Döner Harju

Best Döner in Helsinki! Offers vegetarian döner as well! It’s usually packed, so you might not find a place to sit right away.

A great döner place, best kebab in Helsinki! I love their pitas! They usually have loads of coriander and mint in the sauce, so if you don’t like these herbs, remember to ask them not to add the sauce. The service has always been very friendly and relaxed.
Döner Harju is still somewhat trendy, which means rush sometimes. The place is always full and very plain and bar-​like; you are not expected to sit and chat there long after you have finished your dish. There’s also only one toilet for customers, which means you have to queue quite long time sometimes.

Fly in to a place you never visited. Looking for that hole in the wall with a interesting crowd, relaxed vibe, semi hipster location and great food and beer. Extra points for having a vegetarian orientation. Maybe even fast, efficient service and a funky set up, oh yeah.
It’s raining and we’ve walked from the station to Kallio the long way around the harbor to see the sights. We make it to Made in Kallio, a shop specializing in local designer items. I bet she has a good idea for lunch. We ask for vegetarian and no hesitation, Doner Harju a block away.
You can take the 9 tram from the main station and be there in 12 minutes. For around € 9.50 you get a self serve soup, a plate with your choice of sliced meat kebab style but the best part are the veggies sides and salad piled high on the plate. A massive portion of goodness eaten in a crowded but happy room or out on the terrace. Served on metal plates this place would be a smash hit in San Francisco as a mash up in the Mission but here it is just the real deal.
Be sure to try their carefully curated selection of Finnish beers. You will really like this place.

This is not a secret — absolutely the best vegetarian fast food place in Kallio (Harju). Delicios Seitan Kebabs, and small but tasty selection of Finnish can beers. Highly Recommend!
Bevare, there might be a long line or full house even in weekdays.

Holy Moly! This place was great!
Stark bleak and minimalist interior is endearing as the food is phenomenal. Best döner I have had probably anywhere! Not much more to say… Try it and love it!
Chicken off the spit was great and the seitan was juicy and perfect as well! Good Hungarian bell pepper soup and I don’t even like bell peppers. My only wish is that there was more more more! Great lounas deal. Go try it soon!

This was my first time at the restaurant.
I’m a vegetarian, so my reviews are always going to be based on the veggie meals.
I ordered a seitan döner to take away.
Plus sides:
It was 8,50 €, and the size was big enough. I though about ordering the plate version, which is a bit more expensive; or ordering french fries on a side. I’m glad I didn’t, because it was really filling.
The quality of the sandwich was excellent.
The bread (some kind of pita bread) was really good and crispy. The tomato slices were ripe, red, and tasty. The seitan’s texture was great. It was crispy and consistent enough, without being too heavy.
There was some fresh celery and parsley. The celery’s flavour is strong, and it makes an important part in the general taste of the sandwich. The parsley is uncut, so it’s easy to take it out, if you want to.
There was also a tiny little bit of onion, and some lettuce.
The sauce tasted like greek yoghourt or tzatziki. It was really yummy, however, I regret I forgot to ask whether the sauce was vegan or not. So do remember to ask if you’re a vegan or have lactose intolerance.
Overall, the taste was great. Crispy, fresh, full of flavour. I definitely recommend this sandwich, and I’ll order it again!
Minus sides:
Even though I gave the place 5 stars, there’s always room for improvement; so here we go.
Eating the sandwich was really, really messy. I do recommend that you ask for a fork and a knife. The seitan file fell off the pita bread, and my hands were dripping with oil and sauce. I had to run to wash them.
The place does smell like cooking oil, they have an open kitchen. The smell still surprised me, because we’re talking about an above-​the-​average fast food restaurant.
I ordered take away, but had I eaten in the restaurant, my clothes would have most likely catched the smell.
The decoration was simple and minimalistic. It could be cozier, however, this can be a matter of taste.
Due to the open kitchen it’s not a quiet place, but then again, we’re talking about a fast food restaurant.
Overall, I highly recommend the place. Do give it a try!

Honestly, compared to Central Europe the döner kebab you find in Helsinki is normally not really that good. At least that is what I thought so far. But then a friend introduced me to Döner Harju. And that is really something special, I can tell you.
Döner Harju can’t be spotted that easily from outside. Like most of the really good places in Helsinki they don’t make any big fuzz about themselves through banners or such outside. But you might quite easily spot them anyway. Just look out for the long queue at the entrance.
At Döner Harju you have different meat choices that vary depending on what they just decided to put on their big döner sticks. You can then choose between leipä (the take away version) and lautanen (on a plate, if you’d rather have something more and would like to eat there). Whatever you choose, it’s great.
They have their own ideas how to make the meat taste a bit more special then the normal boring kebab meat you find in so many other places. With it come fresh, crisp vegetables and salad all wrapped up in a freshly baked ciabatta bread.
Fancy a bit with that? They have four different Keisari (from the can though) here. A really good choice with the döner and anyway some of the best Finnish beer you can find.
Give it a try and enjoy!

Fantastic Doner! This is one of those little lunch restaurants that you see everywhere in Helsinki. Get lunch including soup, water and coffee for 9,50. I had the caulieflower soup as a starter, which was good. The main gives you a choice of regular kebab, pork and halloumi. I had the halloumi one, which turned out to be a great choice. Served with bread, salad, spicy sauce and garlic sauce this is a real winner! Great taste and a good portion. No wonder this place is always jam packed! Must go for lunch.