Hietalahti Market Hall – a culinary trip around the world
Hietalahti Market Hall is an old market hall located by Hietalahti Market Square in Helsinki. Today, the building serves as a restaurant and café hall that provides atmospheric culinary trips around the world: to the Philippines, Japan, France, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East… At breakfast, lunch and dinner.
An eventful past
Although the building designed by architect Selim A. Lindqvist in 1903 used to be believed to have originally been a Russian horse barracks, it has served as a market hall from the very beginning. It was long known for its foods. However, at the turn of the millennium, traditional market hall operations were ceased, the hall was renovated and its interior was restored. In December 2001, the hall was reopened as a so-called organic product hall that sold primarily organic foods. However, this business idea did not prove successful, and in late 2003 the hall became Hietalahti Antiques and Art Hall, which focused on the trade in art, antiques and collector’s items.
Return to food
In the autumn 2012, work began to turn the hall back into a food market hall. The building was returned to its original purpose as a market hall in 2013. At that time, some twenty vendors moved in from the Old Market Hall in Eteläranta for the duration of its renovations, which lasted more than a year.
Since 2015, Hietalahti Market Hall has profiled itself as a restaurant and café hub in particular. The building provides atmospheric culinary trips around the world: to the Philippines, Japan, France, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East… At breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Flea market and summer terrace
For decades, the market square next to Hietalahti Market Hall has served in the summertime as the legendary Hietsu flea market. In recent summers, the restaurateurs of the market hall have also livened up the market square with terrace operations.
Hietalahti Market Hall is developed and its premises are leased out by Helsinki City Premises Ltd, a company owned entirely by the City of Helsinki.
