I originally wrote this post in 2016 when I had lived in Helsinki for a year and fallen in love with the wide variety of bars it had to offer. This listing still gets frequent traffic and I felt bad that the info was so outdated that I had to return to this and update it. Right now, as of September 2026, these are the bars I recommend after living in this city for over ten years.
Chihuahua Julep
Chihuahua Julep has been awarded the best cocktail bar in Finland for a reason. I’ve travelled quite extensively and visited many top bars around the world, but still haven’t found any that’s on the same level as this one. At Chihuahua Julep they concentrate on spirits from the Americas, meaning whiskeys, rums, tequilas, and mezcals . The bar’s signature menu changes twice a year and features beautifully crafted cocktails with a story and a small food pairing to go along with them. And if you’re in the mood for a classic cocktail, you won’t find a better place to drink them than here. Personally, I like to try different types of Old Fashioned cocktails using different alcohols like rum and mezcal each time I go there – which is as often as I can.
The bar is located at Erottajankatu 9, and the only way to get in is using the doorbell next to the door and waiting for the staff to let you in. The windows have been blacked out, so one of the few ways to know you’ve arrived at the right address is the small doormat outside. Chihuahua Julep is special in another way as well because they don’t allow the use of any electronics inside. This means that you’ll place your phones and smart watches inside a locked pouch (the kind you see at some concerts and schools), which will be opened once you leave the bar. Because of this they don’t accept contactless payment, so either bring cash or a card with a pin code you actually remember. You come to Chihuahua Julep for the hand-crafted cocktails, the ambiance, and the company, but getting rid of your phone for just a moment is a bonus.
Address: Erottajankatu 9
Bar Mate
Highball cocktails out of the tap are Bar Mate’s speciality – a delicious one at that. The bar has a very laid-back atmosphere, good small bites from their kitchen, and delicious cocktails – whether you like classics or their original concoctions. And at Bar Mate even the WC is worth mentioning because it has an old TV playing Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen on loop.
Bar Mate is one of those places where I’ve hosted parties for my friends and even wine tastings through my company, so I’m confident in saying that the space works for all kinds of situations and groups.
Address: Pieni Roobertinkatu 9, just around the corner from Chihuahua Julep.
These two bars are the places I keep coming back to for a very good reason, but here is a small list of places loved and recommended by many locals:
Liberty or Death
Located on the same street as Chihuahua Julep, Liberty or Death is one of the oldest cocktail bars in the city, which is saying a lot in a field where bars come and go. There’s a reason Liberty or Death has its fans.
Address: Erottajankatu 5
Moss Bar
Moss is also located on the same street as Chihuahua Julep and Liberty or Death, so trying all of them in a single night is easy. I still haven’t been there myself, but I’ve heard great things about it.
Address: Erottajankatu 11
The Last Drop Bar & Kitchen
Last Drop is located right around the corner from Chihuahua Julep and Moss. I’ve only been there once since it opened, so I can’t speak much from experience, but it’s become a staple of the local nightlife – especially because their kitchen is open until 2 am.
Trillby & Chadwick
The favourite of many cocktail afficionados, this speakeasy style bar has a detective office theme and delicious cocktails. I used to go there myself, but now haven’t visited in ages. But I still hear good things about it, so I recommend checking it out.
Getting in is part of the experience, so I don’t want to spoil it too much for you, but once you find a door with blacked out windows and a few steps leading to it, open the door, and see where it takes you.
Address: Katariinankatu 1D
Bar Runar
This is the only bar in this post that survived the move from the 2016 list. I used to go here all the time back in the day when my friends ran the bar. It was great back then, but I haven’t visited Runar in a few years now. But it’s still a top-notch cocktail bar I recommend checking out. It operates as the hotel bar of a nice boutique hotel called Hotel F6, and the bar is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary as I’m writing this post.
Address: Fabianinkatu 6
Note: All of the photos were taken from the companies websites and social media channels.
