Helsinki drinks more coffee per capita than anywhere else in the world – but this city’s café culture is about far more than just quantity. Over the past decade, Helsinki has built one of the strongest specialty coffee scenes in Europe, with independent cafés serving impeccably sourced beans, expertly brewed pour-overs, and perfectly dialed-in espresso drinks.
From minimalist Nordic spaces to Spanish-inspired cafés and listening bars, the Finnish capital is packed with independent coffee shops serving some of the best coffee in Helsinki. Whether you’re searching for light-roast Ethiopian hand brews or creamy cortados, this guide has you covered. We’ve explored the city café by café to bring you our favorite specialty coffee shops in Helsinki – the places we return to again and again whenever we’re in town, from Kallio to the Design District and beyond.
Looking for more great spots for food and drinks in the Finnish capital? Check out our city map of Helsinki!
The Best Coffee Shops in Helsinki
18 Grams – Jätkäsaari
18 Grams is where coffee and music meet. It’s a passion project from Hedon Blakaj, a lecturer at Aalto University, who wanted to create a place to nerd out about coffee and make it a more aesthetic experience. This café and listening bar would fit in just as easily in Japan as it does in Helsinki. It’s more of a living room than a shop – an incredibly peaceful atmosphere where time stops. The offerings primarily feature local Finnish roasters like Frukt, Samples, Siemasu, and Good Life Coffee – we sipped two pour-overs in Marimekko cups while listening to smooth jazz. The Colombian was juicy and tea-like, with notes of oolong and chamomile, and the Ethiopian was floral, clean, crisp, and bright, with a fruit-forward profile.
18 GRAMS Address & Contact Information Livornonkatu 6, Helsinki, Finland Instagram
Andante – Punavuori
Andante is our favorite coffee shop in Helsinki. The café has a charming interior with plenty of playful accents from Finnish designer Marimekko. Most importantly, they serve excellent coffee, featuring specialty roasters like Drop and Standout Coffee from Stockholm, La Cabra from Denmark, and Samples from Helsinki. The menu includes a wide range of hand brews; we tried a Colombian gesha with notes of rose petals, peach, and mango, as well as a natural Guatemalan with flavors of rosehip, raspberry, clementine, and lychee. Year-round, Andante offers baked goods to pair with your coffee (like flaky buttermilk biscuits with cream and jam!), and in summer they also serve kakigori (Japanese shaved ice).
ANDANTE Address & Contact Information Fredrikinkatu 20, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Rams Roasters – Ullanlinna
Rams Roasters is a neighborhood gem of a coffee shop – and one of the few cafés open on Sundays. Unlike the name implies, Rams is not a roaster, but they do have some of our favorite specialty coffee roasters on offer. There were three pour-overs available on our visit: two from DAK (Raspberry Pop and Blackberry Disc), and a funky Colombian from the Barn in Berlin, with notes of guava, mango, and banana. Despite having a line out the door on a busy Sunday, they were more than happy to make two (expertly brewed) pour-overs. While the pastries look rustic and homemade, they were a surprise hit. Our favorite was the lemon cardamom bun – warm from the oven, fluffy and moist, with pull-apart layers. We also loved the cinnamon roll (which was oozing goo), the rich and nutty peanut butter brownie, and the chocolate chip cookie. The charming, eclectic interior features tiled floors and lightbulbs hanging from a spider of wires on the ceiling.
RAMS ROASTERS Address & Contact Information Neitsytpolku 10, Helsinki, Finland Instagram Facebook
Kaffa Roastery – Punavuori
Kaffa Roastery is one of our favorite coffee shops in Helsinki. We consistently enjoy some of the best hand brews of our trips here – recently a natural Ethiopian with notes of vanilla, bergamot, and strawberry, and a funky, fruity natural Colombian. The almond croissant made a perfect sidekick. In the evening, trade your coffee cups for wine glasses and enjoy their selection of natural wines.
KAFFA ROASTERY Address & Contact Information Pursimiehenkatu 29, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Lykke – Etu-Töölö
Lykke is a cute, colorful, and happy Helsinki coffee shop with origins from Stockholm. The name Lykke means “happiness” in Swedish, and the brand’s vibrant, joyful packaging and design sets them apart from other specialty coffee roasters. We tried two pour overs: one called “Oj!” – a light roast Brazilian coffee with notes of cacao, hazelnut, and cranberry, and “Big Monday,” a medium roast coffee from El Salvador with notes of sweet caramel, plum, and red apple. They also serve espresso drinks, matcha, pastries, and Ne Keksit cookies.
LYKKE Address & Contact Information Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21a, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Johan & Nyström – Katajanokka
Johan & Nyström is a high-quality specialty coffee chain with two stores in Stockholm and one in Helsinki. When they opened back in 2004, they were one of the first micro-roasters in Sweden, with an emphasis on direct trade and transparency in the coffee industry. If you’re looking for a caffeine fix, this is one of the best places to grab a great cup of coffee in Helsinki. We love their Ethiopian coffee “Strawberry Fields” with notes of red berries, watermelon, and plum.
JOHAN & NYSTRÖM Address & Contact Information Kanavaranta 7 C, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram
Sävy – Kallio
Sävy is a laid-back neighborhood café in Kallio with artsy, hipster vibes and students lingering over laptops. They primarily serve beans from local Finnish roaster Good Life Coffee, mostly in espresso-based beverages, but the baristas occasionally can be persuaded to make a pour-over if you ask nicely, and they’re not too busy. The third time was the charm for us – we enjoyed a Peruvian Gesha with notes of pineapple, red licorice, and flowers.
SÄVY Address & Contact Information Aleksis Kiven katu 12, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Café Clé – Kruununhaka
Café Clé is a cozy coffee shop serving both espresso-based drinks and filter coffee. The small menu features breakfast and lunch items like pastries, avocado toast, and a breakfast plate with bread, ham, eggs, and cheese. We especially loved the cheesy croque monsieur and the affogato, served like an ice cream sundae with a waffle cone and a cherry on top.
CAFÉ CLÉ Address & Contact Information Mariankatu 21, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram
Cafelito – Kallio
On a cute corner in Kallio, Cafelito serves cortados by day and wine by night. This charming spot is a slice of Spain in Helsinki. The Spanish tortilla is the signature dish and the reason for our visit – choose the classic (potato and egg) or add cheese or spinach – and be sure to slather garlic aioli on top. The affordably priced lunch set includes pan con tomate, a fluffy slice of bread topped with garlicky tomato paste, a fresh side salad, and coffee or tea. Don’t leave without trying the Basque cheesecake – sweet and creamy with the perfect consistency, finished with a dollop of seasonal jam.
CAFELITO Address & Contact Information Hämeentie 26, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Way Bakery – Kallio
A perfect day for us in Helsinki would start at Way Bakery, sitting outside in the sun with a table full of treats and a cup of coffee. Way serves our favorite baked goods in town – we feasted on lemon sugar donuts (sprinkled with salt and pepper for a savory kick), lemon poppy seed buns, cardamom buns, canelés, cookies, and an array of cakes. In the afternoon, they also serve delicious pasta, focaccia, and natural wine. Our favorite was the rigatoni with pumpkin and spicy sausage, but the gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnuts was another standout. Way Bakery has also opened a second café in Herttoniemi, and a third inside Vanha Kauppahalli (the Old Market Hall).
WAY BAKERY Address & Contact Information Agricolankatu 9, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
What’s your favorite coffee shop in Helsinki? Let us know in a comment below.
I’m absolutely not a coffee lover, but Helsinki is supposed to be very beautiful.
We have a full restaurant guide to Helsinki to, check it out: https://andershusa.com/destinations/best-restaurants-helsinki/
We have a full restaurant guide to Helsinki too, check it out: https://andershusa.com/destinations/best-restaurants-helsinki/