First of all, I want to clarify that our guide, Cornelia, was really great. She was the highlight of the tour, and was very informative and easy to talk to. She answered all our questions and didn't rush us at all, after the tour we discussed how much we enjoyed talking to her. The actual food tour though could have been better organized. There were four tastings but only three stops, two in the indoor market, one at Restaurant Kappeli, and one at a candy store. The market and Kappeli offered delicious food tastings: cheese, cloudberry jam, lamb, mushroom sauce, artichoke soup and a few more. However not one person discussed the food, the food culture, the history of the food, where it came from in Finland, and in Kappeli I was expecting to meet the chef or have someone discuss how they create their recipes. I also would have appreciated a seafood tasting, herring or perch or anything local. Lastly, we went to a candy store that was maybe a 20 minute walk which was nice to see the downtown area and discuss the city with our guide. But the tasting there was one very small piece of chocolate, and the woman who worked there said she didn't know anything about the candy or how/where it is made because she didn't make it, no comments about candy in general or Helsinki or even the piece of chocolate that we ate. We did know that licorice is popular in Finland, but that was about it. I was expecting to have a few different tastes of locally made candy, maybe a tour of where they make it, and some education about where they source their ingredients etc. We ended up buying some candy so we could taste it, and turned out we didn't care for it so it was a waste of money. I was confused to see that other people rated this tour much higher, but perhaps they have not been on very many food tours. As someone who has been on many food tours, I would not recommend this tour unless the company makes some improvements or significantly reduce the price. They need more stops, more education about the food and food culture, and I would suggest discounts on purchases from the vendors that offer the tastings this is pretty standard on all of the food tours I've taken. It was over 100 per person, we had three people so for 300 we could have eaten dinner at Kappeli three times.
Review by: Larry J M, August 2017
The Helsinki Food Tour was a fabulous experience made even more wonderful by our terrific guide Artem. He was so friendly, easy to talk to and very, very knowledgeable about food and Finland. We did a wonderful tour of the old market with several tastings and then off to the oldest restaurant in the area for some sparking wine and more local delicacies! Highly recommend this tour!
Review by: Trish Randles, June 2017
Great tour. Great guide, Irene. The Old Market was very interesting and Irene pointed out many of the foods that form part of the food culture of Helsinki. She also had lots of information about Helsinki/Finland history and culture. However, the number of actual food tastings were very limited and the owners/sales people in the stalls/shops should be used more as a resource to inform the Foodies of their particular specialities. Also, we were not asked about any food allergies before/during the tour which should be an integral part of any Food Tour.
Review by: Adrian R, May 2017
Our guide was so lovely, she was so personable and ready to tell us all about the foods of Helsinki. Highly recommend!
Review by: Margaret M, July 2016
great tour! We tasted many of Finland's foods, learned about Finnish history and culture. Our tour guide, Artem, was very knowledgeable and answered all our many questions. He took us to a few out of the way places that we would have never found on our own.
Review by: Elizabeth J, July 2016
Cornelia was a fantastic guide, offering an insider's view of Helsinki and Finland overall, from history to politics and, of course, cuisine. She was entertaining, interesting and had a good sense of humor. Compared to other food tours we have taken, the tour itself could have been more extensive, as we only had three stops plus a candy store which was an excellent store!. However, we had a great time and would recommend this tour.
Review by: wendyg, April 2016
A very informative and tasty tour. It was a wonderful chance to try some food I wouldn't normally try and our guide also suggested other foods and drinks we could try during our trip. There was no pressure to buy anything. He also gave us some helpful information about Finland.
Review by: Lia, April 2016
We took this tour as a supplement to a traditional city tour around Helsinki. We really enjoyed it the style of the tour is more casual as it covers food habits, traditional food and drink of Finns. We saw that Finnish cuisine is healthy, delicious and original. Tasting included cheeses and meat selection, fish and deserts. The tour is really helpful if you prefer to bring gastronomical souvenirs from your trips.
Review by: Anton D, March 2016
Me and my wife had a great time. Very informative but at the same time easy to comprehend. Tasty food and a wonderful guide. Recommend
Review by: Oliver, October 2015
A brilliant tour with an absolutely fantastic guide - full of information both current and historic. With a visit to the famous seaside markets as well as a number of restaurants and local establishments, this is definitely a tour to include during your visit to Helsinki! Highly recommend!
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