Want to discover a vegan Helsinki? We did too and luckily, we managed to find everything vegan in the most unexpected places. We found that all restaurants were ready to accommodate our dietary requirements and chefs did not shy away from a vegan challenge. In fact, if in doubt, you can even make your way to McDonald’s in Helsinki as they sell what it’s called a McVegan. For those of you who travel vegan, powered by plants, we strongly recommend a day eating your ways around Helsinki. We especially recommend Yes, Yes, Yes as a great vegan tapas option in a modern and exciting environment, as well as Goodio Cafe for a relaxed atmosphere full of plants and delicious chocolate.
Here are the best restaurants in Helsinki you should try whether you are vegan or not.
Yes, Yes, Yes
You have to say Yes, Yes, Yes to this restaurant. A vegan / vegetarian fusion with epic tapas ideas, Yes, Yes, Yes was our favourite restaurant in Helsinki. When it comes to food, we sure are hard to please, but these guys really nailed their cocktails, hospitality and dishes. The food is more like a tapas, so make sure you order a minimum of three dishes per person. We reserved a table in advance as this restaurant gets really busy on most evenings. We ordered two cocktails each and indulge in 8 dishes between the two of us. We didn’t leave hungry, that’s for sure.
The only bad news we have is that we didn’t take any pictures of the place as we were too busy actually loving the food.
Address: Iso Roobertinkatu 1, 00120 Helsinki, Finland
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Latva
Latva was the first restaurant we visited in Helsinki. At that point, we had no idea what to expect but we were pretty certain the Finish know how to prepare epic food. We didn’t get disappointed. Latva is not a vegan restaurant but if you tell the staff about your dietary preferences, the chef will prepare something special for you. In a way, it’s quite exciting to get served surprise food. We left full and satisfied.
Address: Pohjoinen Makasiinikatu 9, 00130 Helsinki
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Juuri
Juuri is a traditional Finish restaurant which serves fantastic food and offers great customer service. We went in for the lunch menu. There were no vegan options, but, same as before, the staff advised the chef about our requirements and he prepared something for us. We really loved how everyone was so accommodating. Our lunch at Juuri was amazing. The chef prepared portobello steak and an incredible sorbet dessert in tea syrup. It was so refreshing to get great food which didn’t involve just salad.
Address: Korkeavuorenkatu 27, 00130 Helsinki
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Design Museum
Part of the Juuri restaurants family, the café at the Design Museum in Helsinki offers attractive cakes and lunch menus. We arrived just before 12 pm and we decided to enjoy a quick lunch before exploring what the museum has to offer. We enjoyed an amazing vegan beetroot soup with freshly baked whole grain bread. It seemed perfect after a busy morning running around from museum to museum.
Address: Juuri Café & Bar Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki
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Lasipalatsi
We went to Lasipalatsi for lunch, right after a long shopping session in a nearby mall. We loved the service, it was tailored and the lady who received us made sure we enjoy our food. As usual, there was no specific vegan food on the menu, but the chef made us something special. We loved the kale chip even though the food itself wasn’t incredibly innovative. But it was delicious and we left the restaurant full and satisfied, so overall: mission accomplished. We didn’t need to book a table in advance, but note that it can get pretty busy during lunch time.
Address: Mannerheimintie 22-24, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
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Goodio Cafe
We can’t imagine a person who can say NO to chocolate… can you? Especially if the chocolate is fully vegan and made in Helsinki. No, really, the guys from Goodio import their chocolate ingredients and craft it all in Finland. That’s pretty cool. They also use some local ingredients to make it flavoursome and distinctive. We are madly in love with Goodio, so we purchased different types of chocolate to munch on for the duration of our stay in Helsinki. You can find their Goodio chocolate in their Goodio Cafe. That’s also where you can enjoy a smoothie bowl in a more tropical setting. These guys sure have taste, as their cafe looks pretty awesome.
Address: Kanavaranta 7, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
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Ekberg Cafe
Want to enjoy unlimited coffee and breakfast? Head over to Ekberg Cafe, Finland’s oldest bakery, patisserie and café. Vegan options are somewhat limited to delicious bread and homemade jam, but there is oat milk for the filter coffee which we really liked. Don’t forget to go next door and get some special spices and fresh ingredients. We got this amazing seasoning with basil and mint, as well as freshly baked bread and rosemary infused oil.
Address: Bulevardi 9, 00120 Helsinki, Finland
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Eating Vegan in My Helsinki Residence
We stayed in Aallonkoti Hotel Apartments where we had our own studio with a fully equipped kitchen. Since we were just 5-minute walk from a local supermarket, we purchased several vegan ingredients and also made our own food. We were surprised to see how many cool options we found in Helsinki, starting with ready-made vegan dishes, to a variety of soy-based products we could cook and enjoy.
Address: Alvar Aallon katu 3 B, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
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Savotta
I’m sure when you visit Helsinki you will want to enjoy some traditional food. Savotta is your restaurant, but note their speciality is meat. With rustic decor and cutely dress staff, you will definitely enjoy an evening here. We recommend booking a table in advance. We told the chef we are vegan so they can prepare for us accordingly. We got a delicious pumpkin soup and a sweet potato waffle which we thought was very original. The service started really good but sadly it went down after our first course. They also forgot to bring us dessert and brought us the bill before we can indulge in something sweet.
Address: Aleksanterinkatu 22, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
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Practical information: We received vouchers to enjoy lunch and dinner in some Helsinki restaurants. Although part of our food was covered, we paid for our own drinks and staff gratuities. The information provided in this article is honest and transparent and all opinions are our own. Thank you MyHelsinki for hosting us in Helsinki and offering us the possibility to experience your incredible city.
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