The Best Places to Drink in Finland

A three-storey building in Helsinki's north end houses this easygoing modern bistro, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand doing the kind of Nordic cooking that sounds humble until it isn't. The menu leans into rustic bistronomy, wild herbs, foraged fruit, local fish, balanced with enough technique to keep things interesting. Prices stay sensible, service stays warm, and the room hums with the particular energy of a neighborhood place that people have quietly claimed as their own.

Ring the doorbell and you're in, which sets the tone nicely for this cozy, invite-only-feeling cocktail bar where agave runs the show so completely that there is no gin on the list at all. Two of the three Negroni riffs lean on tequila or mezcal, the snack menu is mostly cheese, and somehow that combination makes perfect sense. A Difford's Guide pick and a The 50 Discovery selection.

Cocktails named after their ingredients, Hazelnut & Honey or Cola & Port, so you know exactly what you're getting into. The Firm is a dim, late-night cocktail bar in Kallio that recently merged with its sister restaurant next door, which means small plates are now on hand if the drinks start winning. The seasonal, local approach extends to a solid zero-proof list for anyone pretending to take it easy.