Pompier Albertinkatu — Restaurant in Helsinki sub-region

Been coming here for lunch for years. I think it is by far the best casual lunch you can get in Helsinki. A beacon of hope and love in the middle of a sometimes grim and cold Helsinki.

My favorite is: Wallenberg pike steak (thursdays). I always try eliminate work if I see this on the menu. Basically everything that comes out of the kitchen is cooked and seasoned to perfection. The food is the epitome of unpretentious and fresh homefoody classics always perfectly executed. Even things like rice and mash are always amazing and the sauces and sidedishes really add to the experience.

Great for kids also! (Pay by age) And the staff has always been beyond awesome even considering they are packed almost everyday. Takeout works also great!

Only negative I can think of is the crowdedness which depends on the deliciousness of the dish being served but overall I think it also adds a lot to the ambiance. People are ready to queue for a long time just to get in. Physically the restaurant is also a bit hidden gem which adds to the charm.

What to expect: best price-quality absolutely delicious lunch in a cozy atmosphere and beautiful ambiance (almost not found anywhere else)!

What not to expect: your regular work eatery reheating ready made sad foodstuffs which leads to a cycle of depression for days for everyone. Also no fancy haute-cuisine non-sense. You will never leave hungry!

Seeing the hard work put into the place, my sincere hope is that they do well financially and employees are treated fairly. I would be willing to pay even more because fairly it feels like a steal sometimes.

Each time I eat here my faith in humanity is restored and I have been coming for years! Cannot...

Lunch is 13 euros. The lasagne I had was good, but nothing special. I was kinda worried when I saw it in the menu, for it seems to be a difficult food to make decently these days. Here also the lasagne sheets were not thoroughly cooked and it wasn't easy to break a piece with the spoon. While you're trying to get a piece to your plate and cut bite sized portions the lasagne disintegrates and the layers slide apart with the sauces on one side and the pasta sheets on the other. Then you're sawing pieces of rubbery sheet and scratching the plate. Lasagne is supposed to be rich, thick, and soft enough. Also, the salad and bread lacked diversity. I wish the price would also include a glass of milk or some other drink than merely water.

During lunch it's a constant carousel of people. However, it is expected that the staff doesn't disrespect you for simply existing. But the cashier purposely looked away when she gave a maximum of two words with an unnecessarily surly tone. I guess one should be happy to even get that in the Helsinki of today. A hello, welcome, and maybe even a couple of words about where to start is not actually a lot. It should be the easiest part of the job. If it isn't, something in the concept needs rethinking. Also, it's a part of having lunch to sit still for a moment with your company after eating and talk. 10 minutes is not a long enough time to be hurried away by the staff.

The design and interiors are great. It's meant to give you a vibe of the good old times. Unfortunately, the substance of the restaurant is still the mediocre...

Wow! I got to the restaurant before it opened, and there was a queue of 3-5 people in front of me. To me, that meant that Pompier must be good. I was not sure how the pricing or food worked, so I asked the cashier when I got it. You pay first and there are several options you can get:

Salad buffet + water/coffee/tea (unlimited) Salad buffet + water/coffee/tea (unlimited) + main entree (unlimited) - about 15 Euro

Items consisted of salads, soups, mashed potatoes, fish, dessert, various sauces, variety of teas, hot water, and coffee.

Option #2 was a few extra Euro, but it was well worth it. I believe their main entree changes everyday. The food was fresh and they were constantly churning out new stock when inventory levels got low.

You sit anywhere in the restaurant, which means you can end up eating next to strangers, but that was no problem for me as a solo-traveler.

I stuffed myself full and was completely satisfied with my meal. No wonder why people...