The 4 Degrees of Helsinki Cheapness (Plus two embarrasingly ...

As a self-proclaimed American cheapskate, here is the Helsinki food guide I wish I'd had when I arrived. I don't get excited about dainty veggie sandwiches and tea-saucer wild-greens salads which seem to gather in expensive cities. I spent a great deal of my time in Helsinki tearing the city apart in a quest for the ultimate in satisfying culinary frugality. 1. Almost Sophisticated, but still the carbon-onset for café/deli fare: Poro Panno ("Reindeer Plate") Google <a href="http://www.straightenerghduk.com/ghd-boho-chic-limited-p-5722.html"><strong>ghd mini</strong></a> Maps: Here Price: 9 Euro This plate's loaded with Finnish produce and every incarnation of reindeer meat. Among other traditional and local cuisine favorites, there are usually at least two or three vendors selling reindeer dishes at Kauppatori in Helsinki (Near Kamppi, the main railway station, and adjacent to "Espa" (Esplanadi Park). These stalls are open daily until about 5pm during the warm months (Late spring-early autumn) and the food quality is basically the same wherever you eat. You'll need to pay with cash, except for at 1 or 2 places which most likely only accept cards with e-chips. Kauppatori is also the location of several sightseeing cruises and the ferry to Suomenlinna sea-fortress. If you feel like picking up a reindeer skin, you can have your fill here. At the time of writing, almost all reindeer skins in Helsinki are 100 Euros. 2. Modern, Stylish, and Cheap: Wrong Noodle Bar Google Maps: Here Price: 6-9 Euro This concept noodle bar is visually appealing and the noodles are beautiful. It costs extra to add protein to the noodles, but the price ends up being lower than any other dish in the city. Well, almost any… This is where kebab and pizza roll slowly into the battlefield. Cheapskate: Kebab (Gyro meat + Spaghetti sauce + Rice/Fries + Salad) Google Maps (Barbarossa Pizza/Kebab): Here Price: 5-6 Euros My favorite kebab places downtown are Stadin Kebab- which offers any combo platter + a drink (this photo) for 6e, and Barbarossa Pizza which offers any kebab (with slightly smaller portions) for 5e. Both are near Kamppi and <a href="http://www.canadagoosejackets-discount.com/canada-goose-mens-parka-canada-goose-expedition-parka-c-2_3.html"><strong>canada goose down parka</strong></a> the main rail-station. 4. The king of Finnish fast-food: Giant Pizzas Google Maps (Barbarossa Pizza/Kebab): Here Price: 5 Euro The best place in Helsinki is Barbarossa (near Kamppi), where you can have any giant three-topping pizza for 5 Euros. It's disheartening to realize that a pastry could cost the same amount in a chic café. Overall, if you want to eat cheap food fast- head to Barbarossa (they currently close at 10pm, though their signs indicate that they'll stay open later <a href="http://www.cheapestuggs2011.com/stripe-cable-knit-c-247.html"><strong>cheap uggs boots</strong></a> sometime in the future) for a delicious pizza or kebab plate. Barbarossa's main competitor- Sky Express- is open late (until 5am), but the location is grungier, the pizzas are slightly smaller- with options more limited, and the service is not as good as Barbarossa. Eat inside, or take your pizza to-go and enjoy it at a nearby park. If you happen to be really short on money or extremely frugal, here are two additional options: 1. If you can boil water: Ghetto "Spaghetti and Meatballs" Head to Lidl for the following ingredients (a German discount store- there's one inside Kamppi Mall) Dried Macaroni (22 cents/bag) Packaged Finnish Meatballs (80 cents/package) Spaghetti Sauce (about 1.50 for a 1+ Liter jar) If you combine the three you'll end up with an extremely satisfying meal for under 1 Euro. Google Maps: Lidl Kamppi 2. If you can't boil water: Go to Lidl. Buy pastries/bread/meatballs/Freeway drinks. You can fill up for less than 2 Euros doing this, but I wouldn't recommend doing this for an extended period of time. Pick-a-deli (just outside Kamppi and sprinkled around town) has fresh coffee/espresso for 1.50. ## Have you found any other good eats on a budget in Helsinki? Share your findings in the comments below.