Helsinki may be known for its sauna culture, design heritage, and refined Nordic cuisine, but Finland’s capital also has a thriving scene of affordable restaurants and casual takeaway spots. Eating well in Helsinki doesn’t have to mean booking a tasting menu — some of the best cheap eats in Helsinki are found at fast-moving counters, tiny neighborhood cafés, and modern sandwich shops across the city.
From crispy fried chicken sandwiches and smash burgers to New York-style pizza slices, Japanese sandos, stuffed onigiri, and traditional Karelian pies, Helsinki’s budget food scene is surprisingly diverse. Many of these spots are chef-driven concepts, run by former fine dining cooks or passionate specialists focused on doing one thing exceptionally well.
Below, you’ll find our curated list of the best cheap eats in Helsinki — the places we return to for satisfying, value-for-money meals. Think street food, takeaway counters, and relaxed fast-casual restaurants serving bold flavors without the fine dining price tag.
Looking for more great spots for food and drinks in Helsinki? Check out our city map of Helsinki!
Best Affordable Restaurants in Helsinki
Whether you’re visiting Helsinki on a budget or simply looking for great cheap food in the city, this guide highlights the best budget-friendly meals across town. We’ll continue updating it as we discover more great budget-friendly food in Helsinki, so bookmark it for your next visit.
Blondie – Pizza Slice
Blondie is the best of all worlds when it comes to pizza, offering big New York-style slices with a crispy, crunchy dough inspired by crusty French country bread. There’s a variety of exciting toppings made with the best ingredients from Finland and Italy. One of our favorite slices was the signature “Blondie,” topped with mozzarella, provolone, Calabrian chili, garlic, Aleppo pepper, and Grana Padano. We added a drizzle of hot honey for a sweet and spicy kick. We also loved the “Rosso,” with tomato, garlic, oregano, and sourdough breadcrumbs. This slice comes without cheese, but we added creamy stracciatella on top, which we highly recommend. Another highlight was the seasonal white pizza with kale, chanterelles, and béchamel. Don’t forget to get some Parmesan mayo on the side for crust dipping!
BLONDIE Address & Contact Information Vaasankatu 8, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram
Café Tampopo – Japanese Sando
Café Tampopo is a tiny shop from the team behind Sake Bar, serving Japanese sandos, coffee, tea, and sweet treats. The space is small and cozy, with just a few tables, including one low kneeling table with a tatami mat in the window, and vinyl records spinning. We loved the fluffy Tamago sando, with super creamy egg salad filling snuggled between two slices of pillowy soft shokupan (milk bread); the Chicken Katsu, with crispy chicken, tonkatsu sauce, and cabbage; and the Ebi sando with fried shrimp. But our favorite of all was the Chicken Nanban: fried chicken with a soy and vinegar sauce and a hearty tartar sauce. If you’re craving dessert, try a fresh fruit and whipped cream sando, purin (Japanese crème caramel), or a fresh-from-the-oven matcha chocolate chip cookie. The iced strawberry matcha latte is the best in town, creamy with a perfectly balanced natural berry sweetness.
CAFÉ TAMPOPO Address & Contact Information Eerikinkatu 15-17, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram
Kahvila Rakastan – Karelian Pie
Trying a Karelian pie is a must when in Finland, and we got ours at Kahvila Rakastan, a charming plant-based café tucked into a courtyard next to the National Museum. The family-run, female-operated shop specializes in these traditional pies, offering variations of their grandma’s classic recipe – updated for modern times to be vegan. The pies come with different toppings; we tried the potato and barley pie, where a rye crust is filled with mashed potato and topped with (eggless) egg butter. Buttery and warm, fresh from the oven, it tasted like a hybrid of an egg salad sandwich and potato salad.
KAHVILA RAKASTAN Address & Contact Information Mannerheimintie 13 b, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Onigiri Musubi – Onigiri
Onigiri Musubi is a gem in Helsinki serving stuffed Japanese rice balls wrapped in seaweed. It’s perfect for a casual, quick lunch or an afternoon snack. The space is tiny, with only a few counter seats inside, but Musubi offers a wide selection of onigiri – we counted ten different options on our visit. The shop is run by Ryosuke Sakai, who previously worked as a sushi chef for almost 20 years. Each onigiri is made to order; the kimchi tuna was packed with flavor and a hint of spice, while the salmon yuzu was deliciously creamy, bright, and fresh. The rice was outstanding, perfectly cooked with a distinct texture: soft, springy, and slightly toothsome, sticking together just enough to hold the classic triangle shape. This might be the best onigiri we’ve ever had. Green tea is included with your meal, and there’s also a small selection of sake available.
ONIGIRI MUSUBI

 Address & Contact Information Pursimiehenkatu 2, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram
Ester’s Grocery – Italian Sandwich
Ester’s Grocery is an Italian-style sandwich shop open for lunch. They offer a limited menu of sandwiches served on Tuscan schiacciata bread; all cold cut meats and cheese are imported from Italy. We loved the Mortadella Supreme, with slices of mortadella, mozzarella, pistachio pesto, and fresh spinach on crusty, crunchy bread. Vegetarian options are available.
ESTER'S GROCERY Address & Contact Information Korkeavuorenkatu 6, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram
KotKot – Fried Chicken Sandwich
KotKot (Finnish for “cluck cluck”) is a fast food chain from former fine dining chef Kim Mikkola, serving fried chicken sandwiches, wings, thighs, and fries. KotKot is a pandemic success story – they currently have five locations in Helsinki, and also have expanded to Tallinn, Estonia. We tried three different sandwiches, and our favorite was the Lemon Pepper, which has a citrusy, spicy glaze and super juicy leg meat.
KOTKOT Address & Contact Information Kaarlenkatu 7, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Boneless – Burger
Boneless is a fast-food chain with over a dozen locations across Finland. As the name implies, they specialize in boneless fried chicken, but you’ll also find wings and cheeseburgers on the menu. After hearing that Boneless’ burger was the best in town, we had to check it out. We really enjoyed their double cheeseburger, made with two crispy smashed beef patties, American cheese, pickles, red onions, and kewpie mayo, all served on a Martin’s potato roll. Classic, all-American smash burger vibes!
BONELESS Address & Contact Information Vuorimiehenkatu 12, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Sörkan Rinkula – Bagel Sandwich
Although we’re often disappointed by bagels outside of New York, we were pleasantly surprised by the soft and squishy bagels at Sörkan Rinkula. You can get a plain bagel with cream cheese here, but we were more impressed by their bagel sandwiches. Our favorite was the Kinkku Melt – a ham and cheese melt on a poppy seed bagel, with local ham, mayo, mustard, tomato, and cheddar. It totally hit the spot on a Sunday morning!
SĂ–RKAN RINKULA Address & Contact Information Vilhonvuorenkatu 10, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
Rolling Cheese – Grilled Cheese
Rolling Cheese started as more of a cheese shop than a restaurant, but recently expanded with more seating in a next-door deli and wine bar. They put their expansive selection to good use in a rotating grilled cheese menu. Past sandwiches have included the “Kimchi” (with Cantal Jeune, Reblochon Fermier, and spicy Korean-style kimchi), “Le Normandie” (with Pont l’Évêque, Salami Lovison, sun-dried tomatoes, and fig chutney), and “Le Chartreux Part Deux” (with French alpine cheese, Taleggio, spicy pepper tapenade, and sun-dried tomatoes). Of course, they also serve cheese and charcuterie boards, antipasti, canned fish, and wine by the glass.
ROLLING CHEESE Address & Contact Information Museokatu 22, Helsinki, Finland Website Instagram Facebook
What are your favorite cheap eats in Helsinki? Please leave a comment below.