Green Cap Hints: Good restaurants for dinner
I like to eat, but can’t afford to do that out as often as I should like, so can only recommend a few places I’ve
actually been to, and have to add a few places my friends and other critiques I find reliable guarantee are good,
and nonetheless this is of course nowhere near an exhaustive list of the gems available. Nowadays, Helsinki is an
extremely good city in terms of the gastronomic delights it offers, on a global scale, and I am not exaggerating
(this has not been so for long: when Anthony Bourdain visited a few years back, that was just embarrassing).
We have divided the restaurant into four different pricegroups. We also included colour coordination for prices to display then on our guidemap. Here is the key for the price categories.
high prices (red) (in the range of 30 and above for a main, or only menus for 50 or more),
mid range (yellow) (in the range of 25 for a main),
rather low (green) (in the range of 17-22 for mains)
low (light blue) (in the range of 15 or less),
You’ll find Green Cap Hints on a map here
Check the homepage of each restaurant for menus.
Baskeri & Basso, Tehtaankatu 27-29, Tue. to Fri. 16-02 (mains around 25€)
The ”it” bistro place of today. So booked that might be impossible to get a seat, but worth the try at
https://basbas.fi/en/. Great atmosphere: easy and relaxed and the food is simply good, no extra tricks.
Muru, Fredrikinkatu 41. Tue. to Sat. 17-23.30. +358 300 472 335 (mains around 25€)
Perhaps my favorite restaurant in terms of ”casual fine dining” Muru has been one of the most booked
restaurants ever since they opened a few years ago, so reservations necessary. Check out
https://www.murudining.fi/en/what-is-muru/. Also try their other joint Pastis on Pieni Roobertinkatu 2.
Emo, Kasarmikatu 44, +358 10 505 0900 Tue. to Fri. 11.30-14.30 and 17-24. (mains around 25€)
A small and an unaffected place, feel free to go for a glass of wine in this restaurant that also boasts a “bib
gourmand” -mention in the Michelin guide for affordable but delicious, central European dining.
Farang, Ainonkatu 3, Tue. to Fri. 11.30-13.30 (lunch); Tue. to Sat. 17-24 (dinner) +358 10 322 9385. (mains around 25€)
Another “bib gourmand”, this is a modern Asian restaurant, especially recommendable for groups dining out: a
big part of their philosophy is the collective joy related with sharing and tasting the meals together. A propos,
having mentioned “bib gourmand” already twice, in case you want to go all the way, the restaurants with a
Michelin star in 2016 in Helsinki are Olo, Ask, Chef & Sommelier and Demo. Other “bib gourmand” places for
those of you who trust the Michelin guide (who wouldn’t?) are Boulevard Social and Gaijin.
Restaurant Lonna, Lonna island. Kitchen open Tue. to Sat. 12-21 (they close the place at around 2300
or when the last customers leave) +358 44 719 9410 (mains around 25€)
This is such a cool island (if an island can ever be described as “cool”): those of you seeking an unforgettable all-
around experience, this is the way to go. They have a waffle place and a very recommendable restaurant on
Lonna island: you can also buy your own picnic basket (17 euros) and enjoy a picnic with a stunning view of
Helsinki “skyline”. In the late evenings / the night, when the sun starts to set, the restaurant and the island in
general must be one of the most romantic places one can find in Helsinki. Check out fb or evening events, like
clubs, or yoga and wellness festivals. Menus differ daily depending on what is good (locally produced) at the
moment, so please call above for menus and prices (mid-prized in general, so 20-30 euros for main dishes:
given the milieu and the general prize range, this is definitely not too bad). Reservations absolutely necessary at
the number above or via their homepage at: https://www.lonna.fi/saaren-palvelut/ravintola/.
Regina. Neitsytpolku 10, Wed. to Fri. 17-23; Sat. 12-23. (mains around 25€)
This is a non-fancy gourmet restaurant with 25 customer seats. Menus of 3 courses for 42, 5 course for 55 e.
Check out the English homepages for more details: https://www.restaurantregina.fi/menu/. If reserved, try also
the somewhat similar (though less good) La Maison at Tehtaankatu 21.
Bröd. Bulevardi 26.+358 9 4784 0111. Breakfast: 6.30-10.30 on weekdays, 7-30-10.30 weekends.
Lunch: Mon. to Fri. 11.30-14. Dinner Mon. to Sat. 17-22 (kitchen at 21). (mains around 25€)
Bistro seems to be the way to go (as well as serving everything from breakfast to dinner): this is another one of
those casual fine-dining joints (together with Muru, Basbas, Regina, La Maison etc.). I wish the prizes were a
little lower to make the place more accessible, 25-30 e for mains. A critique recently commented that this place
does not know how to make up its mind: is it a bistro or a fine-dining joint?
Written by Leo Aarnio
Edited for blog by Jouko Väärälä