Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(See “Central Helsinki Hotels & Restaurants” map,
here
.)
Stalls on Market Square:
Helsinki's delightful and vibrant square is mag-
netic any time of day...but especially at lunchtime. This really is the most
memorable, casual, quick-and-cheap lunch place in town. A half-dozen or-
ange tents (erected to shield diners from bird bombs) serve fun food on paper
plates until 18:00. It's not unusual for the Finnish president to stop by here
with visiting dignitaries. There's a crêpe place, and at the far end—my favor-
ites—several salmon grills (€8-9 for a good meal). The only real harborside
dining in this part of town is picnicking. While these places provide picnic
tables, you can also have your food foil-wrapped to go and grab benches right
on the water down near Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral.
Market Hall:
Just beyond the harborside market is a cute, red-brick, in-
door market hall (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 8:00-16:00, closed Sun). Today,
along with produce stalls, it's a hit for its fun, inexpensive eateries. The tiny,
four-table
Soppakeittiö
(“Soup Kitchen”) serves big bowls of filling, tasty
seafood soup for €8.50, including bread and water (Mon-Fri 11:00-16:00, Sat
11:00-15:00—except closed Sat in summer, closed Sun year-round). A sushi
place isacrossthelane.Inthemiddleofthehall,theonlyslightly larger
Snell-
man
café is popular for its €3.50 meat pies
(lihapirakka)
and €2.70 pastries
called “apple pigs”
(munkkipossu)
.
Sundmans Krog Bistro
is sedate and Old World but not folkloric, filling
an old merchant's mansion facing the harbor. As it's the less fussy and more
affordable(yetstill super-romantic) little sisterofanadjacent, posh,Michelin-
rated restaurant, quality is assured. A rare and memorable extra is their Baltic
fish buffet—featuring salmon, Baltic sprat, and herring with potatoes and all
the toppings—€14 as a starter, €19 as a main course. The €18 lunch spe-
cial (Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00) includes the buffet plus the main dish of the
week—often more fish (€21-25 main courses, €42-49 three-course dinners,
Mon-Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat 12:00-22:00, Sun 13:00-22:00, Eteläranta 16, tel.
09/6128-5450).
