Outdoor Dining Area Cafés in Uusimaa, Helsinki
Finland’s oldest bakery is a proper institution with table service and chandeliers. It was opened by Fredrik Ekberg as a French-Russian confectionery in 1852 and is now run by descendant Otto Ekberg. The Napoleon cake follows an unchanged recipe; the Alexander Torte honours Czar Alexander I.
Cinnamon buns stack high in the display of this small café in the Art Nouveau district of Ullanlinna. The Romanian couple Cosmin and Cristina Tatosian bake everything in-house and pull espresso from top European roasters. The terrace catches afternoon sun by the park.
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.
In 2018, four friends from fine-dining restaurant Grön, Good Life Coffee, and Let Me Wine joined forces for a common project: a bakery in a former dentist’s practice where sourdough is proofed for 48 hours. Not only the bread but also their reinvented cinnamon buns create queues.
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.
Old apple trees shade the garden around a restored 1700s cottage in the wooden old town of Ekenäs. Four generations of one family bake fruit cakes and savoury pies, tend the grounds, and serve guests. Open seasonally: in summer (Troubadours perform on Tuesdays) and during Advent (with a well-stocked shop).
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.
Inside a busy shopping mall, the scent of freshly roasted coffee offers a break from the retail rush. Andre Sild and Perko Fagerberg started Espoo’s first micro-roastery in 2022 and won a national roasting competition months later. The house blend balances toffee and citrus notes.
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.