180 RGRL#4 Cafe

I knew that Finland is one of the greatest coffee-drinking nations on earth, but I had no idea of the reason. After spending some hours in several different cafes in Helsinki I still don't know why, but I am quite sure that these hours were blessed time. I visited Aschan Cafe Jugent everyday which used to be a bank office and was renovated to nice cafe, a place of classy but cozy and friendly atmosphere.  I took this photo at Cafe Aalto, one of the most eminent cafe in Helsinki, where I confirmed people could just be happy with chic interiors and a cup of hot coffee. FINNAIR magazine recommended Cafe Ursula as a place to go in Helsinki, where I enjoyed beautiful harbor view and peace and quiet time with nice hot drink after a walk in cold morning. I had lunch many times at TEATTERI, not only because they offered nice salad lunch with teriffic grilled-salmon, but also because of well-designed and comfortable room of mid-century taste. And if you believe or not, I had a quite delicious coffee at sushibar and it fit sushi very much. Karl Fazer is a famous chocolatier in Helsinki and its Karl Fazer Cafe was a nice classic place but at the same time very lively and had really tasty chololates, cakes and pastries. Cafe Engel was the best choice to enjoy the elegant architecture and spend some time to look at the beautiful Cathedral over a cup of coffee. I also liked very much Design Museum Cafe, an in-house small cafe but served a rich coffee and was casually furnished with good modern pieces.

Naturally they all had sophisticated interior design, tasty coffee and good foods. There is even more. What I found and felt in these cafes was a sense of distance at each table and sense of independent relief--- in other word, a sense of territory perhaps. You could be free and comforatably alone in the middle of crowd and yet, everyone having good time together. I kind of believe that Helsinki cafes are effortlessly designed to make it possible.