I used to think that Hakaniemi market hall had the best fish shops in the city. I have changed my mind. Tukkutorin Kala at Teurastamo has stolen the pole position.
Let’s start the praise with the essentials: Tukkutorin Kala has excellent and fresh selection of fish and seafood: Salmon, perch, pike, cod, mackerel, burbot, mussels, sepia, octopus, fish bones, you name it. A big part of their fish is of Finnish origin. They also have small but carefully thought selection of seasoned goodies: gravlax, smoked salmon and lampreys, skagen, herring in flavoured sauce. And they have real caviar.
In addition to fish, they are happy to give advice in how to cook the fish. I sometimes go and ask “what should I cook for dinner today?” I’ve gotten great tips for example about rye-fried burbot and cod cheek in tomato sauce.
And that’s not all. Tukkutorin Kala is also an excellent fish restaurant. They have a kitchen and a few tables in the shop, and they cook the most amazing fish dishes from the freshest ingredients. On weekends they serve brunch: seafood buffet as a starter, dish of the day as main course and coffee with a small sweet. The restaurant environment is not the most romantic, but the food is really competing with world class fish restaurants.
Tukkutorin Kala, Fish shop and restaurant
Työpajankatu 2 B, 00580 Helsinki
400 meters from Kalasatama metro station
Closest city bike station: Teurastamo
Staycation in Helsinki 