Helsinki may be compact, but its café culture gives you plenty of reasons to slow down. During our short visit, we went looking for traditional Finnish pastries, specialty coffee and cosy cafés that feel particularly good when it is cold outside. From runebergintorttu to coffee beside a campfire, these are the places we enjoyed most in Helsinki.
Best Bakeries & Coffee in Helsinki
Way Bakery
Way Bakery is a neighbourhood bakery and café with excellent Finnish pastry alongside very good croissants and coffee. We came for the runebergintorttu, a traditional almond cake flavoured with rum or arrack. A lovely place to discover something typically Finnish while still getting your specialty coffee fix.
Café Regatta
Café Regatta is probably one of Helsinki’s cosiest coffee stops. The tiny red wooden cottage sits right by the water, with a few seats inside and plenty of outdoor seating around the fire. We went for a vegan hot chocolate and loved the whole wintery atmosphere almost as much as the drink itself.
Kaffa Roastery
Kaffa Roastery combines a specialty coffee bar with its own roastery and is one for anyone who takes their coffee a little more seriously. The space itself is relaxed and inviting, making it a nice place to sit down rather than simply grab a coffee to go.
Bruket
Bruket works almost any time of day. You can stop by for coffee and pastry or stay for breakfast or lunch, which makes it a useful address to have saved while exploring Helsinki. Relaxed, uncomplicated and easy to fit into a day in the city.
