Fun and entertainment Finland

Finland's only higher music education institution (and music library) is very well known. The students rehearse in the halls of Helsinki's new music centre Musiikkitalo. The academy was founded in 1882 by Martin Wegelius. Then, in 1939, it acquired its present name Sibelius, to honour - during his lifetime - the school's most famous former student: Jean Sibelius. Today, this prestigious school has about 1,700 students. Numerous concerts are organized during the year, the quality is there.

A long, young and friendly café. The queue is often impressive, but the service is pretty fast. You'll find soups, sandwiches and large salads, as well as delicious, hearty pastries. There are a few pleasant tables out front, where you can watch passers-by while enjoying a cake and a coffee. For gourmands and children alike, the cakes are a feast for the eyes, beautifully presented and decorated, and very good indeed. Currently under renovation, due to reopen in 2024.

The famous Café Engel is the city's most European tea room, with small tables, friendly waitresses and an excellent view of the most beautiful Senate Square and the white Lutheran Cathedral. Young bourgeois, distinguished ladies and intellectuals meet here. Hot dishes, salads and pastries are served for lunch and dinner. From late June to late September, on beautiful summer nights, Café Engel transforms its inner courtyard into an open-air cinema and its tiny back room into a (mini) discotheque.

One of the best bars in Jyväskylä! Vakiopaine is above all a trendy place to discover photo or painting exhibitions, where one comes mainly to listen to concerts and the latest trendy DJs. At the end of the afternoon, you come to have a drink after your day of visits, you admire the art exhibitions which are regularly renewed; then you start the aperitif by trusting the talents of the barmaids before swaying all night on the dance floor. A perfect evening in a very pleasant place!

A brewery set up in the mid-1990s in one of the former buildings of the Finlayson textile company, where waiters serve in traditional dress. With its ubiquitous red bricks and homemade beer, this is one of Tampere's most popular addresses for those who want to try a beer made (actually) on the premises, with a rather unlikely choice. In terms of cuisine, there are no nasty surprises, with a menu that has a fairly European flavour, with a few Nordic specialities and good burgers standing out.

Imagine a bar where you can play board games and consoles from the NES to the latest, alone or with friends, while drinking a beer or a cocktail? That's what Save File, an e-sports bar and games room, is all about. All you have to do is order (from the friendly, smiling staff) and settle in. The rest is up to you: would you like to take a trip down memory lane? Play an arcade game? Learn a new game? It's up to you!

A small neighborhood pub, popular with locals and hipsters alike, once opened by a Frenchman who has now moved to Berlin. Both an art gallery (temporary exhibitions) and a concert venue (see the program on the facebook page), the "chat noir" is an original bar with a warm atmosphere. The atmosphere here is 1970s Finnish! If you're having a party, Musta Kissa can close at 2 a.m. on Tuesdays and Sundays. On the premises, you can drink excellent craft beers, or choose a glass of wine from the wide selection on offer.

Anna K. welcomes you in a very small bar decorated in wood, which does karaoke and is frequented by regulars of all ages. The atmosphere is great and if you get going, you'll soon have fans, even if you sing off-key! Unfortunately, most of the song selection is offered in Finnish, few are in English. The karaoke stops about thirty minutes before the bar closes. Some evenings, the place can be quickly crowded, with friends, come early on weekends to better enjoy it.

A pub for everyone, frequented by 20-somethings and 30-somethings alike. All connoisseurs of Helsinki nightlife, they seem to have found refuge in this bar, which they jealously reserve for themselves. You'll soon notice that most of the customers know each other. The decor is informal, the atmosphere intimate and convivial. It has to be said that beer and wine are much cheaper than elsewhere, which makes the Finns less shy... Jazz and funk music generally. Also concerts from time to time.

This bar is a bit far from the city centre, but it's worth the detour! It is housed in a charming wooden house built in the 1910s. Before the fire of 1808, most of the buildings in the capital were made of wood. For obvious security reasons, it was later decided to rebuild the town in stone. So this bar is a kind of historical monument in itself. An address still unknown to tourists, which the locals love to frequent. The atmosphere is friendly and it is easy to chat with your Finnish neighbour.

Bier-Bier is an intimate, classy modern bar offering a fine selection of beers (and other beverages such as wine). The friendly staff know their menu inside out, so they'll be able to steer you in the right direction for what you really want to drink! The beautiful terrace (very popular in fine weather) fills up very quickly, so don't hesitate to fall back (literally) on the very, very comfortable sofas inside. An ideal address in any season, for a great time in Helsinki.

A unique escape game in the world organized in a farm with animals! You will be welcomed to solve exciting mysteries for 1 hour and manage to get out of the barn in time with chickens, rabbits and other friendly creatures. The themes are regularly changed and do not require any physical strength, except for reflection and observation in teamwork. A unique and unforgettable moment to experience with friends or family. Also the possibility of eating on the spot and of making horse rides.

If you ask a local the name of the best cocktail bar in Tampere, don't be surprised if the answer is always the same: Tiima is the unanimous choice! This small, intimate bar, located right next to the local Olympia, has quickly found its place in Tampere life. And with good reason: the cocktails (or mocktails, the non-alcoholic version) are a marvel, prepared with talent by the very nice team. High-quality products, original suggestions and reasonable prices: all in all, a good deal!

A Pac Man terminal, a disco ball, sofas, board games, music and lots and lots of entertainment: quiz nights, concerts, board game nights, days when cocktails are 50% off, all in a friendly, deeply human atmosphere, where everyone is welcomed with a smile! Open for a relatively short time, La Mouche is a surprising and unusual addition to the Helsinki bar scene: we can't wait to see how far its wings will carry it. In the meantime, we're enjoying (and loving) it!