Breakfast at Lilla Roberts

Well, wasn’t this just the loveliest way to begin a new week! Me and my sister were invited to have breakfast at Lilla Roberts, and we naturally accepted the invitation gladly. I’ve never been at Lilla Roberts before and was quite eager to see the premises, and of course, to enjoy the breakfast.

Lilla Roberts is a stylish art deco hotel at Pikku Roobertinkatu, Punavuori, Helsinki. The hotel atmosphere is modern, yet cozy at the same time. Breakfast is served at the adjacent Krog Roba, which acts as an independent restaurant as well. This means you have to step to the street to reach the restaurant, which is always a bit of a bummer if you are an overnight guest at the hotel. The restaurant itself, though, is very nice with dimmed lighting and Finnish design objects. Breakfast tables are set with my favourite coffee mugs, the Tanssi-series by Iittala. 8 am on a Monday morning the place is filled with the hustle and bustle of hotel guests, but by 8:30 the hurry dies down so if you have a bit more time to sleep in, I recommend coming in a little later.

The breakfast prides itself to focus on quality and Finnish delicacies, and it shows. On the buffet table you find the traditional saaristolaisleipä (archipelago bread, which is a specific type of sweet rye bread – delicious) as well as carelian pies, home cheese, rhubarb pie and gravlax. Then you have your basic breakfast offerings such as porridge, eggs and bacon and a nice assortment of fruit (including cherries, which was a nice surprise!). Another Finnish novelty is the shot of buckthorn juice, which you can hardly call a juice since it’s so strong, but it is promised to be really good for you. What I loved especially was that in addition to yogurt, the breakfast buffet featured raw porridge with chia seeds as well as a berry quark, and the variety of toppings for those was impressive: everything from cereal and berries to coconut flakes, dried berries and different sorts of nuts.

While I can’t say anything about the rooms at Lilla Roberts, I definitely recommend its breakfast, which can be enjoyed by non-staying guests as well (24 € pp).

Location:

Pikku Roobertinkatu (or Pikku-Roba, as locals like to call it) is a nice location for a hotel. It is definitely within walking distance from the city centre which means great public transport connections anywhere you would like to go, but being a couple of blocks away from the main tourist sites, it also means a quieter area. Pikku-Roba is also the host for some of the best restaurants in Helsinki, try restaurant Ox, Vinkkeli and Pastis for some amazing dining experiences. And if you prefer something more relaxed, cross the street to Pikku-Roba’s big brother Iso Roobertinkatu (Iso-Roba) to find the best falafel pitas in town at Fafa’s. Pikku-Roba is also the home for the classic cultural arena Gloria as well as the newly opened G Livelab, which both host a range of music performances almost every night.

Lilla Roberts, Pikku Roobertinkatu 1-3, Helsinki. Website: lillaroberts.com