Like the rest of Scandinavia, Helsinki is known for being on the pricier side. So without prior research you can easily spend a small fortune on dinner.
Luckily I found some real gems of cheap eats on my trip to the Finnish capital this month and thought I’d be a doll and share them with you. I’m good like that.
4 Cheap Eats in Helsinki
Cafe Regatta
I’ll start with my favourite, the super Instagrammable and charming Cafe Regatta.
This gorge little wooden hut on the coast is reason alone to visit Helsinki, with lovely views across the water and cute decor. But I admit, I hadn’t expected it to be cheap. I went because it looked beautiful but I assumed it would be expensive. Turns out, nah. It was actually majorly affordable!
Teas and coffees were €2 and cakes and pastries were around €3. I had a broccoli and cheese pastry, Josh had a ham and cheese pastry and we shared a v delicious blueberry cake with vanilla sauce. Oh baby.
So y’know really cheap, huh?
A bonus was that they have an outdoor firepit where you can grill your own sausages! They’re like pre-cooked bratwurst sausages and you just pay €2.20 for one and heat it yourself on the fire. How cute is that? So we also had one of those.
This was actually one of my fave places I discovered in Helsinki, so you totally have to go check it out if you’re in town. Just be aware that there may be queues. But it’s worth it, I promise!
Fafa’s
Ok so I admit Cafe Regatta was actually the only Finnish place on this list! Next up is Fafa’s which is a Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant. But I promise it’s good.
It’s very much street food here as they serve delicious pitas in handheld portions, so you don’t get a plate! But the pitas are amazing. I had a falafel and halloumi bad boy with lots of A+ tzatziki, which really hit the spot for me (€9.90). Josh had a kebab and houmous pita (€10.90) and we shared a big ol’ bowl of chips (€4.50).
It’s not like super cheap, but cheap for Helsinki, and the food was so good that it definitely makes the cut. Would recommend, pal.
Richie’s Gourmet Hotdogs
I feel guilty for including Richie’s in this list as it’s actually a hotdog place I discovered at the airport. So I mean it’s not like an easily accesible restaurant if you’re in the centre of Helsinki.
But after waiting for our luggage for an hour at the airport (don’t ask), I was starving and I literally couldn’t pass Ritchie’s without giving it a go. And gahhhhhd they do a decent dog.
I had a Classic dog with all the toppings (ketchup, mustard, onions, crispy onions) and it was insanely good, so I had to mention it. Plus it was only €5, so v nice and cheap.
They also have a kiosk in the Linnanmäki amusement park if you check that out!
Photo below from Copenhagen, I ate that dawg too fast.
Friends & Brgrs
Friends & Brgrs is right next to Fafa’s in the centre of Helsinki and serves delicious and afforable burgers. Obvs.
It actually remininded me of the really good burger place we discovered in Alicante – The Good Burger – which is why we decided to try them out. And it didn’t let us down with soft buns, lots of burger topping options and beaut fries.
We both had the cheeseburger meal (includes chips and a drink) for €12.50, but burgers on their own start from €9, pal. They’re v good, so give ’em a go.
That’s it for now, but stay tuned for my post on things to do in Helsinki coming soon! In the mean time go follow me on Instagram and Twitter for regular updates on my travels.
