Few nationalities know as much about coffee as the Finns, who drink more coffee per capita than anyone else in the world. For years, according to Helsinki Partners, the nation preferred a “light-roasted filter coffee, served black and often brewed by the pot” but, consuming an average of four cups per day per person, the Finns have learned to take the art of coffee to a whole new level.
At the 10th Helsinki Coffee Festival, the largest event of its kind in Northern Europe, which took place 25-27 April 2025, roasters, baristas, coffee lovers, and new converts came together to taste different offerings, test equipment, and learn new approaches to the perfect brew. But those who missed the occasion can still experience the Finnish love of the black gold, thanks to places like Café Engel, a mainstay of the Helsinki coffee scene.
“We are happy to notice that Engel attracts people of all ages – sometimes even four generations at once! Our all-time favourites are the all-day breakfasts enjoyed with coffee from the local Kaffa Roastery,” says the owner Harri Sjöberg.
For a retro ambience, second-hand treasure hunting, and coffee prepared by a veteran roaster, try Benjamin Andberg’s Päiväkahvibaari coffee bars at the Teurastamo cultural hub and in the Vallila district.
The Design District presents Andante, on Fredrikinkatu, where a carpenter’s bench has been repurposed as a table, Finnish coffee cups hang on the walls, and a coffee selection deemed “excellent” by Helsinki Partners, is on offer, including local roaster Samples and the Danish La Cabra Coffee. If comfy armchairs and sofas in a light and airy space next to an art gallery are more the style sought, Heritage Cafe, also on Fredrikinkatu, is the place to go.
Nordic treats, like cinnamon buns, are hard to resist with a coffee. Try them at Rams Roasters on Neitsytpolku, or Layers Bakery in Etu-Töölö, which, though “tiny”, is “a haven for coffee lovers and fresh croissant enthusiasts alike.”
One of the first specialty roasters to open in Helsinki was Kaffa Roastery, established 2007. With a flagship café and micro roastery in the Punavuori district – featuring glass walls for increased transparency – founder Svante Hampf explains the vision driving the sustainable operation: “We want Finland to be known not only for drinking the most coffee in the world – but for drinking the best coffee in the world.”
Meanwhile Good Life Coffee’s roastery, opened in 2014, took the best roaster title at the Nordic Coffee Fest in 2024. It supplies coffee to some of Helsinki’s favourite spots, such as the charming Sävy in Kallio, where exposed brick walls, vintage furniture and chandeliers, put the establishment’s goal front and centre “to highlight coffee’s origin more clearly – where it comes from and who has grown it.” Co-founder Lauri Pipinen believes “quality and sustainability often go hand in hand. When coffee is of high quality, its production chain is often built on a sustainable foundation as well.”
It’s a quest shared by dozens of Finnish roasteries, over 50 of them across the country, says the Helsinki Coffee Festival’s co-founder Maija Kestilä, as well as private individuals in their own homes. “The pandemic years had a clear impact on coffee culture – people began investing more in making coffee at home and experimenting with new equipment and brewing methods,” she says. “At the same time, ecological and ethical considerations have become increasingly important, with more and more people wanting to know the origin of their coffee and opting for responsibly produced beans.”
In a country where having a coffee serves as “social glue”, Finns, it seems, have woken up to the possibilities of a new kind of coffee culture, and, luckily for visitors, they are more than happy to share.
