World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Helsinki  - Nightlife
Nightlife

Most of the nightlife is centrally located and bar-hopping is easily done on foot. The Helsinkiläiset are fairly relaxed about their dress code; visitors will feel at ease in anything from jeans to eveningwear, depending on the venue. Helsinki seems to specialise in the bar-cum-restaurant: the early shift comes to dine, the later crowd to revel. Most stay open until about 0300 in the summer, hours vary in the winter, often depending on patronage. Discos or nightclubs generally close about 0400. The drinking age limit is 18 years. Most bars are centrally located and sited around Uudenmaankatu and Eerikinkatu.

Bars: Most of the bars are found on two nearby streets, so a bar crawl will reveal most of Helsinki's nightlife. Start at media hangout Bar 9, Uudenmaankatu 11, domain of Helsinki's movers and shakers. Just beside it is Bar Tapasta, Uudenmaankatu 13, a hole-in-the-wall bar, always spilling over with a hip crowd washing down tasty tapas with designer beers. Down the road, FIBA, Uudenmaankatu 20, pays homage to 1998 and 1999 Formula One world champion Mika Häkkinen, the barman spares no one and the vodka selection rates as Helsinki's finest - be warned.

Bar Corona, Eerikinkatu 11, has billiards, pool and a laid-back atmosphere, where you can either perch at the bar or sit outside on the street. Just next door is MOSKOVA, normally packed with Russians enjoying a honey-vodka or ten. Down the road, Mother, Eerikinkatu 4, is the newest, trendiest hangout, while a little further along is Con Hombres, Eerikinkatu 14, a small, often packed gay bar, which plays some of Helsinki's best techno tunes. To experience the Finnish national passion for tango dancing first hand, Vanha Maestro, Fredrikinkatu 51-53, is where it all happens. Cover charge is FIM30.

Casinos: Casino Ray, Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 4, is open daily from 1200 to the early hours. It is an international casino with games including roulette, blackjack, punto banco, money wheel and more. Players must be at least 18 years old and require a passport to obtain a membership card (cost: FIM10 for one week; FIM30 for one year). Smart dress is required.

Clubs: It is hard to know where to place Café Soda, on Annankatu/Uudenmaankatu, as it is a café by day, bar by night and nightclub after midnight. DJs spin Helsinki's best moves and grooves and a young, funky crowd frequent the bar and dance floor. Nightclub DTM, Annakatu 6, is large, noisy, gay and steaming with pumping techno music. Hotel bars tend to cater to the business person-type some of the more popular include the Helsinki Nightclub, Sokos Hotel; Helsinki, Yliopistonkatu 8 and Hesperia Nightclub, Radisson SAS Hesperia Hotel, Kivelänkatu 2.

Live music: The best source of information on entertainment provided by Helsinki's restaurants is found in the daily press or Helsinki This Week, published by the City Tourist Office. The Finnish Music Information Centre (MIC), located at Lauttasaarentie 1 (tel: (09) 6810 1113; fax: (09) 677 134; e-mail:teosto@teosto.fi), also has information. For jazz, the Storyville Live Jazz Club has a different band most nights, including the Helsinki City Jazz Orchestra, Museokatu 8 (tel: (09) 408 007; website: www.storyville.fi).



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