Viviane Daaboul-Kallio
Oh my God, how lucky I am to get to live in Helsinki!
It was a dark and cold winter when Viviane Daaboul-Kallio came to Helsinki from Lebanon in 1986. The sun and warmth stayed far behind in Beirut, but so did the war. Daaboul-Kallio was 18 years old and her new home country made her depressed and anxious. People did not smile and the streets were empty. But nowadays, in 2019, the founder of the famed Lebanese restaurant Farouge and a star of Helsinki's restaurant scene could not think of a better place to live.
"It's a dramatic love story. Helsinki was first a shock to me, but now through work my love for the city has grown immensely. I'm like an ambassador, I keep telling people how much I love Finland and Helsinki."
Daaboul-Kallio has always lived in the city's downtown streets, in Töölö and Ullanlinna. The reason is a very practical one: wonderful places to live are not limited to the city centre. "I have always thought that I want to be able to walk to work. Especially when my kids were small, it was important that I could pick them up easily from daycare, make an evening meal, let the babysitter in and go back to the restaurant."
To balance the intensive and highly social atmosphere at work, Daaboul-Kallio enjoys daily walks around Kaivopuisto and the city's shoreline. Day or night, hail storm or sunshine, she always makes it a habit to stop and admire the sea. “It is my joy, a pinch of the happiness of living here. I will never grow tired of the beauty of Helsinki."
I always have a certain routine when I have visitors from abroad, and one step is to visit Strindberg. Mostly for the scenery, not so much for the food. There is a great view of the Esplanadi park with its people and bustle. It reminds me of the cafés in Paris where you can relax and draw or write something.
My favourite lunch spot, and most of all for how it looks inside. When you step in from the street you find a little gem that brings the whole fabulous scenery of the Market Square together. I love the stained glass windows and that roof, glorious! The food never fails to impress either. It is always the same quality, I like it.
I like to ride my bike along the Helsinki shoreline or take my dog for a walk no matter what the season. Every single time by the water at Ullanlinna I have the same thought: Oh my God, how lucky I am. I make several stops to admire the sea, it gives me my beauty vitamins. Even at night, I tend to post pictures on Facebook of my favourite spots: the pier at Ullanlinna, the Mattolaituri café, the NJK sailing club, the old carpet washing spots, geese and the little boats taking people back and forth to the islands. When I post pictures, my Lebanese friends often exclaim wow and ask me if this is real.
Can a building be more beautiful? It's like a spaceship! When I bring visitors here and we go up onto the roof, everyone is absolutely spellbound. The view is so special, mixing old and new, you see the shoreline, it's breathtaking! Löyly also has a wonderful scent of wood and sauna. I don't personally like to visit public saunas but this place beautifully presents everything wonderful about Finland. If I stroll through the Eiranranta shore by myself, I often visit the café Birgitta. I enjoy sitting alone peacefully.
Töölö is another place dear to me, it's the district where we used to live. I often bike along the water in Töölö. Café Regatta is like a postcard, I always make a pitstop. The same goes for the Sibelius Monument right by it. It's wonderful, wonderful. You just go under the hollow pipes and make sounds, it's enough. So much fun!
Found right below the Uspenski Cathedral, the short piece of shore called Kanavaranta is my new favourite place. It has always been beautiful, but for some reason it looks better than ever – maybe due to all the new life there, the new restaurants like Holiday and Shelter. Nokka is in such a prime location, with its gorgeous terrace and the guest harbour next to it.
My life is so centred around my restaurant that in my free time I tend to focus on simple things and let my soul rest. Sometimes I visit the Allas Sea Pool with my family. I recommend it to visitors, too. It is so unbelievable, right in the middle of the city and with warm water. I always tell my kids: just look at this view!