Premium single-origin coffees from small producers from the world's leading coffee-growing countries, local coffee artisans who love experimenting with different degrees of roasting in their micro-roasteries, the world’s best soft water, and fun baristas who have mastered all possible techniques and specialty coffees. The expertise that can be found in Helsinki's coffee scene is truly impressive, and there is certainly no lack of ambition or vision. In other words, it’s easy to get great coffee in the Finnish capital – as long as you know where to look for the best baristas and roasters.
Top micro-roasteries
Among local roasteries, Svante Hampf's Kaffa Roastery is one of the most highly rated in the country, and a cup of coffee at its café in the Punavuori district has to be on the bucket list of every coffee lover in Finland – not only for its excellent coffee, but also for its expert baristas and the micro-roastery connected to the café. Kaffa Roastery’s coffees are also available from the La Torrefazione café, a pioneer in premium coffees on Aleksanterinkatu, where you can appreciate the baristas’ passion for making coffee in just the right way.
Good Life Coffee by local coffee master Lauri Pipinen is another one of Finland’s top roasteries. Although GLC no longer has its own café, you can still enjoy its coffee at several other cafés in the city; the cosy Sävy in the Kallio district with its rough brick walls, old furniture, and chandeliers is especially popular among the city’s creatives. Pipinen also co-founded Way Bakery, which serves GLC coffees and is known for its excellent bakery products; in the evenings, it transforms into a cross between a wine bar and a restaurant. El Fant, tucked away in the historic block next to Senate Square, also doubles as a wine bar and serves a special selection of GLC coffees. Another café that serves GLC coffee is Flät no 14 next to the Karhupuisto park, which is known for its delicious all-day breakfasts.
Barista masters and photo-worthy cafés
One Day Coffee & Wine at the corner of Fredrikinkatu and Eerikinkatu is the ambitious roastery-café-laboratory operated by Finnish Barista Champion, Kaapo Paavolainen, serving rare single origin coffees and more. Paavolainen likes to guide visitors on their journey in search of the best cup of coffee. One Day’s coffees can also be experienced at the tiny Layers Bakery in the Töölö district – also known as a pilgrimage site for worshippers of fresh croissants.
One of the most experienced roasters in Helsinki is Benjamin Andberg, whose colourful Päiväkahvibaari coffee shops at Teurastamo and in the Vallila district are operated by the Helsinki Coffee Roastery. Filled with retro furniture and second-hand finds, the Päiväkahvibaari locations serve a selection of top quality coffees.
Found on Fredrikinkatu, cosy and stylish details at Andante include a table made of a vintage carpenter’s bench and an assemblage of Finnish coffee cups on the wall – successfully channelling the spirit of the surrounding Design District. The coffee selection is excellent, with beans mainly from the Samples roastery and the Danish La Cabra Coffee.
Another cosy choice is Johan & Nyström, with its roots in Sweden. A cosy café inside one of the idyllic redbrick buildings along Kanavaranta near the Market Square, it’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy a great cup of coffee.
Home-like moods and international flavours
The cosy Cafetoria in the Töölö district attracts the neighbourhood’s coffee lovers, and a sincere love for coffee is also conveyed by the Peruvian-Finnish couple that owns the establishment. The coffee – and atmosphere – of Enchanté have their roots in France, which is also where the roasting takes place. Lovers of Vietnamese coffee head to Kanai Coffee, where coffee from the highlands of Vietnam is available in a more Western style, as well as with condensed milk in the Vietnamese way.
Another nod to Vietnamese coffee culture is found at the suburban Myllypuro shopping centre and its Beatles-themed Yesterday, managed by a Vietnamese couple. Their coffee is from the Lahti-based Kahiwa Roasters. Other treats on the menu include amazing cakes and pastries from Bakery Manteli and Greenbake.
Papu Cafe is one of the most beloved quality coffee establishments in the Kruununhaka district and serves coffees by several different Finnish roasteries at its spacious street-front premises. Kaffecentralen, in turn, serves Italian-style dark roasts from its own micro-roastery, Rost & Co. Its café on Fredrikinkatu in the Punavuori district also sells a broad selection of beans and coffee-making equipment.