Old Market Hall, situated along the South Harbour and Market Square, has been selling Finnish delicacies to locals and tourists for over 120 years. It’s a well-known place for meeting up with friends over a cup of coffee and cinnamon buns before shopping for berries, wild mushrooms, game, sea food and freshwater fish. Try fried reindeer slices with potato mash and lingonberry sauce followed by oven cheese with Arctic cloudberries and cream. Alternatively, taste Karelian pasties, made from thin boat-shaped rye crusts filled with savoury rice pudding. Most importantly: don’t forget to buy those all important sausages and beer for the evening of sauna, skinny-dipping and barbecue!

Wanha Kauppahalli, Eteläranta, 00130 Helsinki
+358 9 636177
Open 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Saturday
Google map: bit.ly/fvFoj7

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The place from where the Five Corners Quintet get their name and THE area in Helsinki to buy music. Vinyl and jazz included but you can get anything from Sibelius to Carl Craig.

Three great shops for any digger: Eronen, LifeSaver and Digelius.

Laivurinrinne, 00120 HELSINKI
www.dubjazzsalsa.com
www.lifesaver.net
www.digelius.com

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Helsinki is full of design. It is everywhere and there is even a 'Design District' - an area of 20 odd streets and incorporating 150 shops that caters for everything; interiors, clothing, art, antiques, restaurants, galleries, museums and more.

Every participating store has a free Design District map which details every other store involved and what they specialise in. A great idea.

www.designdistrict.fi/design_district

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Myymala2 is a shop and a gallery, run by two guys. The gallery showcases work by young designers and artists, always fresh and fun. The shop has a very wide selection of small gifts and more expensive items such as non-sweatshop streetwear and the odd T-shirt with an original print.

Well worth a visit while in the area.

Not that easy to find as it is below street level and (last time I was there) is indicated only by a blackboard and chalk sign.
Uudenmaankatu 23 / 00100 HKI
www.myymala2.com
Opens:
WED-FRI 13-19h
SAT-SUN 12-18h

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Liike is a tiny shop selling odd-bod fashion, mostly by young Finnish designers.

Liike, Yrjonkatu (opp. Torni hotel), Helsinki

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If you live in Finland, this brand must be overexposed but for the foreigner it still looks bright and funky. A great range of clothes, accessories and homeware. The best stuff harks back to bold 1960s prints but it also does a line of sober businesswear for women. It's not cheap but then it seems to be mostly manufactured in Finland rather than a far eastern sweatshop and the quality and durability are excellent. There's a factory outlet in Herttoniemi (on the metro line), where the prices are a bit less shocking.

Marimekko, Pohjoisesplanadi, Helsinki (and branches);
www.marimekko.fi/eng

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Nanso had its glory days making jersey clothes in the 1960s-1970s, but it has recently been reinvigorated and makes some quirky/retro but wearable womenswear, mostly in cotton and viscose fabrics.

Nanso, Mikonkatu, Helsinki;
www.nanso.fi/nanso/en/

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