Feeling a sudden aversion to Christmas ham? Does life seem like one endless parade of festive sweets? Are you already having nightmares about yet another bowl of Finnish beetroot salad?
If the idea of escaping the family table and eating out at Christmas sounds tempting, it may also sound hopeless. After all, which restaurants could possibly be open on Christmas Eve or the days that follow?
As it turns out, more than you’d think.
Do note that the list below isn’t comprehensive – these are simply our favourite Helsinki restaurants that choose to stay open over Christmas, and thank God for them. Without these stalwarts, we’d all be condemned to an endless purgatory of festive leftovers.
Restaurants open on Christmas Eve
How about a French-style Christmas? At Brasserie Lionne, inspired by French cuisine, you can admire the Esplanadi’s Christmas lights from the dining room windows.
If you’d prefer a proper steak to another round of ham, Goodwin is one of the city’s best steakhouses. And if you’d rather skip meat altogether, Magu offers fine-dining vegetarian dishes on Christmas Eve.
For something more casual, Bangkok 9 serves excellent Thai food inside the Mall of Tripla, while Kustaa Vaasa offers Finnish classics – from vendace to meatballs – for under €20.
Last-minute gifts can be picked up at Helsinki Outlet, where the pizzas at Villa Severino have even won praise from an Italian pizza site.
And Manala never disappoints. This long-standing restaurant in Bottas’s basement is open late throughout the Christmas holidays. It’s best known for its pizzas, but the menu stretches well beyond that.
If, however, you’re craving a traditional Finnish Christmas dinner, the stylish Bistro Elo serves one for €58.
Restaurants open on Christmas Day
All the restaurants mentioned above – Bistro Elo, Brasserie Lionne, Goodwin, Manala, Bangkok 9, Kustaa Vaasa and Villa Severino – are also open on Christmas Day.
In addition, Restaurant Furu at Hotel Rantapuisto puts on a blini buffet. Its location is superb, set between Vuosaari’s beautiful outdoor areas, Ramsinniemi and Kallahdenniemi. It makes for a perfect Christmas Day combination: a seaside walk through pine ridges, followed by warming up over a plate of blinis.
Restaurants open on Boxing Day
By Boxing Day, the city’s restaurant scene really starts to wake up. Open on the 26th are Plein, Natura and Esmes, all of which made our list of Helsinki’s best restaurants.
Other notable Boxing Day options include Hanayagi Omakase, which serves luxury-level Japanese cuisine, and 305, a Michelin-recommended spot with a Bib Gourmand distinction.
The Kallio wine bar Wino is also open, offering excellent wines and delicious food at reasonable prices. And of course, all the restaurants mentioned earlier that stay open over Christmas welcome guests on Boxing Day too.