Sandro

Really nice place ! I like the décor, the staff and overall the food ! We went there for a much and i will definitely come back with friends …

The food gets 4.5 stars. I ordered the goat cheese and dates pastillas which were delicious. I also had a berry bang drink; it might have been the most attractive fruit covered drink I’ve ever had. Huge thumbs up for the bar tender.
The thing I disliked the most was service. When I could get it, everyone was nice. But, it sometimes took flagged someone down. I HATE having to flag someone down. It makes me feel like a jerk, but also shows a serious disconnect between expectations and service. If this were a cheap or crappy restaurant maybe I wouldn’t feel so strongly. But, when your menu is 50E/​person, I expect service with that.

Great food, very nice selection of beer and nice friendly staff. Can accomodate large group on one table. Pretty decent price considering the quality and quantity.

We had an early dinner/​late lunch one slow Sunday afternoon. We had booked table, but there was plenty of place left. I had a duck burger which was absolutely tasty and with several delicious sauces. The meat was extremely well prepared. Place a bit ruff, but with good company more than okey place. Waiters speak fluent English and the atmosphere is international.

I did not like it so much. Not many of the dishes seemed appetizing. I ordered the shrimp and was just disappointed. It just took hours to unshell them. Everyone else finished their meals and i was stuck there dissecting crustaceans. I haven’t been able to eat shrimp since. However, everything else in the bowl was delicious. It was tasty. Through the hard exoskeleton zero flavor managed to reach the meat and they were rendered tasteless. I was hoping for a buttery garlic flavor, in vain. Nearly everybody else enjoyed their meals. I felt like it was a bit arrogant that most of the staff couldn’t communicate in Finnish. I saw how my friends struggled and suffered because of it. So, if you like vegetarian balls, lamb, or shrimp and are handy with a knife and speak English, you’ll probably enjoy this place immensely.

The first thing I will say in this review is that the photos already uploaded to Unilocal do not do it justice. I had bookmarked it before travelling to Helsinki after reading about it in an online travel guide but was not overly swayed by the pictures. After walking about looking for food, to no avail, in minus 8 heavy snow fall, I decided to check my bookmarks and this was nearby and would have to do.
As soon as we walked in I was taken aback at how cool it looked plus it was really busy which is always a good sign. I scanned the tables to have a peek at other diners plates and was pleasantly surprised… this looked good!
The waiter was chirpy and said he could squeeze our party of 4 in if we gave him a few minutes… we all breathed a sigh of relief at this point! There was a small cocktail menu, I went for the berry bang with rum, it was a delicious proper cocktail, just the right ratio of rum and sweetness. So far so good.
The food is Moroccan/​Middle Eastern and the waiter answered any questions we had with ease. Three of us, myself included, ordered the Boulettes (24 euro) and one ordered the tagine of the day (market price).
The Boulettes arrived on platters with meat balls, couscous and a egg… it looked a bit dull until a second plate arrived, teaming with houmous, tabbouleh, pomegranate seeds, tomato infused bread, crunchy salad, mint yogurt, zaalouk (aubergine salad) to name a few. It was superb! I loved how you could mix and match all the flavours so that each mouthful tasted different… Like tapas for yourself on your own plate. The portions were big but it was so tasty I could have eaten more. My friend ordered the tagine of the day which was probably too much for one person, maybe best to share, but it looked great and the meat was succulent and soft.
We have returned home to Scotland and upon writing this review I’m starving at the thought of it. There was a Sandro cookbook which we now regret not buying, so will call the restaurant to order a copy. The food was fantastic, if we go back to Helsinki I’d go back here in a flash. Well done Sandro, just wish we’d found it sooner

You may be put off by the price at first, but this place is actually a steal for Scandinavian standards. Prices are around 20 euros and up for mains, but with the massive portions they serve (we walked in hungry and ended up sharing a salad), you easily get your money’s worth. Great food and service, fantastic décor, near to downtown in a hip area of Helsinki. My one suggestion– book a table as it is understandably popular. One of the best meals of my trip.

Great, cosy athmosphere and fresh and tasty levant food. Top pick for relaxed dining with friends. Huge portions! Nice, laid-​back service by english speaking staff. Definitely deserves an another visit.

Sandro, located in Kallio, is just charming. I love it. Although they are not the cheapest place for lunch, they are the kind of place I wish I lived next to in Tampere.
I’ve been to Sandro twice for lunch and never in the evening. My first visit was with a group of 12 and everything worked great and people praised the buffet. I remember being especially thrilled about the soup — it seriously blew my mind with the awesome taste. Sounds crazy right? ;D
My second visit was alone with my 4 months old baby. This time I knew what to expect foodwise but my expectations were exceeded in terms of the great service from the staff. They greeted me at the door and helped me through the door with the prams and asked if I needed a highchair for the baby. While I was getting food, they cheerily asked my baby’s age and made some friendly small talk. When we were about to leave, staff was again helpful in getting out of the doors and even watched the baby while I used the toilet.
5 stars, no doubt! :)

The Good — food and drinks, just amazing!
The bad — service and room temperature. Dinner took over 30 minutes to arrive after ordering. The room was sweltering.

Update. Just came to deduct one star ’cause the place is just very messy nowadays… Feels like the workers just hang around and the tables fills with dirty dishes.
I have to write this now because I just dissed the Cock.
I love this place. I love the textures of the food and the rare (when compared to finnish cuisine) flavours. Also the surroundings are cozy and chic.
I dare you to try anything from the menu and you’ll enjoy it. Yeah I know they’re reserved for weeks in advance, but there is a reason. Name for the reason is MARRAKECH MADNESS!

Great brunch buffet. A huge selection of Moroccan food, like hummus, salads, lentil stew, etc. eat as much as you like. The brunch comes with a complimentary class of sparkling wine. You should book a table in advance. If you come alone, they might be able to squeeze you in. Almost everything is gluten free, and whatever is not, is clearly marked. Their gluten free bread is amazing. Even many of the cakes are gluten free.

Lovely brunch, definitely worth the price. Lost a star as the sitting is very stressful. I would recommend turning up 15 mins late as there is a horrible rush on the time. (Went at 12)

Open during the holiday period so it was very convenient for tourists or those who visit Helsinki during holiday seasons. Attractive for those who are health conscious as they try to carry as many organic food as possible. I loved how much side dishes you could get (especially while traveling, it’s not so easy to consume much vitamins)! Definitely I would try the lunch buffet and weekend brunch!

Good atmosphere, good food (but nothing that amazing).
But there is one thing I loved and I would come back a lot of times there just because of it: Momo Collins. P-​e-​r-​f-​e-​c-​t drink (and not that expensive).

Amazing food, friendly service, overall an unique experience.
Will definitely come back every time I’m in Helsinki.

The atmosphere here is great and very trendy, so i can definitely see the apeal with the young crowds but overall the food wasn’t anything special. Not to say the food was bad but I wouldn’t go back anytime soon to fork out almost a hundred euros, just to have something that’s only «okay».
We ordered a vegetarian main course, the lamb burger, bottle of wine, one dessert, and a tea. The dessert and the tea were the best bits of the meal. Also we found some meat in the vegetarian dish, which wasn’t a big issue for us personally and the server did handle the situation well (offered a new dish immediately) but still, the main course dishes were just too bland for my taste. Maybe the brunch here is much better.

This place is 17^th best restaurant of Helsinki in TripAdvisor and 4^th in Unilocal.In our opinion it is highly overrated.
Although the food was good, the value for money is bad. In a place where you pay 40 € for a menu we were not expecting napkins made of worn-​out IKEA kitchen cloth or a toilet like those of the worst night clubs.

Hippes Restaurant in Kallio, das sich dem Norden Afrikas und dem Nahen Osten widmet. Es gibt marrokanisches, libanesisches, israelisches, dazu Cocktails, Wein und eine Vielzahl esoterischer Flaschenbiere.
Ich hatte Hamshuka und dazu ein Luostari, beides empfehlenswert. Hamshuka ist ein Eintopf mit Lamm und Merguez, dazu gab es Hummus und ein hausgemachtes Brot, auf das man wohl stolz ist. Es wurde auch etwas von slow cooking gemurmelt. Das ganze kommt pikant daher, allerdings auch ein wenig substanzlos. Luostari ist ein ausgezeichnetes, lokales Bier, stark sowohl in Alkohol als auch im Geschmack.
Reservierung scheint empfehlenswert, wir haben um kurz nach sechs die letzten beiden Plätze bekommen, und die auch nur für maximal eineinhalb Stunden (!).

Great food
Great atmosphere
Reasonable prices
Friendly waiters
You might need to get a reservation or you could be lucky to get some seats at communal table
It was our first restaurant in Finland. Loved it. Thanks carzono for great waiting

I’ve walked past this restaurant and bar many times in the evenings but frequently walked past because it was so crowded. The smells emanating from within, however, served to remind me that Someday, I Will Have To Eat Here.
I finally made it for Friday lunch: the all-​you-​can-​eat buffet was a solid value at 12 €. The entrees smelled aromatic and came with freshly-​baked bread that was rich, moist and delicious. Selections from the vegetarian mezze section were flavored brightly, redolent in Mediterranean spices.
I’d choose this place for a relatively-​reasonably priced date: a bit more artsy/​upscale than most places in Kallio, but without the excessively high prices and pretense of other places in Central Helsinki.