These are the best bars in Helsinki

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? 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 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? 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 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? Catfish is a refined cocktail bar located in the basement of restaurant Farang.

Why we love it? Catfish has that big-city feel in a very stylish and intimate space set partly below street level. Alongside high-quality cocktails, you can order both small and more substantial bites, even from upstairs at Farang. The Southeast Asian flavour profile of the restaurant carries through into Catfish’s tropical yet modern drinks list and snack selection.

Time Out tip: A great spot for lingering and soaking up the atmosphere is at the bar counter, where it’s fascinating to watch the professionals at work.

Arkadiankatu 6, Kamppi. Open Mon–Thu 16.30–24 and Fri–Sat 16.30–2. Expect to pay 15-18 euros for cocktails. Reservations are not accepted for groups of fewer than 10 people.

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.

What is it? This nightclub is a reliable choice for Helsinki locals in their twenties and thirties when the plan is to enjoy great music. Here you can truly focus on the essentials: the music. And perhaps lose track of time.

Why we love it? At Kaiku the atmosphere is cosy, dimly lit and stylish. The nightclub has an open vibe, and on the dancefloor you can immerse yourself in the music as your true self. Kaiku’s current and ever-changing mix of house, groove and techno draws you onto the dancefloor and keeps you there. The music is handled by a rotating line-up of top Finnish and international DJs. Kaiku has an appealing underground feel and also offers more alternative sounds, without diving straight into the deep end.

Time Out tip: Kaiku is located in an old factory building and forms part of a cluster of bars and nightclubs known as ‘Kompleksi’, where you can spend the night (and often the morning too). Alongside Kaiku, the area includes Siltanen, Kuudes Linja, Post Bar and Stidilä. The venues share plenty of similarities in music and atmosphere, but each has its own nuances.

Kaikukatu 4, Kallio. Open Fri–Sat 22–4.30. It’s best to buy tickets in advance unless you arrive right at 22 to beat the queue.

What is it? A laid-back new cocktail bar in Kallio, opened in October by three hospitality pros who also know their food.

Why we love it? Twenty Four Social Club was a hit from its very first night. The name comes from its 24 seats (well, 25 actually as they got an extra one after the opening) and its friendly, sociable spirit. The founders – Kim Päivästö, Mika Koivula and Kenneth Löfström – opened the bar with the right attitude: when the perfect venue appeared, they simply went for it. The furniture from the previous dumpling restaurant was kept, and the décor has slowly been adapted to their own style. The food, blending Asian and European influences, is inventive, though the portions are on the small side for the price – if you arrive hungry, you might leave that way too, even after sharing the whole menu. This is definitely a drinks-first kind of place.

Time Out tip: We love the €15 ‘staff meal’, which is exactly what the name suggests: the same dish the team themselves are eating.

Kolmas linja 6, Kallio. Open Wednesday to Saturday. Expect to pay €5–€24 for dishes.