Restaurants in Helsinki

G W Sundmans

Set in a stately Engel-designed house on Eteläranta - and named after the building’s former owner, naval commander G W Sundman - this elegant eatery conjures up the romance of 19th-century Helsinki. The menu makes extensive use of local specialities like zander, arctic char and reindeer, and the house puddings are legendary. The cheaper Sundmans Krog is an alternative eatery at the same address. Closed Saturday lunchtime and Sunday.

Restaurant Palace

Offering commanding views of the sea, Restaurant Palace is one of a suite of glamorous restaurants in Helsinki run by the owners of Hotel Kämp. The restaurant opened in 1952 to cater to high fliers attending the Olympics, and it still leads the way in Finnish gastronomy. The exciting à la carte menu changes every month, fusing modern European ideas with fresh Finnish ingredients, and the wine list is exceptional. Its crayfish parties are also legendary.

Chez Dominique

Effortlessly refined, Chez Dominique brings the French concept of degustation to the Helsinki dining scene. Chef Hans Välimäki uses Finnish ingredients and French know-how to create some inspired combinations, but diners choose from a series of ‘surprise menus’ and the exquisite dishes are only revealed as they are brought to the table. A wine degustation is available to compliment each selection.

Restaurant Bellevue

Said to be the oldest Russian restaurant outside Russia, Bellevue harks back to the days when Finland was a duchy of the Russian Empire. Just yards from the unmistakably Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral, this intimate restaurant has had 90 years to perfect its recipes for blinis (pancakes), pelmeni (dumplings), borscht (red cabbage soup) and Karelian-style solyanka (fish soup). Closed Sunday and Monday.

Ravintola Zetor

An idiosyncratic, almost legendary restaurant in Helsinki that really should be experienced by everyone who visits the city. Part bar and part restaurant, Zetor features some of the most zany décor in Helsinki, with walls adorned with farm implements and tables made out of tractors. Even the menus are designed to resemble a vintage agricultural newspaper. Open daily until late, with rock and pop music to love forward to after you've eaten.

Havis

A slick modern dining concept for Helsinki, Havis offers three dining areas, each with a different focus. Although all serve Scandinavian seafood, the main dining room is elegant and traditional, while the Havis Kitchen is a fast-paced, modern bistro and the Havis Terrace feels like a Mediterranean club-café. Closed Sunday.

Café Ekberg

Founded in the 1850s and famed for its buns, biscuits, breakfasts and baking, Café Ekberg is a great place to start the day in Helsinki or take a break from sightseeing. Salads, sandwiches, bruschetta and soups are the order of the day at lunchtimes, while in the afternoons the on-site patisserie takes over. Open daily, early morning until early evening.

Café Esplanad

A local institution, this pavement café faces onto Esplanad Park and its street-side tables are crammed to capacity on summer afternoons. The house bistro serves good salads, sandwiches and light lunches, but locals wax lyrical about the house bakery, which produces the best korvapuusti (cinnamon rolls) in Helsinki. In the evenings, attention shifts to the beer and wine list.

Ravintola Sea Horse

Famed for its generous portions and hearty, home-cooked Finnish fare, Ravintola Sea Horse first opened its doors in 1934, and it has hardly closed them since. The menu features all the Finnish favourites - herring, meatballs, reindeer fillet, pike-perch with mushroom sauce - and the wall murals add a chintzy 1950s charm.