Vegan
Bakery
European
Finnish
A plant-based cafe that offers traditional Karelian pies with different fillings including carrot lox, vegan smoked ”reindeer”, caviart, and mushrooms. Also serves vegan lunch every weekday with various soups, as well as daily bakery such as cakes, sweet buns and more. In the evenings serves Finnish "sapas" (tapas), wine and mocktails. Open Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00.
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 18 Jun 2025 by enolan00
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Added by SeitanSeitanSeitan on 12 Apr 2022
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123 Reviews
First Review by SeitanSeitanSeitan
kurkista
Points +372
A Peaceful Courtyard Escape with Nordic-Inspired Lunch - Edit
Kahvila Rakastan offers a tranquil pause amid Helsinki’s cultural landmarks - nestled discreetly between the National Museum, Finlandia Hall, and the Music House. The venue is charmingly secluded despite its central location, with a serene courtyard that offers both sunlit and shaded (backside) seating options. I enjoyed dining outdoors, appreciating the calm yet cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Read moreThe lunch menu included a fresh green pea soup - pleasant and flavourful, though I personally found it a bit challenging on the stomach. The accompanying salad was visually delightful and well-balanced, featuring tender long green beans, sweet peas, a zesty dressing, and a surprising touch: a mousse reminiscent of vegan caviar and "crème fraîche". This offered a playful contrast of textures and a nod to Scandinavian minimalism.
Service was warm and attentive, the setting encourages a gentle pace - ideal for a light lunches or a quiet coffee breaks. Coffee is available at an extra cost and complemented the meal nicely.
Prices are somewhat higher than average, reflecting the handcrafted quality and vegan-forward approach. While not inexpensive, the experience feels curated and thoughtfully executed.
Pros: Charming outdoor areas with both sun and shade, Creative plant-based elements on the lunch menu, Friendly, welcoming service
Cons: Soup, while tasty, didn’t agree with me personally, Above-average pricing, though aligned with artisan
Guest
sainigma
Points +28
Turbo cozy place ♡ - Edit
Absolutely lovely and super cozy place! One of the few 100% vegan places in the centrum. Has both lunch options and treats (pastries, cakes, buns) to go w/ coffee.
Read moreSometimes it's pretty crowded, but during sunny days there's also room in the terrace.
Strong recommedation for the cinnamon rolls!
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-13
Pros: Athmosphere, LGBT+ friendly, Filter coffee refills :D
Cons: Sometimes crowded, Closes early
Guest
AlbinLöwander
Points +92
Kahvila Rakastan - Edit
Nice Cafe beautiful outside
Read moreGood bakery Nice coffee. But birds want your food
Cons: Bird robbery
Guest
Emma&Sonja
Points +1416
Best buns in town - Edit
Their cinnamon buns ard heavenly and the barley and potato pies with salty fillings are so good. Such an idyllic setting and cozy atmosphere!
Read moreGuest
ClaireRodenbourg
Points +3240
So a cute little cafe - Edit
A lovely place with a large garden.
Read moreThe food was so tasty, (Potatoes Carrot Cake), as the filter coffee (I asked coffein free).
The staff was really lovely.
I took the cinnamon bun to go, and ate it in the evening, it was a little too sweet for me, but for the rest it tasted really good.
Would definitely recommend this coffee shop!
I went there 2 more times, and i really loved the cozy atmosphere again. The food was excellent as always. I took the buffet, a delicious soup with carrots, potatoes, smoked tofu and they had also cooked potatoes as a side dish, as well as a tasty salad with dips and bread.
To go, i took a cinnamonbun, and it was sooo tasty, i think it was more my taste this time, not too sweet, just perfect!
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-06
Pros: Calm atmosphere, Lovely Staff, Tasty carrot cake
Guest
PekanVegan
Points +166
Salty Snack, tea and buns - Edit
Carelian pie with vegan caviar and another with vegan egg-butter, bot amazing. We got fresh buns almost straight from the oven.
Read morePlace 5/5
Food 5/5
Tea 4/5 too hot water
Pros: Place, Sweet pastries, Salty pies
Guest
sprokity
Points +126
Lunchtime in Helsinki - Edit
Cozy cafe serving a buffet for lunch. Delicious food and dessert. Friendly staff.
Read morePros: Unique atmosphere , Delicious food , Friendly staff
Guest
Tipitipu
Points +1173
Cute cafe with delicious traditional Finnish pastries - Edit
I have visited cafe Rakastan several times and it is always such a great experience! Their cinnamon buns are tastiest I ever had and they have other great options too such as bun with butter (voisilmäpulla). They also offer lunch and weekend brunch buffet.
Read moreThe cafe is not super spacious so sometimes it is a difficult to find a table. In summer they have a terrace too.
I highly recommend to visit here if you are a vegan craving traditional Finnish pastries.
Customer service has always been really friendly and the vibe is cute and cool!! Like mummola!
Updated from previous review on 2025-06-16
Pros: Tasty, All vegan, Friendly customer service
Guest
annikahirvonen
Points +44
The most wonderful lunch-café! 😍 - Edit
We had the lunch buffet with soup, home made bread with very tasty spreadables and baked potatoes. Also the best cinnamon bun in forever! Good coffee and very nice atmosphere.
Read morePros: Wonderful food, Cozy location, All vegan everything!
Cons: Outdoors brave sparrows might taste your food 🙃
Guest
bjornahlin
Points +57
Wonderful experience - Edit
Great food, great coffee, tremendous location in a park where - if you're lucky - the sun hits you just right. Dishes aren't marked as vegan but everything is.
Read morePros: Great food, Good location, Nice staff
Guest
hannapeterson
Points +1006
So tasty - Edit
I got the Karelian pie with vegan caviar - this was so good. I loved the onions, dill, cheesy topping. For a sweet, I got a strawberry cheese pastry (not sure of the propert name). Everything was amazing and the lady working answered all my questions so kindly. There is outdoor seating in the front and back, and it made for a wonderful Finnish lunch on a warm sunny day.
Read moreGuest
mmoynihan6
Points +1399
Gem of a place - Edit
This is a gem of a place, the buffet Brunch was so good. Great flavours and variety of food. The place has character and the staff are warm and friendly.
Read moreGuest
MCR29
Points +249
Awesome chance to try some traditional (ish) Finnish food - Edit
The weekday lunch was absolutely superb. Highly recommend.
Read moreGuest
patrikdanielsson
Points +82
An old-fashioned, plant-based café - Edit
A cozy, old-fashioned café in a peaceful yet central location.
Read moreTheir pastries are delicious and all of them are plant-based, which is cool. The one in the photo is a berry pie, but I tried a couple other pastries too. The filter coffee was from Makea Coffee, which happens to be one of my favorite roasteries in Finland.
Guest
JennaKaaria
Points +19
Cute cafe and very delicious buns - Edit
Sweet treats are my favourite here but the lunch is also worth to try
Read moreGuest
str
Points +181
Fresh baked buns all day - Edit
They had multiple fresh-baked goodies coming out of the oven even 45 minutes before closing time. Get the fresh ones, there's nothing like it! Outdoor tables were available even in the winter, it's a small space and gets quite busy inside.
Read morePros: Sweet and savory variety, Traditional treats
Cons: Space is quite small
Guest
foon
Points +1038
Buns buns buns - Edit
So far we’ve mostly had bread-based buns, and loved them enough to come back two days in a row. The butter bun was really amazing, and the cinnamon buns are only a little less so. We also had a slice of cabbage pie, which was nice but not as much of a standout.
Read moreBe warned it’s very tight quarters in here. If the outdoor seating isn’t available, they’ll happily do takeaway.
Guest
VeganClimber96
Points +112
Amazing traditional Finnish food - Edit
I ate here twice last summer and liked everything I tasted: Karelian pies, blueberry pastries, “egg” butter, nam! Took my Norwegian friends here to introduce some Finnish foods to them and they also loved it. Super cozy spot as well, if there only was a bit more space!
Read morePros: “Egg” butter , Traditional Finnish, Cozy atmosphere
Guest
elkstar
Points +54
a place to love - Edit
i immediately felt in love with this place. nice food (the karjalanpiirakat are great!) and a cozy atmosphere, in this little house.
Read moresupernice staff, all women, interesting project. all my support!
Guest
EdoKDot
Points +277
Super happy place - Edit
A great restaurant in a park, with lots of options.
Read moreThe ladies that manage it are nice and friendly
Pros: Cinnamon rolls were superb, Friendly staff
Guest
Giscvegan
Points +58
A Helsinki vegan surprise! - Edit
A lovely little vegan restaurant located off the beaten path, but well worth seeking out.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-01-01
Pros: Totally vegan., Home cooked., A Sunday roast dinner.
Cons: You need to book in advance.
Guest
raajakko
Points +158
Cozy little cafe - Edit
Had some pastries and hot cocoa. Always wonderful! Recommend their brunch (booking via Instagram).
Read morePros: All vegan, Great variety, Cozy
Guest
Violones
Points +815
Nice Cafe - Edit
It is a small cafe that serves finnish specialties, all vegan. Food was very good.
Read moreGuest
annibolika
Points +393
Really delicious and special - Edit
Unique spot I did not try the breakfast buffet as I thought it was a bit expensive (30€) but our pastries and coffees were so good!
Read morePros: Great taste, Cute spot
Guest
moaimia
Points +60
Try Karelian pies - Edit
Highly recommend traditional Karelian pies and something sweet for dessert (chocolate mudcake or cinnamon roll are always good). The building and the atmosphere are great, and during summer you can also sit outside in the garden.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-10-15
Pros: Karelian pies, Cozy, hygge atmosphere in the city centre, Friendly service
Guest
ciox
Points +50
Cramped, badly maintained corridor - Edit
Welcome to Finland. We squeezed ourselves into this tiny space only to realize that one has to queue at the desk to order. The battery candles were out of juice, the flowers dry and wktjiut water. Cable tracks falling off the walls. The cutlery you have to fiddle out of a huge jar where everyone put their fingers, but they hadn't been properly cleaned anyways. Lunch was sausage soup and fried frozen potato patties which were cold and no one even tried to keep them warm. The cakes were not tasty and even the coffee (oat cappuccino) was the worst I've had in a long time. The staff was friendy, but they're not trained professionals. Happy cow added a star because the place is vegan.
Read moreGuest
kmasiello
Points +99
Excellent! - Edit
Such a cute space in the middle of a little park. We loved being able to eat traditional Finnish foods as vegetarians. Such a treat! The ladies that own the space are wonderful as well. So nice to support local places like this
Read moreGuest
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