Ekberg

Ambiance is nothing special, large crowded room of both tourists and locals. However, chai latte was tasty and not too sweet. Served in a glass which I prefer to typical oversized coffee bucket. Lunch of mushroom quiche (bit salty but tasty) and a salad with surprisingly fresh veggies despite it being December. Delicious dressing.
Overall, decent spot for lunch and sitting for a moment. Next door in their shop you can pick up all sorts of pastries and chocolates and party supplies.

Just the fact that you can always rely on the staff here speaking Swedish too is worth a praise. Since Swedish speaking in Helsinki for some sad reason isn’t as common as it used to be only a few years ago — and yes it is nice to be able to communicate in your mother tongue with a neighbouring country, and not having to rely on English all the time.
That said it’s obviously a classic Helsinki café with Swedish-​Finnish ancestry that appeals to all ages. The conversations at the nearby tables seemed to be of the more intellectual kind and mostly in Swedish. The tea and cake I had was lovely, even though the latter was a bit on the dry side. If you enjoy boozy pastry I highly recommend the «champagnekork», champagne cork, which is a pastry champed as a cork that has been soaked in alcohol.
Plus for a really nice toilet too.

A traditional café but miserable on Sundays due to self-​service and an overcrowded brunch. Incredibly expensive tea

Ekberg is one of the oldest cafes in Helsinki and has a really classy, traditional feeling to it. As a café, it serves really tasty pastries and baked goods as well as good coffee. I did however also try the Sunday brunch which was rather hectic and crowded. The assortment of food at the brunch was very classic but the serving table was really small compared to the amount of customers. They kept running out of some dishes and refilled them very slowly. So while I would really recommend this place as a café, the weekend brunches have been a bit too busy for my taste.

While strolling down the Bulevardi with my wife on the recommendation from the Bradt Travel Guide stopped into Ekberg’s for lunch. Place was crowded but we got lucky in getting a table just as someone was leaving. Interestingly there were a number of empty tables but all had a place card on them which I had read about before coming to Helsinki which meant they were being held for a reservation.
After waiting a bit of time a waitress finally did come over & my wife ordered the spinach & cheddar quiche, taste was good but the crust was way over cooked & much too hard. I on the other hand ordered the fish chowder with bread that was delicious. The Ekberg is the oldest café in Helsinki & worth a stop by.

Posh café with an old charming atmosphere. The salads are great!

Wow, this place is great. I sat in the café one September afternoon and had a piece of pastry and coffee that I enjoyed more than any other in recent memory. What was the pastry, you ask? It was a Tuhatlehti, which is basically a caramel millefeuille or napoleon. It was not too sweet, was very flavorful and each of the many layers of pastry crunched and crackled just the right way. Most pastries like this are soggy and leaden, but not this one! It is pretty, too — see the picture I posted here.
The coffee is rich and flavorful, as well, and if you want another cup or tow, you can bring your cup to the pot and fill yourself right back up at no extra charge. Service as very pleasant.
I returned for their breakfast buffet, which costs € 9.90 and is a very good value. It includes cold meats, several varieties of cheeses and breads, Finnish-​style eggs, a sweet puddinglike dish, juice and coffee or tea. Everything was very good, but those eggs were superb. I am sure they contained cream and butter. You can eat as much as you like, and no one rushes you. It is all very civilized and another opportunity to watch and listen to the locals. Finnish is such a pretty language. Pity I only understand one word (kiitos).