Finnish Food in Helsinki

Lohikeitto, karjalanpiirakka and korvapuusti, in that order. Salmon soup with dill and cream is the dish visitors name afterwards; Karelian pies with egg butter are the thing you eat standing up at a market; and a cinnamon bun is a national institution rather than a pastry. Add rye bread to everything and you have eaten properly in Helsinki.

Salmon soupLohikeitto

Karelian pie with egg butterKarjalanpiirakka

Cinnamon bunKorvapuusti

Fried vendaceMuikku

Salty liquoriceSalmiakki

Where to try all of itThe Old Market Hall, on the quay

The three to eat first

Lohikeitto is salmon, potato, dill and cream, served hot with rye bread, and it is the single best argument for eating in a harbour city. It is also the thing to order when the wind is up, which at Market Square it often is.

Karjalanpiirakka is a thin rye crust around rice porridge, eaten cold or warm with egg butter spread on top. It is cheap, it is everywhere, and it is what you buy when you have twenty minutes before a ferry. Korvapuusti is the cinnamon bun, larger and less sweet than most versions elsewhere, and it is what coffee exists for here.

The rest of the list

Muikku — small fried vendace, eaten whole, usually with potato salad — turns up at the Market Square stalls in season. Reindeer appears on menus as a serious dish rather than a novelty. Cloudberries are the yellow ones, and they are worth ordering wherever you see them. Rye bread is dark and dense and is the backbone of the whole diet. And salmiakki is salty liquorice, which visitors either love immediately or never eat again — try a small piece before committing, and see the shopping page for what to take home.

Eating around the quay

The Old Market Hall sits on the South Harbour quay, a couple of minutes from where the boats tie up, and it is the most reliable place in the centre to eat all of the above in one visit. The Market Square stalls outside are seasonal and good, with one warning I will repeat until people listen: the gulls at Kauppatori take food directly off terrace tables. They are fast and they are practised. Keep a hand over your plate.

On the water itself, the archipelago sightseeing boat serves food and drink on board, and the evening cruise has a bar. The RIB trip lands on an island for a snack lunch and a sauna, which is the only boat on this site where the food is the point — details on the RIB page. The public Suomenlinna ferry sells nothing of substance, because it is public transport; eat before you board or on the island.

Drinking

Coffee is taken seriously and taken often. Alcohol is heavily taxed, which is part of why the international ferries have the shops they do. Tap water is excellent and there is no reason to buy bottled anywhere in this country.

Local tip

Buy a bag of karjalanpiirakka before you get on a boat rather than after. The 15-minute crossing to the fortress has nothing to eat on it, and the island is more pleasant with lunch already in your bag.

Check dates & book

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Frequently asked questions

What food is Helsinki famous for?

Lohikeitto — salmon soup — along with karjalanpiirakka with egg butter, korvapuusti, rye bread, muikku, reindeer and salmiakki.

Is there food on the boats?

On the sightseeing boats, yes: food and drink on the archipelago loop and a bar on the evening cruise. The public Suomenlinna ferry has no catering.

What is salmiakki?

Salty liquorice. It is a national staple and a strong taste. Try a small piece before you buy a bag to take home.