8 Best Restaurants in Helsinki, Finland

Located on the shoreline of the newly developed Hernesaari residential district, Löyly is a brilliantly conceived sauna restaurant, housed in an angular and elegant wooden structure, a minor architectural wonder in itself. Customers have three separate options or can indulge in all three in a single visit: bathing in the spacious sauna with an invigorating sea dip; lunch or dinner in the restaurant; and a relaxing drink on the shoreside terrace. There's also a popular Saturday brunch menu in the winter. The à la carte dinner menu includes Finnish dishes such as pike perch and reindeer, while the lunch selection includes moose meatballs and salmon soup. Löyly (it's the name in Finnish for the steam released when water is tossed on the sauna stove) is especially popular with the younger, trendier set, as well as convenient for disembarking cruise-ship passengers, and has been included in Time's 'World's Greatest Places" list.  

The entrance is hidden away in a courtyard close to the Hietalahti shipyard, but this bustling bistro is worth the effort to hunt down. An open kitchen serves tapas-style meals at candlelit tables, and the adjacent BasBas wine bar also serves snacks to accompany its fine selection of wines. The Bistro has been supplemented next door (at the same street address) by BasBas Kulma & Dinery, which boasts a charcoal grill and draws on the same excellent wine selection. 

A short distance from the town center, Elite is a welcome place to recharge with a drink at the bar or meal after visiting Temppeliaukio Church, which is a five-minute walk away, and the Sibelius Monument—especially in summer, when there's outdoor seating. In addition to the Finnish classics of fried vendace, salmon soup with rye bread, and select game, a fixed "Artist's Menu" is offered, including an option for recommended wine pairings and a main course choice of charred trout or sirloin steak. Its elegant art deco interior and spacious layout are popular with artists and writers. 

If you like finding the true character of a city and enjoy local color, try looking in simple, friendly restaurants like this one, whose name means "moon." The menu combines Finnish specialties such as perch, salmon, and reindeer with imaginative international fare. It's especially convenient for nights at the opera, as it's close to the Opera House, and the delightful covered terrace is open year-round. Diners can choose from an à la carte list or go for one of two fixed-price four-course house menus.

There's the flavor of Hyannis Port and the Kennedys in this lovely restaurant—stunning views of yachts and mansions and other islands in the Baltic Sea abound. A great starter is the assortment of archipelago appetizers, with roast lamb and alder-smoked salmon fillet for the main course. A full vegetarian menu is available. Set menus and à la carte options are on offer. A meal here requires a ferry ride to Sirpalesaari (€6 added to the bill for the ferry trip there and back), but the trip from the Ursininlaituri jetty only takes a few minutes, and it's well worth the short voyage. Given its location, the maritime theme here is obvious enough, but it's not overwhelming or tacky. Like other island restaurants in Helsinki, Saari is a popular venue for the traditional late-summer, often vodka-fueled crayfish party.

Sitting at the mouth of Helsinki's South Harbour, this summer restaurant, which specializes in but doesn't exclusively offer seafood, sits on Klippan island in a handsome wooden pavilion. There's hardly a seat in the whole restaurant that doesn't offer a stunning view: from the Empire-era buildings to the north to the sea fortress of Suomenlinna to the south, with yachts and cruise ships floating by. This is a favorite venue for the often boisterous August crayfish parties. Veal entrecôte makes a sumptuous main course, as does roasted Arctic char, finished off with espresso brûlée. There are four fixed menus available, including one for vegetarians. The ferry to the island leaves from the southern end of the Olympia Terminal.

Savotta means "lumber camp," and the hearty food those lumberjacks would want is reflected on the menu here. Located on Senate Square, directly across from the Lutheran Cathedral, the 250-year-old building is adorned with knickknacks from a bygone era. The food is traditional Finnish food at its best—no effete New Nordic nonsense here—and meat dishes (including wild game) predominate. Elk and reindeer make an appearance, though there are plenty of fish and vegetarian options. The "Provision Master's Menu" comes with a starter for two consisting of goat cheese, pâté-like reindeer rillettes, pickled chanterelles, smoked pike, arctic char, smoked salmon roe, and a host of other delicious delicacies. The most popular main course is reindeer round-top roast and smoked potatoes. Pair it all with the strong unfiltered traditional beer called sahti. Dessert is a house-made ice cream flavored with licorice. The cheerful staff are informative when it comes to questions about this very Finnish cuisine. One more bonus: unlike too many other top Helsinki restaurants, it's open on Sundays.

At the foot of village-like Korkeavuorenkatu—“high hill street”—within easy reach of a cluster of boutiques and cozy cafés, Sea Horse was founded in 1934. Originally famed for its fried Baltic herring and authentically local feel, it gained a higher profile in the 1990s when lauded in national and European publications for its excellent steaks. Sea Horse gives a convivial taste of down-to-earth, no-frills Finnish restaurant life.