Cafés in Savonlinna
Many small and personal cafés in Savonlinna call irresistibly for you to sit down for a moment and enjoy. Finns are well-known for enjoying good coffee, and Savonlinna is no exception. (Photo: Café Rantakivi)
The Savonlinna area has its own café treat as well, the lörtsy. The lörtsy is traditionally a flat pie filled with meat or jam, and it goes just wonderfully with a cup of your favourite coffee, or just as a standalone snack. You can also find other sweet and savoury lörtsy, such as with fish or vegetable fillings.
In the old part of Savonlinna city, amongst the atmospheric old wooden houses, you can find Kahvila Saima, or Café Saima, on Linnankatu street. Along Olavinkatu, you can find Cafe Herkku-Pekka at Shopping center Kastelli, and on the street level of the building known as Possen Torni (Posse Tower), you can find the wonderful lunch cafe Alku.
During the summer, a coffee at the marketplace is a must. Savonlinna’s marketplace must be one of the most beautiful marketplaces in Finland with the market square right next to the harbour and Lake Saimaa’s shore. Next to the marketplace is Café Sataman Sydän, which is a good place to sit down to look at the scenery and feel the atmosphere of the marketsquare.
Savonlinna also has its own summer kiosk called Lippakioski, which serves ice creams, warm and cold drinks and other treats. The kiosk is situated by the harbour, and you can watch cruise ships come and go while enjoying your ice cream. When the Lippakioski opens in early summer, it means the start of summer for the people of Savonlinna. If there are good weather late into the evening, it is possible that the kiosk will also be open beyond normal opening hours.
If you happen to be an early bird, head to Kotileipomo Kupsakka, a bakery and café that the locals love especially as a breakfast spot. It is located a bit outside the city centre, but is worth all the effort. Try Karelian pies, rommipulla (a bun filled with rum flavoured cream) and möttönen (a roll with salty filling), these are local delicacies.
