1920s, but the feel of the place is modern. (There is an actual Carelia drugstore around the corner on Runeberginkatu). We had the fish, the veal, and the steak frites, all of which were good. The only thing I'd say is that there are not a lot of options for vegetarians, but for a single meal, most people will still find a good choice. (Also, I didn't ask about it, so it's possible the chef would prepare an off-menu vegetarian option). They also had a nice sourdough bread, and I had an apple sorbet that tasted exactly like an apple. A little bit on the pricier side, but I think worth it if you are looking for a good meal in the area.

Hotel bars are probably the most underrated bars in cities. Even if their might actually be quite…read morenice. Helsinki also has a few of those hidden beauties. One of them is Bar Socis inside Hotel Seurahuone. The hotel is located right in the heart of Helsinki next to Sokos and around the corner from the main station. After entering you can already see the bar straight ahead. Bar Socis has a real Paris feeling to it. And that is not just due to the French music played here. The bar has a round shape and is covered by a beautiful colored glass ceiling. The center of the bar is a small fountain covered in blue and green light around which comfortable sofas and armchairs are placed. You can get various cocktails and of course wine and beer here. Prices are a bit higher then elsewhere in the center. The atmosphere is really something though and worth to spend at least an hour.

My friends have been arranging different kind of events, clubs and private parties in Wäiski,…read moreespecially in the downstairs bar. It's a slightly worn out restaurant boat which fits for many different occasions. You have to psy special cloak fee (3e) and usually a ticket for the club you're going. As a visitor it's a pub among others. Space downstairs is very low - if you raise your hand on the small stage you might touch the roof. Prices in the bar are somewhat affordable. There's usually no food service if there's a club.

Fun place to hang out due to all the various dark nooks and crannies created by odd walls here and…read morethere. Some big, comfortable furniture too. The idea of a smoking room is fantastic, but sadly, like every other smoking room in Helsinki, it is always overused and poorly ventilated. Basically you just walk in there, stand for about two minutes, and walk out. You never even have to light up, you will get so much nicotine in your system you're guaranteed to get a headache almost instantly. Not picking on the Dubliner....all those smoking rooms are like that. Food here is not that great... all frozen stuff that you should avoid unless you're desperate. Decent music, not too loud, not too quiet.

Cosy bar to kick off the evening. They have all of the main Irish beers and the crowd seems quite…read morelaid back. Not a place to come on a sunny day as it's quite dark. Service is great. Recommended.

Latva is probably my favorite bar in Helsinki and every time I come here I always wonder why I do…read morenot go here more frequently. It is located very close to one of the main streets in the center (the Esplanad) but still the surroundings are very tranquil and especially in summer it is just lovely to sit outside and sip on a glass (of wine or beer). There is seating available indoors as well and that is great for winter and bad weather as well as after 10pm when they have to close outdoors. They offer a great range of micro breweries from around Finland. I do not often find good Finnish beer abroad but here it is clearly shown that it is not because it is jot produced. The staff are very knowledgeable and do take the time to find something that suits your taste. The great thing with Latva is that they do not only have a great selection of beer but also a very good wine selection. The selection by the glass is usually very exciting. As if that was not enough they also serve some pretty great food so when in Helsinki do not miss this place!

Are you looking for a good wine bar in Helsinki? Then come to Latva (Treetop). The small bar in…read morePunavuori offers a big selection of excellent wines from all over the world. Don't just ask for a glass of wine at the bar but take your time to browse through the long list of delicious reds, whites and rosés. If you still can't decide let the staff help you. Just let them know what you normally drink or what you are looking for and they will recommend you something. Latva is not just a place for wine though. They also have tasty local beer on tap. Except for Sandels all their beers come from microbreweries in Finland. Try for example the New Zealand Amber Lager or the light Vehnä wheat beer.

The novelty of the place is why I'm giving this place 4 stars. Our colleague told us it was 90's…read morenight, but to our surprise the venue had different rooms with different themes. Loved the place because it seemed like a no frills and easy going place. People danced like no one was watching and each room was packed even during the holiday season when everyone was out of town.

Kaarle is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest night clubs in Helsinki (so the natives…read moresay). It is located in an old building to give a vintage touch to the environment. The entrance is free but the coat check cost around 3€ by cash, and 3.30€ by credit/debit card. The dance floor upstairs is not very huge but big enough to accommodate a few dozens. However, like any other clubs in Helsinki, the dance floor is invaded by drunks after 23:45. They love to hold their drinks on dance floor so watch out for them. Pushing is like a competition as intoxicated fellas have no clue what they are doing once they are drunk enough. Then, there is a significant presence of desperate dudes giving attention to ugly ladies covered in makeup, wonder bras and skimpy clothing (take these ingredients out of the equation and you will see a redundant pile of horrifying protoplasm in reality). So you have probably 45 minutes to enjoy your dance movies. The music is usually quite appalling. Same tracks again and again, and for some reason they play some appalling salsa tracks. Perhaps someone should tell the DJ (if he is really a DJ) that salsa music is not a club music. But hey, most of the dance floor is drunk so who cares. The only positive side of this club is free entrance, as the entry free in other clubs cost around 8€ - 10€ which doesn't include coat check fee.

One of the three coast side cafés in Helsinki you will get the benefit of watching all the boats…read morecome right in front of your tables. We had dessert cakes chocolate raspberry & cream cheese sooo light!they were outstanding ,coffee was perfectly made too. They offer beers and all sorts of drinks to chill out and laze the afternoon away. This is a great place before or after lunch or dinner.

For an expensive price (4,50 Euro) you get a huge icesream, but bad in tasting. I had banana but…read moreit was more tasting like effervescent powder. INstead of an creamy ice cream it was hard as a brick. I would not recommend this store.

This is my second favorite bar in HKI. Their patio is open later than any in the city. They have…read moreDJs sometimes there in evenings. they have good bands downstairs. It is a rock and metal bar, so don't expect to hear Rihanna or Lil Wayne there, they have three bars.. one downstairs, one inside and one out. In the winter they have heaters outside which is NICE!!

Great bar, good music! Lovely front terrace to sit in the sunshine and watch the world go by, it's…read moreby the city square next to the station. Easy to find.