Inside Out Helsinki: June 2015

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Kuppi ja Muffini

Kuppi ja Muffini (or Cup and Muffin in Finnish) is quite the place when you feel like retreating in a cosy little bakery away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Helsinki.

Founded two years ago by pastry-makers, Katri Ekebom and Tanja Juppi, the place can be described as a cupcake bakery café located right in the center of Helsinki. It's a small joint with top notch quality products. Both owners have a common interest in baking, and have a little bakery alongside the café where they bake everything from scratch, with homemade quality (e.g. no additives).

The speciality here is the cupcake, but you can also have a porridge breakfast (with berries, nuts, jams and different types of seeds), fresh juices, and a big selection of salads for lunch for instance.
Like our last post on Onda Restaurant, Kuppi ja Muffini makes sure that seasonal changes also affect their offer.

=> Good to know: you can order cakes or cupcakes for private parties or sandwiches for small business occasions. A selection of smoothies that are also provided. It isn't though a catering service as the volume remains small.

What Inside Out Helsinki loves about this café is its tiny, intimate and "home-like" feeling - for example the blankets in the café are brought from the owners' home. Our favorite moment was sipping a delicious cup of organic café while tasting the strawberry-lime cupcake, or lemonade-chocolate one (the flavors of the cupcakes are always changing).

The owners have no plans to expand, as they want to keep the café small. Their goal is to keep on developing quality products, and new flavors.

=> You don't always find small independent cafés in the city center, so Kuppi ja Muffini is a great spot after a long day of walking and sight-seeing.

Further information:

Telephone: 044 02 02 130 
Address: Kalevankatu 17, Helsinki
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 7.30—6 pm | Sat 10—4 pm

=> During the month of July Kuppi ja Muffini is closed for summer vacation.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Winter Garden // Talvipuutarha

Helsinki - especially for people who are used to living in crowded international capitals such as Paris or New York - is already quite a peaceful and calm city in itself. Streets are wide and traffic jams are rather unheard of. And hey, what's not to love about Helsinki being a seaside city?

If you are however in need of an extra bit of calm and peacefulness, InsideOut Helsinki has just what you need. The Helsinki Winter Garden (in Finnish: Helsingin Talvipuutarha) is a greenhouse open to the public located near the Eläintarha Park north of Töölönlahti in Helsinki. It's a beautiful and relaxed place, perfect for days when you feel like escaping the city.

The greenhouse was designed by architect Gustaf Nyström and built for General Jakob Julius af Lindfors. The garden opened to the public in 1893.

=> Insider tip: The winter garden has many small hidden spots, with tables and chairs, where you can retreat and find you very own special little "garden spot", and experience the place's tranquility. You can also bring your own food with you and arrange a little picnic or brunch if you feel like it!

The winter garden houses a wide variety of plants, including more than 200 plants in three different locations: in the palms room, in the western wing and in the cactus room.

You know those dreary long Helsinki winters where the sun just appears to be hibernating? Escaping to the winter garden is a great day to fight those winter blues, as a summer-like atmosphere prevails year-round.