Unmapped Gems

Kuurna

4.7(609 on Google)Logged by Murray
Getting there
In Kruununhaka, a ten-minute walk from Helsinki Cathedral

Why it’s in the log

Kuurna sits on a quiet street in Kruununhaka, the grid of streets just north of Helsinki's senate square, and was one of the first restaurants in the city's small-plates bistro movement. It's kept its footing since — the room is still small, the menu still changes with the season, and the wine list leans natural rather than safe.

There's nothing performative about the space: a handful of tables, an open kitchen, and a menu written for regulars as much as visitors. It's the kind of place locals recommend to each other rather than a stop on a tourist trail.

Kruununhaka itself is a calm, largely residential part of central Helsinki, which makes Kuurna an easy add-on to a walk around the cathedral and senate square rather than a destination trip on its own.

One of the originals of the Helsinki bistro scene, and it still cooks like it has something to prove.

MMurrayAvid traveller