These are the best bars in Helsinki

What is it? A compact cocktail den on Erottaja that excels at perfectly balanced drinks.

Why we love it? Author Satu Rämö recently named Liberty or Death Helsinki’s best bar in a Time Out interview, claiming she’s likely worked her way through the entire menu. She’s not exaggerating. These cocktails are in a league of their own – truly world-class drinks that are worth traveling for.

Time Out tip: If you can tear yourself away, use Liberty or Death as a springboard for a cocktail crawl. The same street boasts the city’s densest concentration of top-tier bars. Just steps away, you’ll find Chihuahua Julep, Moss, and Grotesk, with Bar Mate just around the corner. Each of the five has its own dedicated following.

Erottaja 5, Kaartinkaupunki. Open every night.

What is it? A small and atmospheric sake bar that also serves excellent food.

Why we love it? This is Helsinki’s most immersive bar experience – such an authentic izakaya that you could easily imagine it being in Tokyo. Luckily Sake Bar & Izakaya is in Kruununhaka, just a tram ride away instead of a flight to the other side of the world. Japanese izakayas are bars where you drink and eat a variety of small dishes at the same time, and the food here is so good you could come just to eat. Still, the real heart of the experience is the sake, introduced by the servers with the same care usually reserved for fine wines.

Time Out tip: At the start of your meal, choose your own sake cup from the wide selection. The sake is served in small carafes holding about two cups’ worth – perfect for sharing, so you can taste twice as many varieties for the same price.

Vironkatu 11, Kruununhaka. Open Thu–Mon 18:00–00:00. Expect to pay €7–€20 for small plates, €49 for a seven-course menu.

What is it? Siltanen is the trendiest hotspot in Kallio’s hipster zone and an important place to see and be seen.

Why we love it? Siltanen is the kind of place you arrive at to kick off the evening, grab something to eat and enjoy gigs and all sorts of events. As the night goes on, the disco ball starts throwing its beams across the walls and the tables are pushed aside to make room for dancers. In summer, Siltanen’s iconic terrace becomes one of the most packed meeting spots in Helsinki. But you simply have to make it there, because that’s where everyone is.

Time Out tip: It’s worth checking Siltanen’s website for the full events calendar. Especially at weekends there’s plenty going on: DJ sets, gigs, bingo and, for example, the popular Pitch & Match dating event by Tatskatytöt.

Hämeentie 13 B, Kallio. Open Wed–Thu 19–23.30 and Fri–Sat 20–3. Note that during events there may be an entrance fee on the door. In winter the kitchen is closed.

What is it? A flamboyantly queer cocktail bar on Fleminginkatu where anyone with a love for the theatrical will feel right at home.

Why we love it? Tiny, extravagantly decorated Bar Struts is packed with atmosphere. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and on the walls are paintings that, on closer inspection, reveal scenes of bondage and other delights that lead you gently away from the vanilla. There’s even a jet engine hanging among the stars on the ceiling – a leftover from the bar’s previous aviation-themed incarnation. Expect excellent cocktails and the occasional cabaret show (on what’s surely Helsinki’s smallest stage). Every now and then, the bartender might even burst into song to end the night.

Time Out tip: Be sure to visit Velour, the owners’ pop-up bar on Pengerkatu, set in a former theatre. Behind the red velvet curtains you half expect the giant from Twin Peaks to appear. It’s open until the end of the year.

Fleminginkatu 13, Kallio. Open Tuesday to Saturday.

What is it? Helsinki’s only speakeasy comes with a playful backstory.

Why we love it? As it should be, there’s no sign on the door, just a small entrance where you ring a buzzer. After a pause – sometimes a long one – a little hatch in the wall opens, and eventually you’re ushered into a cocktail bar styled as a 1900s detective agency named Trillby & Chadwick. According to the bar’s backstory, two British detectives were hired during Finland’s prohibition era to crack down on bootlegging, but ended up selling their confiscated liquor instead. It’s a full-blown bar experience.

Time Out tip: It’s a great place to visit also solo and sit at the bar – many travellers do. The service is top-notch.

Katariinankatu 1D, Kruununhaka. Open every night until 01:00 or 02:00. Expect to pay around €17 per cocktail.

What is it? A modern beer house in Hakaniemi featuring around twenty taps with a constantly rotating selection of craft specialities.

Why we love it? Texan, bearded bartender Will Torrey welcomes guests and makes everyone feel right at home. Of course, the bar’s countless taps and the high turnover of beers play a part too. There is no better place for beer tasting, as at Haka, you can order beers in 10cl glasses – at the same litre price you would pay for a full pint. And don’t worry, Will doesn't mind pouring the small ones at all. As he puts it: ‘It’s totally fine! Many people want to taste the beers without getting drunk.’

Time Out tip: There is an English-language pub quiz every other Wednesday, and you can check the Untappd app to see exactly what’s on tap at Haka at any given time.

Toinen linja 7, Hakaniemi. Open daily from 12:00 or 14:00.

What is it? A bar specialising in rum and high-quality cocktails, with a carefully thought-out concept yet a warm, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Why we love it? The first impression in HogoHuone can feel slightly connoisseur-focused, as with many cocktail bars, but it soon becomes clear that the service here is genuinely relaxed and chatty. The bartenders are passionate about their seasonally changing cocktails, and the place has a strong sense of entrepreneurial spirit. The concept has been carefully considered down to the interior design, and it even smells good in here. The name Hogo comes from the French haut-goût, meaning ‘high taste’. The term is used especially to describe the funky, powerful aromas found in certain rums, such as those produced in Jamaica.

Time Out tip: Fans of savoury cocktails should try the Bloody Mimi – a spicy, umami-packed take on a Bloody Mary. If there’s anywhere to order a particularly good one, it’s here. At HogoHuone it’s finished with ingredients such as Dijon mustard. For something sweeter, go for the creamy, tropical Saffrolada flavoured with saffron, or its mocktail counterpart Saffrolassi.

Viides linja 7, Kallio. Open Mon 18–24, Wed–Thu 18–24 (sometimes later) and Fri–Sat 17–2.

What is it? A listening bar equipped with high-end audio, located within the old Arabia porcelain factory.

Why we love it? Ambient is the passion project of DJ and music tastemaker Jaakko Hurme. It draws inspiration from Japan’s legendary ‘jazz kissa’ bars, where the focus is on a perfectly tuned sound system. It serves as an ideal escape from a world filled with noise. While conversation is welcome, the music is curated in a way that naturally invites you to pause your chatter and truly lose yourself in the sound.

Time Out tip: Arabia is perfect for a mini bar crawl; alongside Ambient, the same historic red-brick factory buildings house another great spot, Tired Uncle Taproom.

Hämeentie 133, Arabia. Open evenings from Wednesday to Saturday.

What is it? The Tislaamo bar is located in the Teurastamo district, right alongside The Helsinki Distilling Company, which produces its own gins and whiskies.

Why we love it? This red-brick building has previously served as both a soap factory and a car wash. Now home to Tislaamo, it is perhaps Helsinki’s most ‘New York’ bar – the kind of place where a blind superhero like Daredevil might find himself in a brawl (after all, we are at Teurastamo, Helsinki’s version of Hell’s Kitchen). The atmosphere is shaped by brick walls, tiles, large windows, and mirrors – rugged yet stylish all at once. The lighting creates a perfectly mysterious vibe.

Time Out tip: Naturally, the bar specialises in Gin & Tonics made with the distillery’s own gin. There are several excellent variations available to sample.

Työpajankatu 2 A, Teurastamo (Kalasatama metro). Open evenings from Wednesday to Saturday.

What is it? A bar inside the House of Text, a hub for writers, where young authors, art students and hipsters mingle – but everyone’s welcome.

Why we love it? A wall mural inspired by the legendary Finnish artist Hugo Simberg replaces his famous garden of death with a bar run by skeletons. The atmosphere is hipsterish in the best possible way, with no hint of pretension. There’s a DJ spinning records, candles glowing and a wonderfully mixed crowd. On busier nights, the back room turns into a dance floor.

Time Out tip: Bar Tÿpo sits on the same old factory site that houses the city’s top clubs – Siltanen, Kaiku and Post Bar – so it’s easy to continue the night from here. Especially in the last two, the house beats keep dancers going well into the morning.

Lintulahdenkatu 3, Tekstin talo, Sörnäinen. Closed on Sundays.

What is it? A discreet cocktail bar with fantastic drinks – and a strict no-phone policy.

Why we love it? Erottaja has Helsinki’s densest cluster of cocktail bars. Right next to Chihuahua Julep are Liberty or Death and Moss, with Grotesk and Bar Mate just around the corner. Each of the five has its devotees, but our pick is the most low-key of them all. The door bears only a small sign, and entry is by buzzer. Inside, the tiny and charming bar enforces a full phone ban – mobiles are sealed in pouches upon entry. The reason isn’t an A-list clientele hiding inside, but the owners, Minna Kettunen and Jami Järvinen, wanting guests to be fully present in the moment. That same sense of conviction extends to the drinks: all spirits come from the Americas – tequila, mezcal, rum and bourbon. There’s no vodka, gin or Scotch here. Each cocktail comes with a small ‘drink tapas’, a bite designed to complement the flavours of the drink.

Time Out tip: Come early – or very late – especially on weekends, as the bar is small and popular, and there’s not always room. And bring cash or a card: you really can’t use your phone here, not even to pay.

Erottajankatu 9, Kaartinkaupunki. Open Tuesday to Sunday.

What is it? Next to Sörnäinen metro station, Harju8 is a café by morning, restaurant by day and Kallio’s favourite bar by night.

Why we love it? Candles flicker on the tables, the atmosphere is electric, and it’s always full – yet somehow there’s always room, as there are no reservations and everyone makes space. Alongside your drinks, definitely eat: the food is pretty good and delightfully affordable. The pesto pasta is just €10! Red-lit stairs lead to a small basement that doubles as a natural wine bar and dance floor. Once a month, you might stumble into one of the city’s best surprise parties, when the house band funks and grooves like there’s no tomorrow.

Time Out tip: The menu is mostly veggie. Some dishes can be a bit of hit-and-miss so play it safe, and go for the tofu skagen – a fantastic dish where crispy potatoes meet tangy, creamy skagen.

Harjutori 8, Kallio. Open daily 11:00–23:00, until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Expect to pay €12 for the tofu skagen.