Eating in Helsinki: the back story

About Eating in Helsinki: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Helsinki Editorial Team

Site Editor: Tara de la Motte

Helsinki eats seasonally and close to the source: forest mushrooms and berries, Baltic fish, game and rye. The MICHELIN Guide Finland 2026 lists 29 restaurants in the city, from two-starred Palace above the South Harbour and Grön to the Bib Gourmand bistros 305, Bona Fide and Nolla.

The starred tables

In the MICHELIN Guide Finland 2026, Palace and Grön hold two Stars, and Olo, Demo, Boreal and Finnjävel Salonki one each. Palace’s kitchen is led by Eero Vottonen, in a building originally constructed for the 1952 Olympic Games, and serves dinner from Wednesday to Saturday (the restaurant’s website).

Bistros and neighbourhood places

The guide’s Bib Gourmand, for good cooking at moderate prices, goes to 305 in Kallio, Bona Fide in Kruununhaka and Nolla on Fredrikinkatu. Around them, the Selected list runs from Savoy, the 1937 dining room designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto, to Natura, Flor, Muru and Le Ankka.

Book the tasting menus well ahead, especially for Friday and Saturday nights.

Market halls and the sea

For lunch, the Old Market Hall on the South Harbour, Hakaniemi in Kallio and Hietalahti near the Design District gather fishmongers, bakers and small counters under one roof. In summer the cafés and restaurants on the islands, Suomenlinna and Lonna among them, open for the season.

Booking

Tasting menus sell out first; book directly on each restaurant’s own website, and check which days it opens: many of the city’s best kitchens close on Sundays and Mondays.

Our advice: plan one starred dinner, then spend the other evenings at the bistros and the market halls.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Eating in Helsinki: the back story before you go.