This is my favorite café in Helsinki. And, judging by the huge lines that sometimes go all the way to the street, it is the favorite of a number of others, too . . .

Getting a table outside in the summer requires some mean elbowing, but it is the best place in Helsinki to sit down and see people!

The café offers specialty coffees of all sorts, brewed tea (several varieties), iced tea, freshly squeezed fruit juices, wine, and spiked coffees, too. They also have soups, salads, paninis, and sandwiches (of the quite delicious fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomato foccaccia variety).

The "pulla" (sweet baked bread, kind of the same as cinnamon rolls) is great--and extremely large--you'll need to share it!

It's sort of budget, if you are in for a coffee and carbohydrate splurge (a splurge is never the cheapest option and this is definately the cheapest cafe on the Esplanade). The soups are generous, so are the salads. The various filled bagels and baguettes are mouth-watering. You get adequate coffees and teas. But the reason this is so well known is that they have possibly the biggest cinnamon rolls in town! locals call them "korvapuusti" which actually means a bang on the ear... The other danish pastries are also big and so good...

To top the atmosphere, if possible, some evenings they cram in a singer and two jazz musicians! In the evenings there is an age limit of 18 or 20.

If this is too full or busy for you, try the sister cafe, called Café Succes, a ten min walk away in a very fancy part of town called Eira.