As mentioned in our earlier post, Helsinki and Finland in general have many unique, local foods and delicacies worth trying. In addition to traditional options we also have many modern restaurants that cater to every possible need. Here is a list of a few in case you need some inspiration for breakfast, a coffee break, or dinner outside of the conference hours.
We have included some completely vegan options on this list, but it is by no means necessary to only visit the exclusively vegan restaurants to find good and suitable food for your diet. Being vegan/vegetarian is quite common in Finland and most restaurants have options for these and also for other special dietary needs.
Breakfast
Breakfast is likely included in the price at most hotels. But if it is not, don’t worry – there are a lot of good places around Helsinki to start your day with a good meal.
There are multiple choices close to the conference venue in in the Kallio and Hakaniemi areas. For example, Oh My Goodness is a completely vegan, quality restaurant that serves breakfast all day long. Another recommendable choice is La Torrefazione, which also has locations closer to the city center (Kamppi, Lasipalatsi and Aleksanterinkatu). In addition to breakfast, both places offer lunch options as well.
If you want to wander a little farther, you can check out Green Hippo Café in Punavuori or just stay in the city center and try out Fazer Café in Kluuvi. As an added curiosity, Fazer is also the maker of the most beloved chocolate among the Finns (“Fazerin sininen”/”Fazer blue chocolate”), which you can find in every kiosk and grocery store in Finland.
Coffee
Naturally most of the abovementioned breakfast places also serve as coffee shops during the day, so there you have a few options already. But, if you want your coffee break to also serve as a unique experience, we really suggest you visit Café Regatta. It has a lovely seaside location, which guarantee some nice views, and it is especially known for its traditional Finnish delicacies like cinnamon buns and blueberry pie. Check out their Instagram account for more inspiration!
Lunch
Even though lunch is included in the ticket price both during the Contributor day and the main Conference day, it is useful to have some ideas regarding lunch as well, especially if you are staying in Helsinki a couple of days before/after the event. For example Bruket café and Kolmon3n, are both located conveniently close to the venue in the neighbourhood of Kallio, and they offer a “home cooked” type lunch with a menu which changes every week. If you prefer vegan food, try Onda.
Dinner
There are of course a bunch of excellent dinner choices but unfortunately in this post we only have room to cover some of them. Hopefully there is something for every taste!
For fancier dining, and especially if you are interested in Finnish cuisine, you should try for example Maannos or Graniittilinna for traditional dining and Yes Yes Yes or Copas y Tapas for a more tapas-style dinner. Yes Yes Yes also has plenty of vegan options.
If you fancy a burger, you can check out Bites in Vallila. Some people claim that it is the best burger place in Helsinki, but we encourage you to form your own opinion. For pizza lovers we recommend Via Tribunali close to the Market Square.