Putte's Bar & Pizza Kalevankatu

Putte's Bar and Pizza, i.e. Putte, has become one of the city's classic pizza bars. The secret to its pizzas is their simplicity. The recipe was discovered in New York after much searching. Putte is also a family-friendly mix of a bar and restaurant, and the kitchen is open exceptionally late.

The downstairs space, The Cellar, hosts evenings from club nights to concerts and other gatherings.

Another great reason to check out Putte's is its art. The owner, Antto Melasniemi, has collected high-quality Finnish contemporary art over the years, which he hangs on the walls of his restaurant. The walls of "Puttenheim" are already filled with amazing works of art, but there are lots more rolled up waiting to take their place. The art collection includes works by Rauha Mäkilä, Otto Karvonen, Jouko Lehtola, EGS, Sami Lukkarinen and Klaus Haapaniemi.

Antto Melasniemi is a fascinating chef who also runs two other high-end restaurants in Helsinki, Kuurna and Finne, which serve seasonal Finnish cuisine. In addition, he produces food and culture events for international design weeks and art fairs, and before embarking on his career as a restaurateur he was the keyboard player for the world-famous Finnish band HIM.

Putte's Bar & Pizza has a restaurant also in Sompasaari in Helsinki.