Ihana Kahvila

 One of the literally “hidden” treasures of Helsinki is Sompasaari, a derelict area behind the construction site of the new Kalasatama district. In this ever-changing wasteland one will be surprised by Ihana Kahvila. It might be a little hard to find, but the adventure through the construction site is definitely worth it. Ihana means lovely in English and that’s exactly what this cafe is like. Sanni Jouhki established it in 2008. The cafe was first based at an old factory in Hämeenlinna, a city not that far away from Helsinki. Ihana Kahvila eventually moved to Helsinki, starting as a pop-up cafe in the famous Flow festival.

In 2010 Kalasatama was still a developing but remote area and during that time a group of people involved in cultural activities launched the Kalasatama temporary project to refresh the area with different kinds of cultural happenings. Soon the area started to flourish, thanks to environmental and urban art projects such as graffiti walls, Konttiaukio (container square) for gigs, exhibitions and other happenings. In 2011 Ihana Kahvila jumped along and started their container cafe at the southernmost tip of the Sompasaari pier. Even though Konttiaukio has since shut its doors and moved to give way to the new residential area, Ihana Kahvila has remained and will continue for at least two more years. Sompasaari is a source of inspiration to Sanni and she associates the wasteland with a feeling of freedom. This is definitely one of the most alternative places in Helsinki to go to! 

For urban explorers Ihana Kahvila offers a nice variety of baked goods (also gluten-free options), sandwiches, smoothies and coffees. They also have mouth-watering raw cakes. In addition to food and drinks, they sell small souvenirs such as flip books, cups, cards, small home decorations, chocolate, sweets and much more. Ihana Kahvila’s dream is to continue as a permanent summer cafe in Sompasaari. They have kept their doors open every summer for the past five years from the beginning of June until the end of August. 

Another interesting fact about the cafe is that the graffiti on containers are re-painted every year. Ihana Kahvila is also open for self-organized events and some previous events worth mentioning are their famous Youtube-contest and movie nights. So if you are looking for an alternative venue to arrange something, Ihana Kahvila might be the place!

Ihana Kahvila

Address: Nihtikuja, Sompasaari, 00500 Helsinki (Nearest Metro stop is Kalasatama - some landmarks to pass by: New residential area of Kalasatama, Helsingin energia factory, shipwrecks, construction sites, carcoal hill. Try to spot Ihana Kahvila signs on the ground)

Opening times: From June until the end of August - Tue-Sun 10-19
Website: http://ihanakahvila.fi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ihana-Kahvila/130517067026801?sk=wall
Contact info:
sanni@ihanakahvila.fi
Tel. +358 45 846 7822

What else is in the area? Sompasaari is a peculiar spot for many reasons. Besides the cafe, you can also find graffiti walls on which it’s legal to paint, Dodo communal vegetable garden for farming, stand up paddle boarding (SUP) rental spot and Sompasaari’s free public sauna, which you can use whenever you feel like it. Jump off at Kalasatama’s metro stop and walk through the construction area – old ships are welcoming you to this hidden area of Helsinki.

Uutela Nature Park at Vuosaari

Uutela is a nature park in Vuosaari, Helsinki. Even though it's surrounded by the sea on three sides, Uutela offers a variety of views and sites from shores to thick forests. The easiest way to get there is to take the subway to Vuosaari station and then either walk or take the bus 90K. 

On your way to the nature site, you pass Aurinkolahti's beach and small, idyllic marina where people keep their boats. Just near the entrance to the nature park dwells café Kampela, which offers you fish soup and baked goods. When entering Uutela's nature park area you will walk along an about 4 kilometres long trail that encircles the whole area. Along the way, you will find diverse vegetation and landscapes such as forests of different variety, cliffs, shores and meadows. 

Uutela is large enough to contain the Skatta farm – one of several farms within the boundaries of Helsinki. Due to these facts, it does not come as a surprise that Uutela is popular among hikers and outdoorsy people thanks to it's rich and variable landscape. One could even say that it offers the city dwellers a getaway with easy reachability when one is in the mood for a little break from the city. 
 

What insideouthelsinki really loves about the place is that you can walk deep into the woods, but if you get off the trail just slightly, you end up on a shore and facing the sea. On the trail are a couple of hut-like spots with campfires where you can also prepare food. 

From the link below (in Finnish only) you will find further information on Uutela's history and the specific species habiting in the area. The PDF-version also includes a map where you can see the trail and campfires, the farm and so on. http://www.hel.fi/hel2/HKR/esitteet/uutela_fi.pdf

Uutela is an around the year place to visit and we warmly recommend that you visit it during all the four seasons!

Kahvila Siili

The summer café Kahvila Siili (literally Café Hedgehog) is located in the lovely neighborhood of Puu-Käpylä, which is one of Helsinki’s oldest suburbs with wooden buildings. Kahvila Siili is located in one of these houses that, back in the day, boasted a dairy shop frequented by locals. The café owners felt that it was important to re-establish a sense of community and to create a place where one can relax and meet friends and neighbors.When InsideOutHelsinki visited Kahvila Siili, we immediately fell in love with its snug character and nice mixture of people ranging from families to senior inhabitants. The atmosphere is very welcoming.

Kahvila Siili offers a broad variety of baked goods and pastries, which come from patisseries Petitpas and Teemu & Markus. Their tasty Square Mile coffee originates from San Fransisco and is provided by the Finnish barista champion Kalle Freese. In addition to the daily products they serve brunch on weekends. They also have something special for the kids: Babyccino, which is cappuccino without the espresso part.

The interior is tiny and cute. You will find wall decorations by COMPANY (Aamu Song & Johan Olin design). The overall look is very Helsinki-like: minimal, fresh and lightly colored. On a sunny day you can sip your coffee in the terrace and, if you are lucky, you may even spot one of the hedgehog residents of the area.

 Kahvila Siili will be open until the end of August and will open its doors again next summer.

More information:
Address: Ilmattarentie 8 C, 00610 Helsinki
Opening times: every day  from 11 to 20 (Sun 11-18) until the end of August
Phone: 040-522 8401
http://kahvilasiili.com/suomi

https://www.facebook.com/kahvilasiili

Mentioned patisseries: http://www.patisseriepetitpas.fi/ and http://www.patisserietm.fi/
Mentioned designers: http://www.com-pa-ny.com/#

Sinisen huvilan kahvila

Sinisen huvilan kahvila (in English Blue Villa’s Café) is located in the beautiful area of Töölönlahti, right next to the central railway station. The Töölönlahti is well known for its beautiful villas in the Linnunlaulu area (Bird’s song, name of one of the villas) build in the nineteenth century.  In the very heart of this area also exists this charming little café.

The café is owned by Päivi and Lassi Helenius and it has been up and running since 1995, which means that this year they are celebrating their 20th birthday. In the beginning the café used to have only few tables and regular coffee to offer, but they have since expanded their product selection and offer special coffees like cappuccinos, lattes, dark and lightly roasted regular coffee with a wide variety of sweet and salty baked goods and pastries.

Indeed, the generous selection of cakes, pies and buns, which are made by their own pastry maker, are their pride and they wanted to keep the selection straightforward and home made from the beginning. Besides the bakings, blue villa’s café offers daily soups and sandwiches. You can find the soup menu on their website http://sininenhuvila.weebly.com/

What insideouthelsinki especially likes about this place is its tranquility and easy reachability near the city center. The tables and chairs are all outside, which means that the café is very weather-dependent, but when the sun is shining, it is a perfect spot to sit down, relax, read a book, meet a friend and watch the beautiful view over the Töölönlahti.

Sinisen huvilan kahvila
Information:
Address:Linnunlauluntie 11, 00530 Helsinki
Opening times: Every day from 10:00-22:00 (From April to September)
Website: http://sininenhuvila.weebly.com/
Phone: Kahvila: +358 50 4080816 // Lassi Helenius: +358 40 5018168 //Päivi Helenius: +358 50 5021115