This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink: 
Budget  Under ?10 
Mid-range  ?10-30 
Splurge  Over ?30 

Budget
Budget choices are largely limited to fast food, although there are a couple of workaday Finnish eateries in the mix. In addition to McDonalds and its Finnish imitators Hesburger/Carrols, Helsinki is also full of pizza and kebab places, where a meal typically costs around ?7-8 (sometimes as low as ?4-5, especially in Kallio). A more healthy option is Unicafe, a chain of restaurants owned by the Helsinki University student union, which has around 10 outlets in central Helsinki and offers full meals from ?5.70, including vegetarian options.

Bar No 9, Uudenmaankatu 9. Popular bar that also serves a variety of dishes with a twist of cross-kitchen style, priced from ?4.90-15.90, most main courses under ?10. Tends to be packed at lunch and dinner time.
Chilli, Keskuskatu 6 (and other outlets around time). Cheap kebab, shawarma, and falafel. Large portions, though be warned that this isn't your traditional Middle Eastern fare. Pitas come with something akin to spaghetti sauce inside. Filling choice, especially on a budget.
Golden Rax, Forum second floor, Mannerheimintie 20 / Mikonkatu 8. Cheap and greasy, all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. Includes soggy pasta, wilted salad, and drinks. ?9.50 per person, ?1.50 extra if you want ice-cream. There is also a salad-only menu which costs ?6.50.
Happiness Thai Buffet, Kaisaniemi Metro station. Open M-F 11AM-8PM, Sa Su noon-7PM. Decent Thai food with vegetarian options in an all-you-can-eat buffet, single dishes also available. Do yourself a favor and pass the coffee though. Buffet ?7.90, single servings ?7.
Kahvila Suomi, Pursimiehenkatu 12, tel. +358 9 657422. Huge portions of tasty no-nonsense Finnish food like meatballs and mashed potatoes, which explains the dock workers that crowd here at lunchtime. The Japanese tourists, on the other hand, come because the cult hit movie Kamome Shokudo was filmed here! Most mains under ?10, priced sandwiches available. Open M-F till 9 pm.
La Famiglia, Keskuskatu 3, tel. +358 9 85685680. 11AM-midnight daily. Unpretentious Italian food even for under ?10, although the most of the items on the menu should be listed under the Mid-price section. The weekday lunch buffet of soup, salad and two kinds of pasta (?7-10) is still a particularly good value.
Pasta La Vista, Mikonkatu 8 (Ateneum). Pick a pasta, a filling and a sauce, for ?7.70-8.70. Menu changes often, vegetarian options also available.
Pelmenit, Kustaankatu 7 (close to Sörnäinen metro station). Serves pelmeny (Russian dumplings), blini (Russian crepes), soups and salads. The menu depends on the mood of the Russian owner. Prices around 6 euros for a dish.
Sky Express, Annankatu 31. A pizza spot very close to the city center. It's a relatively small place, but the service is very fast and the place is open late at night. Opens around 11AM, and closes at 11PM (10PM on Sundays). Try the Päivän jättipizza ("Daily giant pizza"), which is a large, thin pizza with a varying selection of fillings plus a 0.4 liter soft drink for ?6, which is almost unbeatably cheap.
Unicafe Ylioppilasaukio, Mannerheimintie 3 B. Open M-F 11AM-7PM, Sa 11AM-5PM. The biggest and most centrally located student restaurant and cafeteria is only a two-minute walk away from the main railway station. The lunch price is only ?4-6 including drink, bread and the salad buffet, and ?2.35 if you happen to own a Finnish student card.
VPK, Albertinkatu 29. M-F 11AM-3PM. Run by the Volunteer Fire Brigade, this restaurant serves a daily changing buffet of hearty Finnish fare in a cafeteria straight from the 1950s, complete with grim portraits of moustached Hosemasters staring down at you. Pea soup and pancakes on Thursday are particularly popular. ?7.70 per head.
Wrong Noodle Bar, Yliopistonkatu 5. M-F 10AM-9PM. Sa noon-9PM, S 1PM-7PM. Asian-European fast food concept. ?7-10 per head.
Singapore Hot Wok, Kamppi Shopping Centre, E floor, Urho Kekkosen katu 5 B. Select from a few tasty plates of Wok. ?9.50 per head.

Mid-range
Finnish

Cella, Fleminginkatu 15. Established 1969, this is one of the oldest restaurants in the Kallio disctrict, serving classic Finnish food with lots of grease and salt. For a "real" restaurant (not fast food) in Helsinki it's reasonably priced, around ? 10-20 for main dishes. The chef himself often serves the food, complete with a sexist joke or an insult, and may even force feed you the leftovers if you don't finish your meal! Also serves as a pub with a decent selection of beers, ciders and single malts.
Juuri, Korkeavuorenkatu 27, +358 9 635 732. Tiny restaurant known for its special Finnish entrées called sapakset (a play on tapas), with roots in Finnish food tradition. Try the cabbage roll with crayfish or the egg cheese with marjoram. All sapakset ?4.3, main dishes ?24. Lunch sets ?7.5-10. Open M-F 11AM-2PM (lunch) & 4PM-10PM (à la carte), Sa noon-10PM, Su 4PM-10PM.
Kappeli, Eteläesplanadi 1. Traditional Finnish dishes - reindeer, fish, etc. Some of the prices are on the high end of mid-range, but you should get polite service and well-prepared food with a lovely presentation. Cozy, relaxed, relatively quiet atmosphere (although the restaurant is apparently well-known and therefore might be more crowded during late evenings & tourist season). The roasted lamb with garlic potatoes is a good choice, as is their take on Finnish-style blueberry pie. They also offer a cheaper self-service cafe on the left side of the restaurant, along with a bar (opened in 1867) in the middle of the building. Main lunch dishes ?14-18, main dinner dishes about ?15-36.
Konstan Möljä, Hietalahdenkatu 14, +358 9 694 7504. Traditional Finnish food. Lunch buffet ?7.90, main dishes ?15+, dinner buffet ?18. Very nice if you want to try all kinds of Finnish meals!
Kosmos, Kalevankatu 3, +358 9 647 255. A Helsinki institution dating to 1924, proudly serving "Helsinkian" food - a melange of Russian, French and Swedish influences. Try one of the three classics: Vorschmack with duchess potatoes, the Sylvester Sandwich au gratin and Baltic herrings with mashed potatoes. Mains ?15-25. Trams: 3B/T, 4, 6, 10
Kynsilaukka (Garlic), Fredrikinkatu 22, +358 9 651939. Good Finnish-influenced food from people truly dedicated to garlic. From the wonderfully intense garlic butter served with the bread to the sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle overtones in most of the dishes, this place is a delight for the garlic lover. Portion sizes are large, so if you're saving room for dessert (and you should), either skip the starters or else order the smaller size of both starter and main dish. The cinnamon pie dessert is particularly recommended. Main dishes ?12-28. Trams: 3B/T. Open M-F 11AM-11PM, Sa Su 1PM-11PM.
Manala, Dagmarinkatu 2, +358 9 5807 7707. The name may mean "Hell" and their motto "For devilish hunger and hellish thirst", but it's actually an understated white-linen-cloth restaurant serving traditional Finnish food and wood-fired pizzas. Open 11AM-4AM (Sa Su 2PM-4AM), lunch menus M-F 11AM-2PM. Main dishes ?10-18. Trams: 3B/T, 4, 7A/B, 10.
Messenius, Messeniuksenkatu 7, tel. +358 9 2414950. This fine neighbourhood place outside the city centre is famed for the "catch of the day", often caught by the fishing enthusiast owners themselves. Also fairly good steaks for the carnivores amongst us.
Perho, Mechelininkatu 7, +358 9 508 786 49. Run by a cooking school, the cooks and waiters are all enthusiastic students, so the quality of food and service are good. Serves traditional Finnish and Russian food, set menus ?20 to ?30 including wine. Open M-Sa 11AM-11PM, Sun noon-5PM.
Ravintola N:o 11 (Restaurant Nr. 11), Pihlajatie 34, +358 9 477 2863. This classic neighbourhood eatery in the Meilahti district, long known as Kuusihokki, recently reverted to its original 1946 name by its new owners who also improved the kitchen. The menu consists of basic but superbly executed classics such as salmon soup. The fantastic original 40s interior is also worth seeing.
Sea Horse, Kapteeninkatu 11, +358 9 628 169. Established in 1933 as a basic eatery, this joint has slowly become a local legend affectionately known as Sikala ("Pigsty"), and both the decor and the menu are still preserved from the 1950s. A long-time Wallpaper Magazine favourite. Try the famous herring dishes or the onion steak. Meals between ?10-30.
Weeruska, Porvoonkatu 18, +358 (0)20 7424 270. Serves simple, but tasty, home-made style food. The clientele at lunch is primarily blue-collar workers and the portions are sized accordingly. Meals between ?8-17.
Zetor, Kaivopiha, Mannerheimintie 3-5, +358 9 666 966. Tourist restaurant with lots of character and great quality Finnish food. Plenty of old tractors and Finnish memorabilia. Main meals between ?10-20.

International

Central Helsinki is dominated by restaurants dedicated to international cuisine, and these are particularly useful for vegetarian visitors, Finnish food being largely meat-based. A particular touch is provided by a bunch of "Nepalese" restaurants, which actually serve generic north Indian food, but almost any of which you are guaranteed to leave happy and full. Localized Chinese and Italian cuisines are also well represented.
Kämp Café, Pohjoisesplanadi 29, ? +358 9 5840 9530 (kamp_cafe@hotelkamp.fi). M-W 11:30AM-midnight, Th-F 11:30AM-1PM, Sa noon-1PM, Su noon-midnight.  

Restaurant Carlito's Helsinki, Kluuvikatu 4, ? +358 9 1345 6749 (carlitoskluuvikatu@palacekamp.fi). M-Th 11:30AM-10PM, Fr 11:30AM-10:30PM, Sa 1PM-10:30PM.. Carlito's is located in the corner of Aleksanterinkatu and Kluuvikatu in the centre of Helsinki. Its specialities are gourmet pizzas, large salads and pastas made of high quality ingredients. .  
Belge, Kluuvikatu 5 (Kauppakeskus Kluuvi), +358 9 6229620. A reasonable selection of Belgian beers, a nice range of bistro fare, and a good location for people watching. The dining room upstairs is non-smoking. Main dishes ?12-17.
Benjam's Bistro, Dagmarinkatu 5, tel: +358 9 492 322. You want home made Italian cooking in Helsinki? Here it is. Benjam's is run by an Italian family. Atmosphere is cozy, but some of the food comes directly from the supermarket, tortellini and many desserts, for example. Main dishes ?10-15.
Pikku-Nepal, Annankatu 29, +358 9 6931778. A very good "Nepalese" restaurant. Main dishes ?13-25. Good vegetarian options.
Everest, Luotsikatu 12 A, +358 9 6942563. A well-known "Nepalese" (north Indian) restaurant. Main dishes ?10-20.
Gastone, Korkeavuorenkatu 45, +358 9 666116. Nice restaurant with an Italian flavor. Reservations suggested, particularly on the weekend.
Mai Thai, Annankatu 31-33, +358 9 685 6850. One of the best Thai restaurants in Helsinki - simply incredible! Make sure to reserve a table in advance, and heed the chilli ratings when ordering.
Mandarin Court, Lönnrotinkatu 2, +358 9 278 2700. Finland's first attempt at an authentic Chinese restaurant, seems to get watered down more and more every year but still has a nice selection of dim sum. Main dishes ?11-15.
Mesta, Postikuja 2 (Sanomatalo, 2nd floor), ? +358-9-68121450. Lunch 11AM-3PM M-F, dinner 5-10PM M-Sa. Cheeky, stylish "modern Russian" eatery, serving up reasonable fare at reasonable prices. ?9 lunch sets of pelmeny or blinis and the ?12/22 "Zapuska" buffet table for dinner are great value.  
Meze Point, Mikonkatu 8, +358 9 6222 625. Mediterranean meze plates, several vegetarian dishes. Excellent vegetarian moussaka. Main dishes ?15-20.
Mt. Everest, Lapinlahdenkatu 17, +358 9 6831 5450. Good Nepalese food. Main dishes ?10-20.
New Bamboo Center, Annankatu 29, +358 9 6943117. Well-known and popular downtown Malaysian-Chinese restaurant. Cheap lunch/dinner. Vegan-friendly with several vegan dishes. If you like elbow room you might want to pass on this restaurant, since the seating is somewhere between "intimate" and "cramped". The food is very good, though.
Prego, Fabianinkatu 16. Fresh Italian fare, fast but delicious. Half-salads start around ?5 (full around ?8) and main dishes around ?11. Wine by the glass or bottle.
Sawat Dee, Alppikatu 5, +358 9 773 2745. Serves very tasty Thai food in a milieu resembling backwoods gas station bar. Main dishes ?10-12, lunch set ?7.5.
Empire Plaza, Urho Kekkosen katu 1, Kamppi Shopping Centre. Tasty Chinese food. Main dishes ?7-20, lunch buffet ?8.5.
Colorado Bar & Grill, Simonkatu 9. [151] Tasty Tex-Mex food. Main dishes ?10-25.
Cantina West, Kasarmikatu 23. [152] Tasty Tex-Mex food. Famous for it's Pork Baby Ribs(?18). Main dishes ?10-25.
Tamarin, Iso Roobertinkatu 18, Fredrikinkatu 49, Eteläesplanadi 4. [153] Tasty Thai food. Main dishes around ?14, lunch buffet ?8.5.

Vegetarian

Silvoplee, Toinen linja 3, +358 9 726 0900. Vegetarian restaurant specializing in living and raw foods but also serves warm dishes. Buffet, pay per weight. Closed on Sun.
Vegemesta, Vaasankatu 6, +358 44 9385 212. This take out restaurant has the best vegetarian burgers you could imagine. Ask for your burger with dark bread. Cash only. You can get there by taking metro to Sörnäinen.
Zucchini, Fabianinkatu 4. Cozy vegetarian lunch restaurant with a daily changing soup and main dish (around ?9). Open M-F 11AM-4PM (lunch served the whole time).

Splurge

Two classes of fine dining stand out in Helsinki: fresh seafood and Russian. During the dark days of the Soviet Union, it was sometimes said that the best Russian restaurants in the world were across the border in Helsinki. For something authentically Finnish and uniquely Helsinki, try Vorschmack, an unusual but surprisingly tasty mix of minced lamb and herring, served with chopped pickles and sour cream (smetana).

Finnish

Boathouse, Liuskasaari island, ? +358 9 622 7 1070 (boathouse@palacekamp.fi). Open in summer (1st of May until 30th September 2010). Located in Liuskasaari island, Boathouse offers seasonal kitchen and a wide selection of wines.  
Carelia, Mannerheimintie 56, tel. +358 9 27090976 - Finnish-French with a strong fish and seafood emphasis. Oysters and other seafood in winter, local fish in the summer season. Located in the premises of an old pharmacy with some of the pharmacy interior still intact. One of the best (if not the best) wine cellars in town: there are 37 different champagnes alone on the wine list.
Chez Dominique. Rikhardinkatu 4, tel. +358 9 612 7393. Finland's only Michelin two-star restaurant, run by famed Finnish chef Hans Välimäki. Set dinner courses of innovative French food with fresh Finnish ingredients and modern twists start at ?79 per head, not including drinks. Those wishing to sample the full range of delights in this restaurant should expect to pay ?250 or more. Reservations essential. Trams 3B and 10.
FishMarket, Pohjoisesplanadi 17, ? +358 9 1345 6220 (fishmarket@palacekamp.fi). Lunch: Open on request. Dinner: M-F 6PM-11:30PM, Sa 5PM-11:30PM, Sun closed.. High quality seafood restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. FishMarket is located in the corner of the Kauppatori market place, easy to reach by Trams 1 and 1A.  
Havis, Eteläranta 16, tel. +358 9 68695660. The successor of the legendary Havis Amanda, "Daughter of the Baltic", and still the best upscale seafood restaurant in town. Trams 1 and 1A.
Karljohan, Yrjönkatu 21, tel. +358 9 6121121. Very nice restaurant opposite the Hotel Torni with Swedish and Finnish traditional cooking and keeping high standards. On Thursdays, try the traditional lunch of pea soup and pancake.
Olo, Kasarmikatu 44, tel. +358 9 665 565 Combines North European ingredients into a modern Scandinavian cuisine while using seasons best ingredients available.
Postres, Eteläesplanadi 8, ? +358-9-663300. Tu-F 11:30AM-2PM, 6PM-midnight, Sa 6PM-midnight. Airy restaurant with one Michelin star and great views of Esplanadi park, serving elaborate modern cuisine, but with plenty of Finnish ingredients like local fish, dill, liquorice, cloudberries, etc. Despite the name, there's nothing Spanish about the place, and the desserts are perhaps the weakest point of the menu. Reservations essential for dinner, but for their great value three-course lunches you may be able to sneak in without one. Lunch from ?29, dinner from ?53.  
Rivoli, Albertinkatu 38, tel. +358 9 643455. Traditional fine dining restaurant quite close to the SAS Royal and Scandic Simonkentta hotels. Specialities include oysters, shellfish and mussels in season (this was the first place in Finland to import them) and zander in an onion and cream sauce (traditional style).
Saaga, Bulevardi 34 B, tel. +358 9 74255544. Traditional Lapp food in kitschy Lapp surroundings - reindeer horn chandeliers and the lot - but unlike some of the competition, they don't compromise on food quality. The octolingual menu runs the gamut from smoked elk to bear meatballs. Don't miss the buttermilk pancakes (äkäset) for dessert. ?50 for a full meal.
Särkänlinna, Särkänsaari island, ? +358 9 1345 6756 (sarkanlinna@palacekamp.fi). Särkänlinna offers a Nordic cuisine. Located Särkansaari island, it provides a magnificent premise for any kind of function from dinners for two to elegant weddings or private parties. Särkänlinna is especially famous for its traditional crayfish parties.

Savoy, Eteläesplanadi 14, tel. +358 9 684 4020. A luxurious restaurant with a magnificent view of downtown Helsinki's rooftops. Savoy is decorated just as Alvar Aalto designed it in the 30's, and they still serve some of the dishes that Field Marshal Mannerheim used to order, such as the famous Vorschmack (a comparatively cheap ?18). Other mains from ?40, while the opulent "Menu Savoy" will set you back ?102.

Russian

Bellevue, Rahapajankatu 3, tel. +358 9 179560. The oldest Russian restaurant in Helsinki was founded by emigrants from the Rodina in the turbulent year of 1917. Fitting location in the shadow of the Orthodox Uspensky Cathedral and a professional kitchen dishing out Russian traditional favorites with a French twist.
Kasakka, Meritullinkatu 13, tel. +358 9 135 6288. Less well-known thanks to its location slightly out of the way and on top of a steep hill to boot, this restaurant must be doing something right to have stayed in business since 1969. Mains ?20-30, set menus ?38-55.
Saslik, Neitsytpolku 12, +358 9 74255500. Traditional Russian delicacies. Russian music and decor of old samovars, stained-glass windows and paintings. Try traditional blinis or Saslik's bear specialities. Meals ?20-35, bear dishes ?66-76.
Wellamo, Vyökatu 9, tel. +358 9 663139. Not strictly Russian, but a longtime favorite of both bohemians and the Orthodox community from nearby Uspensky Cathedral. Apart from the wonderful Russian dishes, lighter Mediterranean fare is also available.

International

Farouge, Yrjönkatu 6, +358 9 6123455. Probably the only real Lebanese restaurant in Finland. Friendly service and excellent food. The hand made baklava might be the best this side of the Mediterranean. Main dishes ?14-38. Lunch M-Sa 11AM-3PM Closed Sun.
Kabuki, Lapinlahdenkatu 12, +358 9 694 9446. Helsinki's best-known Japanese restaurant and a favorite of Finnish celebrities, which explains the signed ice hockey jerseys and Star Wars memorabilia scattered throughout. Alas, while the food is decent, it's not quite the real thing. Reservations recommended for dinner. Closed Sat.
La Petite Maison, Huvilakatu 28, +358 (0)10 270 1704. Classic French cuisine on one of the most idyllic streets in Helsinki. Only 22 seats. Bib Gourmand recognition in the 2006 Michelin guide. Menus (three to six courses) ?61-89.
Mecca, Korkeavuorenkatu 34, ? +358 9 13456 200 (mecca@palacekamp.fi). Tu-S 6PM-midnight. Mecca offers creative kitchen and a unique selection of wines.  
Palace Gourmet, Eteläranta 10, 10th Floor, ? +358 9 1345 6715 (palacegourmet@palacekamp.fi). M-F 11.30AM-2.30PM and 6PM-midnight. Fine dining restaurant that also offers private rooms for meetings and events up to 500 guests.  
Sasso, Pohjoisesplanadi 17, ? +358 9 1345 6240 (sasso@palacekamp.fi). M-F noon-2.30PM (lunch) / 5.30PM-midnight (a la carte), Sa 5PM-midnight. Classic Italian fine dining restaurant with one of the largest Italian wine cellars in Helsinki. Menus (three to six courses) ?50-80.  
Tokyo55, Runeberginkatu 55, ? +358 10 841 1111. Tu-F 4PM-midnight, Sa 2PM-midnight. The speciality here is sushi, served up by Japanese chefs, but there are also Finnish-styled options like maki rolls with smoked salmon and dill. Good selection of sake and Japanese beers. ?30.  
Yume, Kluuvikatu 2, ? +358 9 576 11713 (yume@hotelkamp.fi), [172]. M-F 11.30AM-2.30PM (lunch) / M-Th 5PM-11PM & F 5PM-midnight (a la carte). Japanese restaurant. Modern Japanese cuisine and an extensive sake and tea list.