LIFE STYLE: Café Guide of Turku; Coffee is never just caffeine!

Turku…for the ones who never heard of the name of the first capital of Finland, the name is not coming from Turkey and the actually it is believed that the word comes from Slavic languages, meaning “market place”. Basically Turku has both sea and river and should be counted as one of the lucky city. But funnily enough except few close districts Naantali, Kaarina, and the city harbour, the city seems to be turned its back to the sea and more in love with the river called “Aurajoki” side one. Most of the cafes and restaurants are mainly either in market place “tori” or by the river banks.

The coffee has a very meaningful part in Finnish life since according to many statistics; they are the first one in the consumption of coffee. The morning starts with coffee and the dark days enjoyed with strong and attractive smell of coffee. Since Finnish people like spending time at home, they are also into buying from basic filter coffee machines to very sophisticated espresso machines. But day by day, in each corner, you can see new coffee houses opening and it seems that coffee is more than loading caffeine in their body but sharing every moment with the friends and having long chats just like in southern Europe. To get a nice grasp of a the city, one should definitely know the nice cafes since they do not make a lot promotion and stay as humble alternative for the “coffee lovers”. In last one and a half year, I spend most of my time in Turku and I would like to share my comment and suggestions on the cafes in the city.

I will try to tell you “best” ones first and then I will also give few examples of the “army cafeterias” called so because of being far from a coffee house. Starting with the best one, there is no doubt it is Three Beans in the centre of Turku. (Humalistonkatu 3).From the moment the one opens the door of this unique and mini place, the coffee smells get you to another world. Owner is so friendly and running the place by herself but for sure preparing the greatest mocha you can drink in Turku. Prices are affordable even for low budged students and the second cup is always with discount. Good coffee, friendly owner, handy location and nice decoration…Ten out of ten. The best of Turku and at the top of the list!

The second alternative is Café Brahe on Yliopistankatu 37 and now it has also a new branch in Hansa Shopping Center. More than the new one, the one of Yliopistankatu has a character and a nice view of the most vivid street of Turku. Coffee is accompanied with “giant muffins”, well enough for two people and wide variety of pastries, cookies and sandwiches.

Art Café by the river on Läntinen Rantakatu 5, (ph:2719000) is also another good choice. Cheese cakes are worth to mention and espresso and cappuccinos. They always care about the service and the happiness of the customers. The decoration is really artistic and the river view from the windows really moving while you are having your coffee. They also place some chairs and tables by the river outside in summer time the ones “sunshine and coffee lovers”.

Alwar, it is a great place because of many reasons. You can just get addicted there since it offers everything in this small city. People working there are not just working but enjoying every moment, and becoming your friends. They always treat you as their friends and after a while know you likes and dislikes. The music is always good and the relax young and middle ages people, musicians, students, authors, poets hang out in this semi-bohemian café bar. There is only filter coffee and hot chocolate but there is a great selection of world beer and comfortable smoking section as well as window side, street viewed tables. If you want to know more people and make new friends, it is the first step you should take in Turku, a “must visit” regularly.

Coffee World is chain coffee house and recently there is a new one in the Tori (right on the corner of the main square) and it offers luxury and wide variety of selection but it a bit impersonal. Just as in other chain stores, like Starbucks and Gloria Jeans, people working are just working and they will never remember you and what you get all the time even if you go every day. But still the interior decoration is impressive and location is very central. For the ones to take a little coffee break, it offers nice coffee and comfort.

Café Serious, on Linnankatu 2 is an alternative for the sophisticated customers since it is right inside of the main library. Regular visitors of the library have their lunches and also coffees in this small but very cosy café. Stefano is the Italian owner of the place and he is always friendly and welcoming. He will offer you the best espresso and tiramisu cake; there is no doubt about it.

Naantalin Aurinkoinen on Hämeenkatu 3 (Ph:075 325 7313) is a typically Finnish chain and it has many specialities of Finnish deserts. On specific days such as Christmas, Easter, Midsummer festival, you can always find something “Finnish” to eat with you coffee. It has a warm and humble atmosphere and best filter coffee of Finland; Juhla. Finns basically likes the taste of Juhla even though it is not really my favourite.

The other good alternatives are Domcafe under the first floor of the main church of Turku (Tuomiokirko) and Aschan, another chain café of Finland (Eerikinkatu 15, in Hansa, on Kauppiaskatu 9, Eerikinkatu 16, Humalistonkatu 5, Hämeenkatu 8, and Yliopistonkatu 20 in Hansa). The prices are always more than what you get and the coffee is not the best but not the worst, on average. But if you are into coffee and hot chocolate and want to give a kick to your caffeine crises, the Robert’s Coffee on Kauppiaskatu 11, is a good alternative of an internationally known chain.

Arnold is always cheap and easy to access and the favourite place of youngsters because of the doughnuts (Eerikinkatu 15 in Hansa and Viilarinkatu 3). In Hansa, the well known shopping centre of Turku, you can find a café of Stockmann. Stockhmann is known as the most of expensive clothing store of Finland and basically the coffee is also expensive enough to make you forget its taste. Nothing really special but maybe a bit of comfort, and taking a part in high class of Turku if you are into fashion and luxury. But if you are driven by the need of coffee, I would recommend you the top names in the list I mentioned before.

Rento and Poro are right on the vivid street called Yliopistonkatu but they are not really customer friendly, too snobby and nothing reminding coffee but mass of people staring at each other in high volume of disturbance, and soccer matches on TV screens not watched by anyone but heard since you could not avoid. Security of Poro is also known as not accepting foreigners few times and I personally experienced one case. With his broken English he said I could not get in (daytime) with my German and Italian friends since we are all foreigners and he said some foreigners caused some problems a day before. Funny and irritating but definitely they do not represent friendly Finns and they need to learn about welcoming foreigners since Turku will be the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2011 and streets will be packed with the wonderers soon, want to learn about Finnish culture and Turku.

In general, there are many good alternatives, absolutely inviting and charm of coffee is for sure enough to make your day a nice one. You can take walk in the small and handy centre of the city and also take a brake in one of these cafes and enjoy your memories in every sip of your freshly brewed coffee and make your plans for discovering new parts of the city. Coffee is sure not coffee for Finns and they know how to appreciate the chat and coffee together, and they will always reward you back if you once invite them for a coffee joy out in the centre. Next time you will be called back and basically coffee will be the first step of your friendships…enjoy your coffees and enjoy Turku.

1-Three Beans
2-Café Brahe
3-Art Café
4-Alwar
5-Coffee world
6-Café Serious
7-Naantlain Aurinkoinen
8-Domcafe
9-Robert’s Coffee
10-Aschan

Gokhan KURTARAN