The range of vegan options in Helsinki continues to expand, not just for lunch but also for dinner. The list of restaurants to be tested is growing all the time, and even the most active restaurant-goer can find it hard to keep up. I have dined out at each of the restaurants presented below, at some on multiple occasions. The further suggestions at the end have been tested by yours truly or recommended by friends whose taste I trust. Nevertheless, even this list is just a small sample of the growing selection of restaurants serving great vegan food in Helsinki.
Among the completely vegan restaurants presented in another article, Magu can be very warmly recommended. And of course, you can enjoy a laid-back bar-style dinner at Junk y Vegan restaurants. Indeed, many of the vegan lunch places I recommended are also great for casual dinners: for example, Fat Ramen, Hills Dumplings, Onda and Petiscaria. The style of restaurants ranges from casual to fine dining and Finnish local and seasonal foods to culinary specialities from around the world.
Daddy Greens Pizzabar
Daddy Greens has expanded from a pop-up into a chain of three restaurants that, in addition to Neapolitan-style classic pizzas such as marinara, serves inventive varieties with an American touch and ingredients that are not the most common (including Swiss chard and “poor man's Parmesan”, i.e. toasted panko). Among the growing number of Neapolitan-style pizzerias in Helsinki, this has to be among the best.
Humalistonkatu 3, Taka-Töölö
Iso Roobertinkatu 26, Punavuori
Viides Linja 16, Kallio
Daily Dose
This small and cosy restaurant serves delicious Italian food for all tastes, and the selection of vegan dishes seems to have expanded as well. The caramelized onion and capers served on top of bread is a real classic! The service in Daily Dose is friendly, and the wine selection also includes lesser-known Italian varieties.
Hämeentie 68, Vallila
Dong Bei Hu
This traditional Chinese restaurant has operated at many addresses over the years, and after a break it reopened at the end of summer 2022 on Rauhankatu. The news was especially welcomed by those who love the “shredded tofu skin” dishes. The thin tofu skin has good consistency and is served either cold in a salad or warm in a hot dish. A wide selection of other vegan dishes can also be found on the Dong Bei Hu's menu.
Rauhankatu 15, Kruununhaka
Taqueria El Rey
Although the original El Rey in Ullanlinna has closed its doors, luckily the sister restaurant on Annankatu is still going strong. Here you can get authentic Mexican food, and the range of vegan (or vegan-convertible) dishes is interesting: tasty sopesitos, ceviche de coco, and tacos al pastor vegano.
Annankatu 20
Grön
I have dined with my wife at Grön nearly ten times, which shows how its kitchen keeps inviting you back. There is always a vegan menu, which has been planned as a stand-alone entity right from the start. Of course, since green ingredients play the leading role in the restaurant’s offerings, the vegan menu does not radically differ from the “standard” menu in many respects. Grön does not boast about its Michelin star but instead focuses on the food and preparing it with joy and dedication.
Albertinkatu 36, Kamppi
Jura
Jura serves a vegetable-based four-course menu that is somewhere between Nordic fine dining and traditional restaurant style. Here you can spend an evening with friends in a down-to-earth atmosphere while still enjoying food that is a cut above the rest. The restaurant demonstrates a palpable enthusiasm for developing its own style – the celery carbonara that you can find on the menu every now and then is a real classic, the likes of which I have yet to find anywhere else.
Neitsytpolku 10, Ullanlinna
Kamome
It is still difficult for fans of Japanese cuisine to find anything other than sushi or noodle dishes in Finland. You can get both in really high quality, but the subtle and multifaceted Japanese cuisine has so much more to offer. Fortunately, Kamome’s very affordable five-course and ten-course menus do a great job representing it extensively. The home-made tofu alone is worth a visit.
Pursimiehenkatu 12, Punavuori
Mei Lin
This Chinese restaurant once had three locations in Helsinki but currently operates only the one on Annankatu. Having specialised in vegan food, Mei Lin's menu offers lots to choose from – so much that you can enjoy a real vegan banquet. Vegan dishes can also be found on the dim sum menu. I recommend ordering slightly more than the number of people in your group.
Annankatu 29, Kamppi
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash in Jätkäsaari was probably the first in Helsinki to introduce a vegan Nepalese menu featuring several tofu dishes and vegan naan bread. The latter is still relatively rare, although the number of restaurants offering it is growing all the time, as is the selection of Indian and Nepalese restaurants serving vegan food. This classic restaurant is definitely still worth a visit!
Tyynenmerenkatu 5, Jätkäsaari
Pikku Hukka
At first, you might not think that a local French-inspired bistro in Herttoniemi would be a good place for a vegan dinner. But Pikku Hukka has put admirable effort into it: the four-course menu has a vegan option, and the bistro menu has several dishes that are already vegan or can be converted into such. Pikku Hukka is stylishly old-fashioned, keeping up with the times only where it is important.
Kettutie 3, Herttoniemi
Pontus
Following in the footsteps of an old theatre restaurant, Pontus has successfully preserved a charmingly old-fashioned cultured atmosphere. The menu is very strongly Italian, featuring antipasto, pizza and lasagne. The vegan lasagne can be recommended, as it is served in very few places, and vegan pizza is also available with bechamel sauce instead of cheese.
Kapteeninkatu 26, Ullanlinna
Vinolito Wine & Tapas Bar
Good tapas restaurants are hard to find, and even rarer are places offering good vegan tapas, especially after once such classic tapas restaurant closed in Helsinki a few years ago. Vinolito, which opened on Vaasankatu, fixed the situation in one fell swoop. This tiny, cosy and charming tapas restaurant offers exceptionally interesting wines, friendly service and a versatile selection of vegan tapas. I have never had such good olives anywhere in Finland!
Vaasankatu 8, Alppiharju