Helsinki: Hietalahti Market Square and Breakfast at Hietalahti Market Hall

The city of Helsinki is home to three food market halls that hosts an outdoor market as well on the market square. For a small city such as Helsinki, having THREE gourmet market halls is truly a big feat. The Finns are spoiled!

These are the market halls in Helsinki and their outdoor markets:

1) Old Market Hall and Kauppatori Market - the Old Market Hall is under renovation and will open next year (centre of the city).
2) Hietalahti Market Hall and Market - this entry (west of the city)
3) Hakaniemi Market Hall and Market - will post soon (north of the city)

Hietalahti Market Square
Address: Lönnrotinkatu 34 (western part of Helsinki near the harbour)

The outdoor market is on the market square of the Hietalahti market hall. They sell almost anything here, farmers fresh produce direct from the farmers themselves (they arrive in their produce truck and some of the vegetables still have soil on them), antique and curiosa, vintage clothing and accessories, lots of fur coats (because this is Finland my love) and many more.

This is a typical farmer selling his own produce.

A little outdoor restaurant.

Hietalahti Kauppahalli Saluhall (Hietalahti Market Hall)
Website: Hietalahti Kauppahalli Saluhall 

For starters, this market hall is 110 years old. There are many stalls here selling traditional and gourmet food, a selection of fresh fish and meat, as well as charcuterie, lots of organic produce and a few food stalls where you can sit down, relax and have a bite. I really enjoyed my time here.

Opening hours
Mon-Fri 8-18, Sat 8-16, Sun closed (on summer Sundays during 5.5-25.8. at 10-16)

I had a quick breakfast bite here at Robert’s Coffee.

The Nordic people are big meat and fish eaters, especially salmon fish and reindeer meat.

There are tables on the second floor as well.

These are the popular Nordic open sandwiches. In Denmark these are gourmet specialty open sandwiches called smorrebrod or smushi and are served in cafes and restaurants for lunch. Read here it here: Traditional Danish lunch experience: Smorrebrod at Aamanns 

Lots of berry products in the Nordics. In Finland they are famous for their lingonberries.

Breakfast at Robert’s Coffee: Cappuccino + Muna Riisi Piirakka
Website: Roberts Coffee

Robert’s Coffee is a local coffee chain in Finland and they are everywhere in Helsinki. They serve very good coffee though and to experience true Finnish coffee, baked products and hospitality, I suggest to patronise the local coffee shops when you are here.

Trivia: Did you know that the Finns drink more coffee than any of us drink in the world?

Here is the top six coffee consumers in the world: 1) Finland 2) Norway 3) Iceland) 4) Denmark 5) Netherlands 6) Sweden. Source

Except for the Netherlands, they are all from the Nordics, must have been the cold? I can confirm though that coffee to the Dutch is like medication, they need it. The Dutchman here at home for example cannot live without his coffee.

I am not a big breakfast person so this small pasty is already a lot for me for a morning meal.

This ‘Muna Riisi Piirakka’ is a small puff pastry filled with cooked rice and chopped hard-boiled egg and spices. Only in Finland.

I find it very interesting that the Finnish use rice as a filling in their pastries. There is in fact another famous Finnish pie called ‘Karelian’ and it is also filled with cooked rice. I mean, isn’t that just redundant, so overdone? Carbohydrates on carbohydrates. Not a good thing especially with our ever expanding waistlines. But they taste really good! So I highly recommend this.

One of my best breakfast experience in a market hall is at Torvehallerne in Copenhagen, Denmark: Smushi for breakfast at Torvehallerne KBH in Copenhagen!


Visit Period: May 2013
Destination: Helsinki, Finland

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The Sights and Architecture of Helsinki

The best way to discover a city, especially a European city because they are predominantly compact and always have a lively scene and a pedestrianised centre, is to walk. In Helsinki, I walked a lot until my limbs hurt and were begging for down time, and of course, I took gazillions of pictures.

Come with me!

SVENSKA TEATERN (Swedish Theatre)
Website: Svenska Teatern

The Swedish Theater was founded in 1827 and only plays shows in Swedish. Beside Finnish, and although the Swedish population in the country is shrinking, Swedish is the second official language in Finland. Back in those days the intellectual elite were Swedish speakers.

STOCKMANN Department Store
Website: Stockmann

This is an upscale department store in Helsinki, a great pastime paradise for the discriminating shopper. The design of the building is very Renaissance-Gothic which reminds me of many buildings here in the Netherlands including the Rijskmuseum and Amsterdam Centraal Station designed by architect Cuypers.

KESKUSKATU: A pedestrianised shopping street in the centre of Helsinki.

SHOPPING AREA: This is the downtown shopping area of Helsinki where trams pass by.

FINNISH NATIONAL THEATRE
Website: Finnish National Theatre

In National Romantic Style, typical of Nordic architecture during the late nineteenth century period. Founded in 1872, the theater is located in front of the Railway Square.

HELSINKI CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION
Website: Helsinki Central  Railway Station

Designed by Saarinen after winning the contest for the design of the central station and after changing his romanticist design into something more modern because of enterprising debates on the need for a modernised public building. Nevertheless, this was modern architecture back in 1919.

The platforms of the railway station. The station is also home to the metro and the bus stations.

Hall of the railway station.

At the ticketing hall of the railway station.

THE RAILWAY SQUARE (Rautatientori)

This also serves as a seconday bus station (Kamppi is the main bus station), I believe for the nearby vicinity areas. This is a very big central square, flanked by important buildings such as Helsinki Central Railway Station, Finnish National Theatre and the Ateneum Art Museum.

ATENEUM ART MUSEUM
Website: Ateneum Art Museum

The beautiful Ateneum in front of the Railway Square and home to many valuable classical art. This classical style building houses the Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Art and Design as well.

GASTRONOMIC STREET FOOD

Petje af (Hats off) to the Finnish when it comes to food innovation! I guess to all the Nordic countries? They make the conscientious effort in bringing food to the next level in the taste and presentation department, whether it is in an expensive restaurant, a bistro, cafe, your restaurant around the corner or this street gastro truck.

Read here about the Restaurant Day on the streets of Helsinki last May: Restaurant Day in Helsinki

The Netherlands can definitely learn something from the Nordics.... and start revolutionising the fries on the side with green salad drowned in mayonnaise dressing. Did I tell you the Dutch love their mayo? Anyway.

These buildings look like they were inspired by the National Romantic Style movement and a bit of Russian architecture influence. Finland was for some time under the Russian Empire.

ALEKSANTERIN TEATTERI (Alexander Theatre)
Website: Aleksanterin Teatteri

I would have wanted to watch a show here as this was located near my hotel. Opened in 1879, the theatre hosts international shows and has a very impressive interior.

Lots of National Romantic Style buildings in downtown Helsinki and a glimpse of the Russian Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral (with the gold top and cross) from the Market Square.

HOUSE OF THE ESTATES (Saatytalo)
Website: House of Estates

Surely in neo-classical period style architecture with stately corinthian column orders. Grand, elegant, what a beauty! The building is being used by the Finnish government these days for meetings.

An Italian red vespa lost in the streets of Helsinki =)

PIKKUDAMI (Flying Dutch Boat Restaurant)
Website: PikkuDami

Here is something a little bit of Amsterdam in Helsinki, and a great place to hang out on the water as well. Located across the bridge on Pitkänsillanranta.

More Dutch inspired here... TULIPS =)

HELSINGIN VANHA KIRKKO (Helsinki Old Church)
Website: Helsinki Old Church

This is a Lutheran Evangelical Church located in a friendly recreational park in the middle of the city, the Old Church Park (Vanha Kirkkopuisto). A very pretty wooden church in neo classical design built in 1727. The church became very small for the increasing population which resulted to the building of the Helsinki Cathedral.

And this is one of the many preserved reindeers I have seen in the city guarding either a restaurant or a shop. I actually sampled a reindeer steak during this trip! Lekker. Go here to see the pictures and read the story: A Taste of Lapland in Helsinki: Reindeer Rump Steak at Saaga

HELSINKI CATHEDRAL
Website: Helsinki Cathedral

I should say the landmark of Finland, the design and colours were patterned to the Old Helsinki Church (see above) in neoclassical design. She really looks like a dainty angel on top of the steps.

The Lutheran Evangelical Church is located on a massive square, the SENATE SQUARE. Go here to see more pictures of the cathedral and read my entry about this famous square: My Analogy of Helsinki and the Senate Square

USPENSKI ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL
Website: Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral

This is an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral. Truly Russian with the dome and the spires design, and with all that gold. History tells us that the Christian Orthodox Church is the first split from the Roman Catholic Church due to emperor-territory-power struggle.

SOUTH HARBOUR
The Port of Helsinki

This is the harbour where the famous Helsinki Market Square is located hosting a regular lively market during the warmer days. From this port, you can board boats to nearby islands and places in Southern Finland. One afternoon I took the boat to the island called Soumenlinna, but more about this on my next posts.

To see pictures and read about the market on the harbour, go here: Kappautori: Helsinki Market Square

This is a nice relaxing cafe with views an outdoor terrace on the yacht harbour  (Kanavaranta street) called Robert's Coffee Katajanokka.

I almost ate here at Nokka but I was so full from my market tastings in the city (Helsinki has lovely food markets!) and my exquisite lunches and dinners in Tallinn (check them here at Lieb Restaurant and Restaurant Tchaikovsky) that I decided last minute to just chill out at my hotel with tapas and a glass of red wine.

I have learned that to make a restaurant and the fine dining experience special you must not eat out every time.

Kiitos! More Helsinki stuff coming =)

Travel Period: May 2013
Destination: Helsinki, Finland

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