Let’s start with burgers: Social Burger Joint picked up the award for the best burger in Europe at the European Street Food Awards for two years in a row. Founder and winner of MasterChef, Mika "Pikkis" Tuomonen, has a passion for quality, and you can truly taste it. Aleksi Herlevi, another acclaimed tv chef – of Top Chef Finland fame – launched his Naughty Brgr as a haven for both meat burgers and the popular vegan portobello burger.
The best bagels in town are made by Yeastie Boi, a rough-but-cosy restaurant with a fine selection of microbrewery beers to take your time with. A crunchier bite can be found at Waffdaddy, serving Belgian-style savoury waffles. Savoury pancakes with different toppings in Russian style – blinis – can be found at Blinit in a slightly more fast-food style setting.
The best pizzas in town are baked by Forza, already acknowledged in its opening year as the 22nd best pizza in all of Europe by the legendary Italian restaurant guide Gambero Rosso in its listing of the best pizzas outside Italy. The prices at Forza are, however, a bit of a stretch to be included in the most affordable eats, but the quality goes a long way. Carrying the name of the pizza maestro Luca Platania himself, Pizzeria Luca in Lauttasaari is along the same level in terms of quality, and has been selected as the best in Finland several times.
Daddy Green’s is a good spot for a more US American style of pizza, and Tenho’s pizzas are served with an interesting curation of live music. Mäkikupla, in the Kallio district, must also be mentioned as an underground favourite with no-frills pizzas for under €10.
Fat Ramen has been cooking up Helsinki’s best ramen noodle soups since 2015. The hakata and tsukemen noodles are handmade and show the upmost respect for Japanese tradition. Fat Ramen’s tonkotsu pork ramen is an umami-laced explosion of flavour, yet the vegan cauliflower and tofu ramen dishes are also much loved by the crowds. Big Bowl and Noodle Master are two other noodle shops competing for the title of the city’s best handmade noodles. Big Bowl is specialised in Lanzhou-style noodles, and served according to the customer’s wishes in thickness and shape. My personal favourite is the triangle-shaped noodles with sesame sauce served with ground beef or peanuts and chicken. The house chilli paste is addictive.
Noodle Master is especially known for Sichuan dandan noodles. If you are after an affordable longer meal with Asian flavours, Hills Dumplings is the place to go. The colourful and delicious fusion dumplings and wontons along with a modern ambiance, creative cocktail list, and a selection of top quality European wines invite diners to eat and chat away into the night.
Another good option for a less-pricey dinner is Murasaki where Saki Tatsunori prepares all food as a one-man show at a small counter facing the patrons. Murasaki is known for carefully prepared small izakaya bar dishes. Saburo Shokudou prepares reasonably priced Japanese home-style dishes. Mashiro, in turn, is known for tasty salmon bowls. An affordable sushi evening is available at Kokoro Sushi, hidden away in the industrial zone of Vallila.
The best pho soup in town is served by the tiny establishment, The Saigonese. Lovers of Vietnamese food should also head to Vibami or Fly Fusion after nightfall. Decently priced Korean street food can be found at Pocha, and tremendously tasty Thai meals are served by Zaap Isan, where the cocktails are also noteworthy.
An excellent place to enjoy cocktails and wine with delicious and reasonably priced Asian food is also Loi Loi Rooftop, which has one of the most beautiful covered panoramic terraces in the hip former industrial zone of Vallilan Konepaja. Lovers of Mexican food should head to Pueblo or Lopez y Lopez for a tasty dinner.
Helsinki offers plenty of treats hailing from the Middle East. Levant serves diverse and fresh maze platters, and Damaskino at the Kontula shopping centre has amazing Syrian kabbah skewers. Another prime East Helsinki destination is restaurant Yemeni with its lamb and rice dishes, enjoyed sitting down on floor pillows in Middle Eastern style. Helsinki’s best döner kebab is found at Döner Harju and at DIF Döner.
Last but not least, creative hipsters of all generations enthusiastically convene at the classic Café Bar No 9 and the newer establishment Harju 8 for a solid combination of affordable food served in a laid-back bar environment.