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After spending some time in Stockholm, Sweden, we took the ferry over to Helsinki, Finland, for the second half of our trip (which was broken up by a quick day trip to Tallinn, Estonia). We were really happy with our hotel, the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre, which was centrally located, but the best thing we did in Helsinki was eat! We had made reservations in advance, based on research that said it could be difficult to get into restaurants, and we were happy with all the places we ate. If you’re looking for dining recommendations, look no further:
- BLINIt is a Russian restaurant, voted for having the best blinis in the city. You can think of a blini as being very similar to a crepe, and they had a ton of options. Tyler and I both opted for crepes – his savory, mine sweet – as well as split some of their dumplings. The restaurant is a little more tucked away, but it offered a hearty meal to warm us right up, and it was worth the tram ride over to check it out.
- Woolshed, a Finland-local Australian gastropub, is located right in the city center – in fact, it was just around the corner from our hotel. The location, in addition to the great reviews, had us ordering it for dinner to-go. Tyler picked up our handcrafted burgers which were delicious, as well as accompanied by both fries and a salad. This is so far beyond Outback Steakhouse – definitely recommended.
- Café Esplanad made for a perfect breakfast stop before our visit to the Helsinki Cathedral. We hadn’t even planned to pop in, but as we walked by the window and looked into the bakery, we knew we wanted to pivot our plans. You’ll want to prepare your sweet tooth for some tasty treats from the bakery case, as they get rather decadent. A great spot for people watching too.
- Hesburger is a Finnish fast food chain, and with a toddler in tow, we were happy to have a kid-friendly stop that still felt like “eating local.” They actually have over 500 locations across several countries in Europe, but this was the first place we had seen one. We ended up popping into a location nearby our hotel for a quick lunch, and we were really happy with the quality of the food.
- Restaurant Krog Roba, located in the Hotel Lilla Roberts, was probably my favorite meal of the whole trip. We had saved this Nordic restaurant for our dinner reservation for the last night of our stay, and it did not disappoint. It was a beautiful spot, and our drinks and meals were delicious. It felt upscale, while still being accessible to a family with a toddler – it was one of the only places we went with a kid’s menu!
- Fazer Café Kluuvikatu is known for its chocolate, and that’s basically all I needed to know before we committed to a dessert stop. Whether you’re looking for a chocolate or two, or something much more involved, this is a really great cafe for a visit. The rest of the food is supposed to be tasty, but I can only attest to their dessert – which was absolutely worth popping in for!
