9 cafés and restaurants in Helsinki that serve breakfast on weekdays

If you're looking for a breakfast place in Helsinki, you're at the right place.

The line between breakfast and brunch is elusive, but let's make a distinction here: breakfast is typically served on weekdays and at early hours, roughly between 8-11. Brunch, on the other hand, is usually served only on weekends and it might stretch to the afternoon. And to make things more complicated, some places serve all-day breakfast.

Bottom line: in these nine places you can enjoy breakfast on weekdays (and in some of them on the weekends too).

1. Green Hippo Café in Punavuori, Kallio, and Töölö

Green Hippo is one of my favorite breakfast places. You can either order breakfast items separately or try one of their breakfast combos. Here you'll find “trendy” breakfast dishes like avocado toast, bowls, banana pancakes, etc.

You better plan your breakfast visit on a weekday or Saturday because only the Punavuori location is open on Sundays.

2. Flät No 14 in Kallio

At Flät No 14 you can build your breakfast by choosing 3-7 items from their menu. The price is €14-30 depending on the number of items selected. Unfortunately, coffee is not included in the price. The dishes are small but good quality.

3. Café Engel in Senate Square

Café Engel is located right next to Senate Square but it isn't too touristy. They serve breakfast combos for different tastes, like the French combo (comes with a croissant, of course) or eggs and bacon combo. Engel is a bit pricey but the location is great and the vibe is cozy.

4. Paulig Kulma in Kluuvi

Full disclosure: I haven't tried their breakfast buffet. They serve breakfast everyday and the buffet features the usuals, like croissants, bread, smoothies, and so on.

Now, while I can't rate their breakfast, I do recommend this place for working. So if you want to combine breakfast and work, I'd give Paulig Kulma a try.

5. IPI Kulmakuppila in Kallio

Same story here: I'm yet to try their breakfast. They serve simple a breakfast, the star of which is their oatmeal (or yogurt, if you're not into oatmeal). If you're looking for a healthy and filling weekday breakfast while getting some work done, try IPI.

6. Way Bakery in Kallio

Way is a popular bakery-café in Kallio. They are famous for their pastries and sourdough bread. They serve breakfast combos, or you can order items separately. Not the cheapest option (what is in Helsinki?), but the sourdough and other baked goods are delicious.

7. Café Ekberg on Bulevardi

Now, I haven't actually tried Ekberg's breakfast, but I have tried their weekend brunch. The brunch was quite basic, similar to what you'd find at a hotel buffet. I expected a bit more from such a classic place like Ekberg.

But I'd be happy to give their (weekday) breakfast a try. It seems quite affordable at €15.90 (compared to their €29 weekend brunch). It's also a buffet and looks pretty abundant.

8. Tin Tin Tango in Töölö

Tin Tin Tango (or Tintti) is a Töölö classic. They serve a few different breakfast sets that include either a croissant, or bread, or bagel with toppings, and of course coffee or tea. Tin Tin Tango can be quite full on the weekends.

9. Rummun Ruoka & Puoti in Töölö

This is a little place hidden in Taka-Töölö. Their breakfast selection is quite limited but the place is cute. And compared to many places, their breakfast is almost cheap. They have a few different breakfast combos consisting of items like croissants, sandwiches, yogurt or smoothie, and of course coffee or tea. Combos are priced at €9.50.

+ Hotel breakfasts

If you're after a big buffet, I'd recommend going for a hotel breakfast. In many places, you don't have to stay in the hotel but you can just pop in for breakfast.

Hotel buffets usually have a big selection of bread, veggies, cheeses, cold cuts, eggs, oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, fruit, croissants, some sweets, juice, and filter coffee/tea. In Helsinki, prices are around €25-30. Frankly, these spreads are usually more akin to a brunch – but the good thing is, you can enjoy it even on weekdays.

I haven't personally tried these places but they have a good buzz going:

• St. George. This trendy and luxurious hotel serves breakfast and brunch. You can also just visit their bakery if all you want is a coffee and a pastry.
• F6. They focus on local and organic ingredients, and I suspect this isn't the largest buffet – the focus is on quality, not quantity.
• Lapland Hotel. If you're after Finnish delicacies and items you won't find at every breakfast, Lapland Hotel's Kultá restaurant will cater to you.

And lastly, if your ideal breakfast is just a coffee and something sweet to accompany it, check out a list of some of the best cafés in Helsinki.