While walking around Helsinki city centre, I wondered where the posh places were? I badly needed my café spotting + café or wine drink + people watching fix. Before the trip I tried finding online but wasn’t really that successful. Perhaps I used the wrong key words to search? Instead my googling led me to cafes and restaurants all over the place. No, these are not what I want. I want a chic place where I can sit down and chill out as I watch chic people.
So I have resigned to the fact that I will have to find it myself when I am there. And guess what? I found it.
I want to sit here and sip my espresso or mojito!
Pohjoisesplanadi
Basically it is the main street of Esplanadi Park flanked by a row of beautiful aged-old buildings—a row of signature shops, a luxury hotel, chic cafes, lovely restaurants with outdoor lounge terraces. The perfect scenery in my opinion to grace on this chic of a street. Remember the street name: Pohjoisesplanadi
And I have here the list of cool café restaurants and bars on this street! Note them down now: Café Esplanade, Strinberg Café, Brasserie Kamp (also known as Kamp Café), Salutorget, Ravintola Aino, Café Jugend, and the Kappeli of course located right in the middle of Esplanadi Park.
I really, really would have loved to chill out at each of these places but unfortunately I didn’t have a month, not even a week to stay in Helsinki. So I have to make choices. There is always another time, who knows right?
Chardonnay Chill at Bar Salutorget
Website: Salutorget Scandinavian Bistro
Don’t you think this restaurant, café and bar rolled into one is one very chic place? I loved the neo-renaissance style going, and oh the classic bar reminds me of a gentlemans club.
Nevertheless, I decided however to sit outside just so I could people watch. I was not really sure though if it was a good idea because I could taste the dust from the cars passing by. Or maybe it was just me being sensitive (read: my skin gets easily irritated). Not to worry, I have had my fix!
Esplanadi Park (Espa)
On the Esplanadi Park or Espa as locally known, you will find the chic Kappeli cafe and restaurant. It was love at first sight for me with Kappeli and I just knew I had to be back.
The art nouveau style cafe bar and restaurant has been open since 1867, and the Kappeli, along with rest of Esplandi Park and Pohjoisesplanadi have quickly become the city’s summer get-together venue. Many in fact have coined a phrase saying that this is – ‘the summer living room of Helsinki’. I can perfectly understand why as this is the most cosy place in the city to be. Have a look at the pictures below.
On my last day in Helsinki I went to Kappeli for lunch but I will blog this another time.
So now you know where to go to in Helsinki! I have more tips, but they will come later as I go along with my blogging ways =)
Travel Period: May 2013
Destination: Helsinki, Finland
Keep in touch! Follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)