Visiting Helsinki in July

When we first arrived in Helsinki, we stayed at the Scandic Grand Central Helsinki for the good part of a month until we managed to lockdown an apartment. Can confirm that it was awesome and the breakfast buffet alone was worth it. Damn, I really miss that breakfast buffet.

 

I've managed to hit many of the major beer spots here in Helsinki over the last year or so that we've been here. I'll drop my top "must visit" spots next week, plus a few other suggestions (including food).

I'll keep that in mind. I drinking mostly Finnish lagers, which are everywhere.

I'd be down for meeting up for some beers too.

 

Doh! My bad, @flat_lander. Forgot to comeback to this thread.

Okay, there a ton of places that you could hit for beer, but you're not going to be able to hit them all. So, assuming you're going to spend your time in the southern part of Helsinki (downtown, basically), mostly on foot, and want to focus on Finnish beer, here are some suggestions off the top of my head:

• Juova: a beer geek haven with a very solid selection of Finnish beers.
• Kaisla: it's around the corner from Juova, so you might as well swing by for a pint. Heard they have some Sahti on right now too.
• Villi Wäinö: huge selection of Finnish beers, including a bunch of Sahti.
• Salamanation: it's a brewery taproom/craft beer bar about a block away from Villi Wäinö.
• Helsinki Bryggeri: basically one of the only breweries in the immediate area, at the end of the Esplanade Park, and worth popping in you're in that area (near the first two food spots below too).
• Pien Shop: small bottle shop/beer bar with a solid selection of beers from Finland and elsewhere. They're a bit pricy though and charge a service fee for drinking bottles/cans on-premise. They also have around a dozen beers on tap that always include guest beers (usually from the US though), and you can buy beers to takeaway up to 8% ABV.
• Barski: tucked away in the mall across from the rail station. Around two dozen beers on tap (Finnish and beyond) + even more in bottle/can. You can also buy beers to takeaways up to 8% and I believe there's a discount for takeaway too.
• Suomenlinna Brewery: take a quick ferry ride to Suomenlinna (islands/sea fortress), hike around, hit the brewery for some beers and food.
  
• CoolHead Brew: if you have the time, grab the 78 bus (platform is outside of the rail station) up to the brewery, which is located in a massive previously abandoned greenhouse. Very unique spot with good beers. They do pizza and BBQ too.

As for food, I recommend checking out the following:

• Savotta: across from the Helsinki Cathedral/Senate Square. Head there for some traditional Finnish eats. I highly recommend starting with their famous sampler plate + blueberry shots (ask for them with cream) and blueberry wine. They also sell some Kaski beers/lagers from Takatalo & Tompuri Brewing (100% Finnish ingredients).
• Café Engel: next to Savotta. Their various breakfast plates are a great way to start your day.
• Helsinki Market Square: definitely worth visiting the outdoor vendors if you want some traditional Finnish bites and whatnot.
• Old Market Hall: more traditional Finnish food + other vendors.

I could go on, but you really can't got wrong with any of the above. And, if any other spots come to mind, I'll drop them here.

Safe travels and keep me posted!