Dogs allowed Cafés in Uusimaa, Helsinki
Inspired by Tokyo, Paris, and Copenhagen, the seasonal pastries could include matcha tiramisu, Basque cheesecake, and cardamom buns with a twist. Andante doubles as a flower shop with three decades of history; the Japanese baristas pull espresso with precision. A favorite in the Design District.
Founded by childhood friends Svante Hampf and Benjamin Andberg, Kaffa grew from a garage experiment to Finland’s largest artisan roastery. Guests can watch the roasting on a 50-year-old Probat through glass; the School of Coffee trains baristas next door. Voted Finland’s best coffee shop in 2017 and 2019.
Behind a narrow glass door on the main street Aleksanterinkatu, a staircase leads up to the café where this third-wave chain began in 2009. Jens Hampf runs the café while his brother Svante roasts the beans at Kaffa Roastery. Weekend brunch in the light-filled rooms is highly popular.
Single-origin beans from Helsinki’s Good Life roastery, ranking among the world’s top five percent, define this bohemian coffee bar. Pastries arrive from quality bakeries across the city, including croissants from Greenbake. All-day breakfast, seven days a week.
Ornate ceilings, stained glass, and a fresco by Vilho Sjöström fill this 200-year-old Art Nouveau space on the Esplanade. This flagship café, run by Robert Paulig’s children, houses a gelato factory and a bakery known for its cinnamon rolls. A grand piano invites spontaneous performances.
The red wooden cottage sits on the shore of Taivallahti Bay, near the Sibelius Monument. Built in 1887 as a fishnet shed for the Paulig coffee family, it became a café in 2002 and won Best Café in Helsinki in 2014. Cinnamon buns, blueberry pie, and sausages grilled over an open fire.
The 1925 Art Deco building in Töölö houses a roastery with Peruvian roots and a gelato lab that has won multiple national competitions. Head roaster Iván develops both the coffee profiles and the frozen flavors. Try the coffee gelato: it captures both crafts in one scoop.
The Fazer café, established by Karl Fazer in 1891 as a French-Russian confectionery, marks the starting point of Finland’s most famous chocolate company. Parts of the original interior remain; confectioners still work behind glass. The chocolate cake remains a house signature.
Airi Kallio opened this tea room in a historic timber building in 1983. Her sons now run the show: Otto-Ville bakes everything on-site, including Runeberg tarts, while Leo-Matti blends over 30 teas by hand. A visit pairs well with a wander through Old Porvoo, an easy day trip from Helsinki.
Beneath century-old chestnut trees, a small cottage on the Krämars organic farm offers a rural retreat an hour from Helsinki. The homestead dates to the 1700s, and the café honours that heritage with old-fashioned service and house-baked treats. Open during the warm months only.
Board games, a small library, and summer concerts give this courtyard café in a century-old building a philosophical touch. The kitchen is fully vegan and gluten-free; signature waffles come sweet or savory. Arkikulta means “everyday gold,” a nod to the small pleasures. Open seasonally.
Located in a forest near the northern tip of the Porkkala Peninsula, this summer spot serves filter coffee with house-baked pastries and savory pancakes. Warm doughnuts (munkki) with blueberry jam are a favorite. Open Tuesday to Sunday from late spring through early autumn.