Karl Fazer Café

I’m not 100% sure of the complete history of this place (and it feels like it’s got lots of history) but we went for a light lunch and a coffee.
Everything was great.
We were amazed at the selection of desserts, sandwiches, and pastries.
The staff was super helpful even though the place was very busy.
I would recommend this café for a snack or a light meal.
Well and if you like candies you’ll be in heaven.

If you’ve been to Maison Bertaux in London or Pierre Hermé in Paris, then you must be one of those highbrow pastry snobs who want elitist confections with your pinkies-​up cup of tea. Obviously you’re not like me who searches for half-​off, day-​old doughnuts in the Safeway bakery bargain bin. OK, I made that up, but hey, if you’re in Helsinki looking for a slice of impeccably frosted goodness accompanied by a 4,50 € Hot Chocolate (Kaakao Kermalla) overflowing with fluffy foam drizzled with chocolate syrup (photo:
), then you should check out Karl Frazer Café, an old-​fashioned Finnish-​Russian café that’s been around since 1891. Fazer was apparently a true raconteur, and confections were only one of many passions he pursued at the turn of the last century.
After being swept by the cold Baltic winds off the harbor, Jamie W. and I walked in here, and the first vivid impression we had was the gigantic, gleaming letters of the sign over the front door (photo:
). Once inside, we saw all the people swarming over the pastries in the glass cases. We took our place in line and indulged in a slice of 6,60 € lighter-​than-​helium Lemon-​Glazed Cheesecake (Kauden Juustokakkupa) (photo:
) and a couple of 3,80 € Yeast Doughnuts topped with Strawberry (Berliininmunkki) and Mocha (Omarmunkki) frosting respectively (photo:
). The aforementioned hot chocolate and a 4,40 € Caffe Latte completed the picture. It was a tasty treat in a cavernous space filled with marble and gold.
DESSERT — 4 stars… top-​notch desserts may be priced a bit for the tourists but still delectable
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… crowded and very old-​school European but with a modern veneer
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… quietly attentive, nothing more
TOTAL — 4 stars… you deserve something sweet for facing the bracing Nordic weather

Nice place to visit as a tourist, but I doubt I would go back for any reason besides showing a visiting friend. Although the cakes were nice, it is clear that they want to squeeze as many bodies in as possible so this spacious location feels like a pretty cafeteria. Because of the name you have to pay a bit more than other cafes in Helsinki.
We each got a slice of cake (around € 6) and shared, and they were all good. I had a sort of cherry and chocolate mirror cake made mostly of chocolate mousse; moist and delicious! One of my friends got a cheesecake that was probably the best of all, being very rich yet with some nice citrus to cut through it. Unfortunately I don’t remember the names but they were all in Finnish. The filter coffee was ok and I really appreciated the lactose-​free milk AND cream provided. There was also a lunch buffet going in full force, which didn’t look like it matched the price imo.
A pretty place to visit once, but you can get equally good cakes in other, cozier cafes in the city and probably for less.

Very popular dessert place in Helsinki since 1891! Old school cafetaria style with a lot of gold and marble. I first notice Fazer through the extensive advertisements everywhere as soon you arrive in the city.
The cake I had was pretty good as the ice cream. Found it a bit expensive but comparing it to what you would pay in Paris it is fair enough.
It was open during good Friday so it was a really good plus!
Staff is helpful and ambiance is relaxed. Would recommend this place at least to try the cakes.

Nothing super fancy but good food and amazing choice of pastry and hot beverages. Personal is not super friendly. But as Helsinki is really cold, this is a nice central place where sit and warm up.

A touristy spot, of course, but OH! The hot (lactose free) hot chocolate! Friendly staff and a nice view (towards the street or heaps of chocolate).

My husband and I came here for dessert and cocoa two months ago. They did not disappoint.
We are from the US and it was Thanksgiving night and we wanted a traditional smörgåsbord of desserts because our dinner (from another restaurant) had been lacking. We were missing that traditional feel of home. We ordered a couple of different desserts — carrot cake and chili chocolate mousse cake (just a dash of heat to kick up the flavor of chocolate), plus cinnamon hot chocolate, and chocolate tea.
Everything we ordered was wonderful. The carrot cake was moist and the icing wasn’t too dense. The chocolate cake was divine with that dash of chili. The cinnamon hot chocolate went right to my core and warmed me through. The tea was also very smooth, hot, and soothing.
We were very happy we went here. The next day, we stopped in for their lunch which was unlimited soup plus a salad that they will build for you. Reasonably priced and a good amount of seating.
Let me not forget to mention that the chocolate that they sell there (prewrapped) is wonderful! You must pick up a few individual pieces or bars to bring home. We are still munching on the bars two months later!

Nice place, but often crowded and pretty expensive. Does not offer any spectacular offerings, but has the unique chili chocolate cake worth one star by itself.

This place is one of the pleasant surprises I found during my visit to Helsinki. Chocolate from Finland can be just as tasty compared to Swiss, French, and Belgian chocolate. This place also serves some great lunch dishes at a reasonable price.
A lady I was travelling with told me that she loves dark chocolate more than milk chocolate. After getting both the milk chocolate and the dark chocolate bars here at this place, I realised the reason why she said that. The milk chocolate was way too creamy and sweet, but the dark chocolate had an excellent flavour, and it was not too sweet. If the dark chocolate was melted, it could be a great complement to some fresh, cold vanilla ice cream.
As for my lunch, I had a salmon sandwich, which was pretty good, the salmon was pretty fresh, the sandwich had some fresh greens to complement the salmon, and the bread had a nice rustic taste. I also got a «Bébé», which was this tart-​like pastry, and it had a pink cream filling on top. That was pretty good with an excellent creamy and sweet flavour.
This place is at a great location in Helsinki, not too far from the harbour, Senate Square, and the central train station. Even better was that this place has very reliable wi-​fi internet, so once we got in, we were looking at our phones a lot. It was also one of the smoothest and cleanest cafes I have been to.
Overall, if you are looking for a great and versatile lunch with some excellent chocolate in Helsinki, this place is a great choice. The Dark Chocolate was one of the best, if not the best souvenir I got from Helsinki. I really have to give that lady credit for mentioning how much she likes dark chocolate.

Pricy but delicious. The hot chocolate is strongly recommended. The chocolate topping is sweet and balances the hot chocolate well. You also get a chocolate in the side. Take a seat outside and enjoy the autumn weather in candle light.

This place is not just a coffee shop, but one of the must visit places in Helsinki. So the ambiance is the amalgamation of local nonchalance and touristy restlessness. Because, when in Helsinki no well-​informed tourist misses this one and the locals love it for the obvious reasons. Everything here is just perfect. Be it a quick midweek cuppa or a leisurely snacking session on a lazy Sunday afternoon, Karl Fazer Café is the place to go to. I simply loved the Budapest roll which was a perfect balance of sweetness and nutty flavors. Just sink your teeth into its fluffy goodness and forget everything else. There are so many great reviews about this place here, I probably needn’t say more. But when it comes to good food and service I just love to shower some appreciation. I will just add their cheesecakes to the best in town list and sign off.

Stopped for a quick morning coffee. outside tables are a great seating area. wonderful weather

We had a fast fika of sausage soup and cream of leek soup, with hunks of good bread. The suitcase was already full of delightful Fazer (that’s «faht-​zair») chocolate, so not tempted by the yummy looking cakes. Lots of great candy for sale here. A nice little break.

It is possible that Fazer Kluuvi is the best Café in Helsinki. At least it is best known. I had salmon «pocket». Which is a delicious sandwich, although a big one. Teen took a bagel and small kids took ice cream and they loved it. My wife had a chili choclate cake which was «äklö». Big too much of everything. Every time nice place to have a dessert.

If you love cakes you will not want to leave.
Coffee is good, building is very cool old school.
Not cheap, but if it was you would get very fat.

I had brunch here recently on a Sunday morning with family. It was my first visit, although this Fazer Café is pretty well known around Helsinki.
The brunch offering was a pretty typical Finnish spread. Artisan breads, hard boiled eggs, various cold cuts and veggies, cheese, bacon, sausage, gravlax. Drinks were coffee, a few juices, water, and for an additional charge sparkling wine (did not partake myself). They also offered a hearty chicken salad for something on the more filling side. The dessert options were pretty amazing, so save room — decadent cheesecake and chocolate cake, various chocolates and candies.
All in all, it was a positive experience at a fair price and I left satisfied. Lots of families so be prepared for the racket that can entail. Also, the place was packed so expect some queuing and flying elbows. Solid brunch place!

Great café. Close to Hotel Kamp. Great coffee. Quick breakfast and lunch. Soup with lots of fresh bread. Must have the hot chocolate

The brunch here was so good! We ate at our hotel brunch one morning on the trip and it was miserable by comparison. This place was only 1 € more than our hotel’s brunch too, but about a million times more enjoyable!!! This place is a «have to visit» if your on the tourist circuit in Helsinki! The atmosphere and selection is worth the price.

There was already a 30-​person line on a Sunday before its opening at 10am. I had a breakfast sandwich and hot chocolate (instead of the breakfast buffet that everyone was rushing for) and it’s the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. It’s not overly sweet and I think it’s the Finnish (or Karl Fazer’s) chocolates that are a lot more milky than average.
The free wi-​fi is definitely a plus for tourists!

One of our local friends put this at the top of our list for our trip to Helsinki. When we got there, it wasn’t hard to see why! We had the option of the breakfast buffet, fresh baguettes and sandwiches, pastries, ice cream, or all the chocolate you can eat! We were a little overwhelmed by all the options.
By the end of our week-​long trip, we had been to Fazer Café a total of 3 times.
My favorite chocolate there is the Geisha. You can also get it for cheap on board the ferries between Helsinki and Talinn.

Genau wie bei waschecht. verbinden sich in meiner Kindheits –und Jugenderinnerung Butterfahrten mit dem Namen Fazer. Ich hab sie alle geliebt, die Fazermints und Likörbonbons.
Nun ist die Zeit der Butterfahrten ja leider lange vorbei und der Name Fazer schon fast von mir vergessen, da stolpern wir völlig unvermittelt in Helsinki über das Fazer-​Café. Dank mostro weiß ich ja jetzt auch, wie es da hingeraten ist.
Meine Freude war groß und natürlich habe ich meine Beziehung zu Fazer reichlich aufgefrischt, meine neuen Favoriten sind Dumle und Geisha.
Das Café vermittelt vielleicht einen etwas kühlen Eindruck, hat aber trotzdem einige Leckereien zu bieten.
Wir gönnten uns ein Schoko– und Orangentörtchen und konnten auch den Smorrebrods nicht widerstehen. Also noch je eins mit Roastbeef und Lachs ausgesucht, einen Kaffee und Tee dazu, und naja mit 30,-EUR waren wir dabei.
Aber es hat wirklich alles vorzüglich geschmeckt.

Ein berühmtes Café in der Innenstadt von Helsinki. Das Stück Schokoladentorte war köstlich. Vom Ambiente her gesehen fühlte ich mich etwas unbehaust. Die Blockschokolade ist auch sehr gut. Also von Schokoloade verstehen die wirkilich was :-)

Nachdem ich die Beiträge dazu sehe, muß ich auch was zu Fazer loswerden.
Meine liebe Freundin Kirsi schickt mir immer zu Weihnachten aus Tampere dicke Schokoladentafeln von Fazer, riesige Pfundbarren aus cremiger Schokolade, die ein wenig an die schwedische Marabu erinnern aber viel cremiger wirken.
Kirsi löste das Rätsel, warum denn so ein kurzer und aussprechbarer Name in Finnland erlaubt ist, wo doch hier schon ein Bahnhof kaum auf ein Schild passt weil der Arme «Rautatieasema» heisst, geschweige denn, daß der gemeine Mitteleuropäer das eh nicht aussprechen kann und am Ende des Wortes vergessen haben wird, was er eigentlich hier wollte. Die deutsche Wendung «Ich versteh nur Bahnhof» könnte hierher stammen.
Also: Die Familie Fazer kam nämlich mit all den Schokoladenrezepten vor über 100 Jahren als Auswanderer aus der (damals wohl unwirtlichen) Schweiz, man munkelt übrigens, daß die Filmvorlage für «Chocolat» in Wirklichkeit hierher kommt, allerdings tut man das wohl nur in finnischen Patriotenkreisen… Als Retourkutsche erfanden die Schweizer dann vermutlich Ricola und machten diese Fernsehwerbung mit den dicken Finnen in der Sauna («Wör hoats ärfundä?»).
Aber die Schokolade ist wirklich lecker — und ich freue mich immer über die schweren Care-​Pakete aus Finnland!!!

Mit den finnischen Fazermint Bonbons verbinde ich Kindheitserinnerungen. Wenn ich in den Ferien bei meiner Oma war, sind wir mit dem Dampfer zu sog. Butterfahrten (zollfreier Einkauf) von Heiligenhafen auf die Ostsee Richtung Dänemark gefahren. Für uns Kinder gabs die Fazermint (bis heute meine Lieblingsbonbons) und für meinen Vater die mit Likör gefüllten Bonbons von Fazer.
Heute haben wir ihm die Bonbons bei Wertheim besorgt, womit ich ihn zu seinem Geburtstag überraschen möchte.
Die Firma produziert nicht nur feine Schokoladen, sondern auch Kekse sowie Salmiakpastillen, womit sie u. a. bekannt wurde. Erst nach dem 2. Weltkrieg wurde das Sortiment auch auf weitere Backwaren ausgeweitet.
Fazer überzeugt mit Qualität seit 1891 und ist auch nach wie vor ein Familienunternehmen, welches nicht nur in die skandinavischen Länder expandiert hat. In Deutschland eher nicht so bekannt, aber dafür z. B. in England. Die Website
ist nicht nur in finnisch, sondern auch in englisch geschrieben.

Die Confisere Fazer ist bekannt für seine Fazer-​Mint-​Schokolade und verkauft diese auch Finnland-​Weit.
Das Café Fazer ist das Stammhaus der Firma im Zentrum von Helsinki. Hier gibt eine grosse Auswahl an Kuchen und auch super Sandwiches und Quiches.
Die Inneneinrichtung ist etwas einfach geraten, die Vitrinen mit den vielen süssen Köstlichkeiten machen das aber mehr als wett!