On the upper floor of Hakaniemi market hall, the evening sun pours through the tall windows of a stately, 6-meter-tall restaurant space. Kirsikka, the market hall’s first-ever restaurant to serve customers even outside regular opening hours, soaks in soft, warm light. Located in what used to be the hall’s staff room, Kirsikka protrudes history and a one-of-a-kind market hall atmosphere.

Respecting the historically and culturally significant building was at the core of the design process. The carefully planned details are a playful ode to the original market hall aesthetic; orange-striped banquette benches echo the traditional market stalls just a stone’s throw away. Drinks are served from the bar, a former cobbler’s workshop with its original storefront intact. Joyful evenings are spent sitting on vintage Nikari chairs, while dinner is served on granite tabletops sourced domestically from Rantamäki.

The restaurant is also an homage to modern Finnish art and design. Pieces of art – one more delicious than the other – serve as the cherry on top. The interiors were created in close collaboration with Restauranteur Ville Relander. In addition to Ville, visitors are greeted by the restaurant’s cleverly humoristic centerpiece, Anssi Kasitonni’s Nunc Est Bebandum. Here’s to joy, art, culture, and the ever-charming Kirsikka!