Sandro has been one of the most talked about restaurants in Helsinki for the past two years. They have restaurants in Kallio and Eira – both away from the city centre but worth the effort. Sandro serves Middle Eastern and North African fare. Having to queue in is not unheard of.
I have visited the Kallio restaurant several times for lunch and weekend brunch. Out of these two, I prefer the lunch as the salad buffet is really value for money. You will find salads, hummus, tzatziki, olives, couscous… Vegetarians will be happy for sure. Also gluten-free bread is served. The acoustics could be better though, as the noise level does rise a bit too much when the restaurant is full. Be warned that lunch times are very, very busy.
A while ago I visited Sandro Eira with two friends for dinner. It’s a very laid-back restaurant with a DJ playing music in the background in the evenings.
These pictures really do not do it justice – it does not look like a favela!
For dinner I had the Batbout Burger with pulled lamb. You can also go for confit duck or the vegetarian fatan if preferred. The burger was very tasty, which would be expected for Sandro. The hummus, mint yoghurt and zaalouk really complimented the lamb. Many of the dishes contain goat’s cheese but you can ask to replace it with tofu if that’s not your thing.
We were dismayed to be too full after our dinner to try the dessert buffet (12 €) as it looked very tempting.
Have you been to Sandro yet?
xx
The Life and Travels of Mrs Suvi 
We’ve been to Sandro Eira with our friends from Denmark. We heard a lot of good stuff about this place. The food was good indeed, and the atmosphere was cheerful. But the service was so-so. There were 8 of us and the dishes were arriving in a weird sequence, so we had to wait for each other. Then they gave us the bill with mistakes, and it took 2 more attempts to get it right. It wasn’t horrible, but we wanted to make an impression on our visitors, and felt a bit upset that it wasn’t a superb experience. Overall, I think I could go back there again for a regular dinner or lunch 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I totally understand what you mean. This happening when you want to impress your guests really is unacceptable! Personally I would not return after such an experience, hehe! Thank you for your comment!
LikeLike
Kiva kun kirjoittelet Helsingistä 🙂 Kaukana asuva mielellään lukee ihan arkipäivän asioista, uusista mutta tavallisista jutuista kuten ravintoloista, kahviloista, kaupoista, rakennuksista, muutoksista julkisessa liikenteessä, tapahtumista jne jne. Kera kivojen kuvien tietty.
I have been to Sandro a couple of times when visiting Helsinki. Yummy food, great atmosphere and a perfect place to see how hipster-green-artsy scene in Helsinki looks like. Yet way too noisy (dinnertime, lunchtime was ok) and crowded for someone who has reached middle-age 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kiitos, kun kommentoit ja luit CTmeetsHEL 😀
LikeLike
Kallion Sandro on tuttu. Niin hyvää sapuskaa. 😛 Melutaso on tosiaan aika kova, siitä miinusta. Mutta se ruoka, voi nam!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unfortunately not, sounds good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you have a chance, do visit! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person