Cafe Bar Valimo

This coffee shop sits at the far end of a long path in the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, the walk is a bit of a trek yet definitely worth it. The space is large and offers coffee, beers, snacks, and a range of tasty desserts. We stopped for coffee and sweets, both were excellent, and the staff were friendly. It is a perfect spot for a quick break while exploring the fortress, I recommend it.

The food here is absolutely delicious — credit to the chef for that. Unfortunately, everything else about the experience was ruined by the horrible customer service. There were only six people in the restaurant, yet the staff were impolite and unwelcoming from the moment we walked in. They stood in the entrance blocking the door, making it awkward to even get inside. When our plates were taken, the server didn’t bother to ask if we were finished, if we wanted more drinks, or if we’d like dessert — just took them and walked away. We ended up speaking with the head chef to compliment the food, but it’s clear the front-of-house staff don’t share the same level of care. If you’re a tourist looking for a great dining experience, look elsewhere — this place doesn’t deserve your hard-earned money. If you’re hungry, maybe just order takeaway to avoid the truly awful service. On any other day, I might have shrugged it off — but to treat guests this way on a special occasion is unforgivable. We came here to celebrate our anniversary, and while the food was delicious, the service ruined the night. ----------------Edit after owner's response-------------------- Thanks for your response — though honestly, it just proves my point about the poor service. Instead of accountability, I see defensiveness and finger-pointing. Telling customers it’s their fault for not announcing a “special day” isn’t great hospitality. Your staff felt so unapproachable that we didn’t even feel comfortable mentioning it — which speaks louder than anything I could write here. As for the photos: they were taken in a public space, showing my genuine experience, and they’re fully allowed under the platform’s guidelines. Trying to shift blame onto customers instead of improving service says everything about why my experience was disappointing.

5/5 I have been only 3 days in Finland and the best food I had was here, with a simple rhubarb juice that was fresh and delicious for a very sunny day. I loved the place and the fact that they have two terraces, one for smokers and another for non-smokers. Definitely would recommend the brisket, although every dish I saw looked delicious!

Really cute spot on the water, great live music Saturday night! And very delicous and fresh dinner, also fun local beer choices

Lovely and unique place to have drinks or food. We came here for lunch and had the pike croquettes with mash and a smoked salmon salad. Both was delicious and a great size. Loved the mash and the croquettes something I have never had like this. The salad was a great size with lots of nutritious stuff.

The best fish in Helsinki! Yummy smashed potatoes and perfectly al dente cooked fresh vegatbles on side. Great sunny terrace 😎 Good wine list too! Highly recommend this place. We will be back 😊

Had a lovely salmon soup after exploring Suomenlinna. I think I got lucky with the timing as I was there just after they opened for spring. Beautiful setting, very relaxing!

The best restaurant, bar, and terrace in Suomenlinna. Slightly off the touristy "blue route," but truly worth discovering. I live in Suomenlinna, and Cafe Bar Valimo has been a summer safe haven for my spouse and me for over 15 years. The menu changes daily, offering around 10 dishes, including reliable pasta options, Finland's best pike patties, hearty salads, and the restaurant's classic: rainbow trout soup. An excellent selection of drinks, ranging from draft beers to wines. The selection also includes beers from Suomenlinna's own brewery. A large sunny terrace (it's worth staying until the spectacular sunset). The Northern Lights in the summer of 2024 were extremely rare in Suomenlinna – but be prepared for anything. Historic dining hall, where a cozy fire often burns in the autumn, occasionally bustling, but always with friendly and attentive service. The Suomenlinna guest marina operates in the same complex, so the place attracts many boaters. As a bonus, you can hear the traditional evening bell chime from the Suomenlinna Church tower on the terrace at 9 PM (during midsummer, weather permitting). As a local, I have to say that if you haven't visited Cafe Bar Valimo, you haven't experienced the true Suomenlinna.

There's not many places where you can sit dockside in the refurbished brick ruins of a 300 year old navy base on an island in the Baltic. Add to that some delicious food and drinks and you create something special. Out of the group I was with everyone enjoyed their meal. I had a salad that seemed to have every random thing you would or could put on it... And strangely it worked. There were two kinds of cheeses, four kinds of lettuce, three kinds of fruit, olives, nuts, artichokes and a bunch of other stuff I couldn't keep track of. Each bite was different but somehow didn't over stimulate my taste buds. If you make it to the islands of Suomenlinna, the place is still hard to find (over the bridge across from the museum and on the north side of the drydock) but worth the journey.

We had an early lunch in Valimo earlier this month on a visit to Suomenlinna. Sharing the terrace by the little marina with a few local and visiting boaty types we felt comfortable and were made very welcome by the restaurant staff. Since it was not the hottest of summer days the waitress fixed us up with a couple of blankets to stave of the chill. I noticed there was a wood burning sauna and shower facilities for those visiting by boat. The food arrived in good time. My option was the meat dish of the day consisting of a succulent pork belly with creamy mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. I was impressed with the dish, everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly and tasted fresh and delicious. My lunch companion enjoyed the pyttipannu 'with a twist'. This dish was a pan fried mixture of potatoes and pork prepared in a Dijon sauce served with a fried egg on top. As I remember we were around 35 euros for lunch and a couple of non alcoholic drinks. This I felt was reasonable given the quality of the food and surroundings.

Best Pad Thai. Great place to sit and have beers while eating some delicious food. Hidden gem on the island