Helsinki Coffee Festival 2015

The first Helsinki Coffee Festival was organized over the weekend and let me tell you - I didn’t sleep that much last night. Apparently I had one too many cappuccinos at the festival and all the caffeine kept me awake. But there were so many wonderful coffees to taste that how could I have said no.

At the festival coffee roasteries mainly coming from Finland (from Helsinki to Rovaniemi) were presenting and serving their coffees prepared with different brewing methods. In addition to the roasteries other companies related to coffee making were present. The festival also had a nice program of coffee talks with interesting guests. The Speciality Coffee Association of Europe's (SCAE) Finnish Chapter also arranged the official Finnish Barista Championship and Brewers Cup finals at the festival.  

I absolutely loved the festival and hope this becomes an annual event to showcase the best roasteries and coffees, learn about the latest trends, meet people, and taste and share coffee in good company.

Cappuccinos made with special oat milk developed by Oatly.

Coffee books and magazines to read at Paulig's stand.

Hot discussion at the speaker's corner on how to become a coffee roaster and how not to burn down your roastery.

Loving this amazing fruity and sweet coffee by Turun kahvipaahtimo. 

Kattilahalli was a great location for the festival but maybe next year the festival needs a bigger space? Looking forward to the next Helsinki Coffee Festival!

Instagram Moments: Taste of Helsinki

Greetings from Levi in Lapland

What a great holiday it was! Cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, husky safari, outdoor ski cafes, snow and sunshine – a visit to a winter wonderland!

This wonderland was located in Levi - the biggest ski resort in Finnish Lapland. The Levi village is a holiday town in the middle of nature and wilderness areas located in Kittilä municipality. Levi is a popular winter holiday resort and offers great opportunities for all sorts of winter and outdoor sports. I spent a week in Levi with family and friends for holiday. We stayed at an apartment from Holiday Stars / Lomatähdet located right in the centre of the village.

Cross-country skiing is one of my favourite winter sports and Levi has some very nice cross-country skiing routes.  Along the ski routes there are naturally many ski cafes.  Some ski cafes are only small kiosks while others are more like restaurants (see photos in my earlier post on having coffee on the trail). One of the places I stopped for coffee was Riihi which is a waffle café but also a restaurant offering traditional Lapland specialities and northern culinary dishes based on local ingredient such as fish and reindeer.

The atmosphere of ski cafes is something I really like: people are on holiday mood and somehow outdoors makes everything taste a little better.  Maybe it is something to do with the rush from skiing. Anyway regular black filter coffee and a basic doughnut tasted so delicious on the terrace of Tuikku restaurant with the fabulous views. Tuikku is the famous ski restaurant on top of Levi, very popular among downhill skiers but also accessible by car. 

In the Levi village I tried a cappuccino in Cafe Bar Kota which is a skiers living room just under the front slope. Café and bar Kota serves Paulig coffees. There is also a bakery in the village called Kafet. Kafet serves Segafredo coffees and freshly made pastries and cakes.

Tuikku restaurant on top of Levi.

Having coffee and waffles with cloudberry jam and whipped cream at Restaurant Riihi which was decorated with elements relating to Lapland’s wilderness such as the bear skin on the wall.

Café Bar Kota has a direct view to the front slope. At café and bakery Kafet the scenery is in a form of a painting.

Raspberry and chocolate mousse cake with cappuccino at café and bakery Kafet.

Coffee and chocolate flavoured cheese cake from Kafet.

Husky safari in the wildlife was a memorable experience.

Panoramic live view from Levi is available from Levi Skyview.

Coffee break on the trail

 

Ski break

Poetic Cake

This morning I got some take out coffee and pastry from Fazer bakery. Can you guess what is inside the bag?

Aamukahvi ja leivonnaiset haettu aamulla Fazerilta. Jokainen arvannee paketin sisällön? Nautitko sinäkin tänään tortuista kahvin kanssa?

Cup of coffee and a book to read

The Exhibitionist is a very small café full of books for the customers to read and purchase. I have heard that one could pay his coffee with a book here.  On my recent visit I paid my cappuccino the classical way but while there I took advantage of their travel books – you know I am always looking for new coffee destinations.  I think the Exhibitionist is a fun place if you want to take some time reading and enjoying a cup of quality coffee. They are told to serve some pastry as well but during my visit there was not really anything available and it was soon that I found myself on the other side of the street at a chocolate shop (Petris Chocolate Room).

The Exhibitionist

Museokatu 28

Helsinki, Finland

Have a sweet day, Sugar!

Today I had my coffee break in Laurell bakery in Lahti. I had a cappuccino with a Budapest cake. The cake was very sweet and sugary. They also advertised a press pot of Paulig Mexico coffee but it was a set for two people and I did not take it. Afterwards I think it might have been a better option than the cappuccino they made. Anyway, I got my coffee and sugar dose with a sweet greeting.

Laurell Lahti

Aleksanterikatu 24

Lahti, Finland

Sunday afternoon coffee

Sunday afternoon coffee and cake by the beach at Kahvila Kasinonranta, in Lauttasaari, Helsinki, Finland. What a beautiful sunny day!

Trendy coffee table: wooden pallets

Wooden Euro pallets seem to be at the moment the hot decoration piece for the trendy cafes. These wooden pallets traditionally used for product transport and storage are now turned in to furniture. Basically you can easily make a piece of furniture by using these wooden pallets. Either used or new wooden pallets can be used. The used ones might be too damaged and generally I think the ones used for furniture are bought for this use. Anyway, the pallets are not expensive to buy. Of course you can also find ready-made furniture made from these pallets in design interior shops.

The first time I saw a table made from wooden euro pallets was on the pages of an interior design magazine. I cannot remember anymore which magazine it was. On that moment it hit me: I want a table like that! I am not a handyman myself but with the help of my father I got the coffee table of my dreams! Since then I have seen these wooden pallets made into furniture in many other magazines, shops and now also in cafes in Finland and abroad. In my opinion these coffee tables made from wooden pallets on the one hand look very fresh and contemporary and on the other hand there is a hint of romanticism.

Here is my coffee/TV table 

The coffee bar desk made from wooden pallets in Kaffecentralen in Helsinki, Finland

Wooden pallets are also the key element of the interior desing in one of the trendiest places in Vienna to drink coffee, CaffeCouture.

Have you noticed this trend and what do you think about it? Is the wooden pallet table a smart piece of furniture or do think its place is in the warehouse?

Suomeksi: Eurolavat suosittuja sisustuksessa - Tee-se-itse kahvipöytä on nyt trendikäs 

ADD Café brings light to poor coffee scene in Otaniemi campus

ADD Café is the first espresso café in Otaniemi campus area in Espoo, Finland. The Cafe is run by Aalto university students and located at the lobby of Aalto digital design laboratory. Opened in January 2013 Add café is a long waited alternative for all the lunch canteen cafes serving only regular coffee and coffee from the coffee machines. I wonder how it has been possible for all this time that the busy campus area has not had a single proper café serving speciality coffees?

The location of the café can be somewhat challenging and does not really attract people to stop by accidentally. On the other hand this makes the place feel even more special and underground I would say. The interior of the café is all white with very modern wooden chairs and tables. It looks actually very nice and has somewhat a futuristic feeling in it. Maybe a cosy sofa would make it even better and I am pretty sure the students would like it too. Their cappuccino tasted good and smooth and also the cranberry cookie I once had there was good. Still, I would prefer a wider selection of pastry – chocolate pralines could be a good alternative to start. Anyway, if you are in the Otaniemi area this is practically the only place for decent coffee.

ADD Café opens again after summer break on 2^nd of September!

Suomeksi: Otaniemessä on tarjolla muutakin kuin automaattikahvia!

ADD Cafe

Sähkömiehentie 4G, Espoo, Finland