A new café has opened on the third floor of the Ateneum Art Museum in the heart of Helsinki

A new café has just opened on the third floor of the Ateneum Art Museum. Café Höijer, named after the architect Theodor Höijer, who designed the Ateneum building, offers classic café products served to table. The café also serves a diverse selection of wines and coffees.

“Art museums are unique operating environments for restaurants. The history and setting of the Ateneum building provide a special atmosphere for a restaurant. Both food and art, at their best, offer powerful experiences, and with the launch of Café Höijer, the two go even more hand in hand at the Ateneum”, says the CEO of Soupster Family, Kim Heiniö.

Soupster is also the restaurateur of the Ateneum Bistro, which, in addition to café products, serves a buffet lunch, straightforward plated dishes, and its popular afternoon tea menu. Located on street level in the museum, the Ateneum Bistro is open to everyone and accepts table reservations. Café Höijer, however, does not offer table bookings, and because the café is located in the middle of the exhibition spaces, it is only open to museum visitors.

“The Ateneum Bistro and Café Höijer complement each other perfectly, completing the Ateneum’s restaurant offering. Original and high-quality museum cafés are very popular both in Finland and abroad, and they form an important part of a museum visit. I am glad that in the future we will be able to offer our visitors art experiences, but also a double helping of culinary experiences”, says the director of the Ateneum Art Museum, Marja Sakari.

The new exhibition, Colour & Light – The Legacy of Impressionism, opened on 20 October 2023. The exhibition is housed on the third floor of the Ateneum, and it will run until 25 February 2024. Café Höijer will be open during the opening hours of the temporary exhibitions staged on the third floor of the Ateneum. The café will be closed in between exhibitions, due to the moving of artworks and the setting up of exhibitions.

Over the years, room 3.13, which now accommodates Café Höijer, has housed, for example, the painting studio of the Finnish Art Society, Studio N of the Finnish National Gallery’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and sometimes a pop-up café. The space has also served as an exhibition gallery for the Ateneum.

“The high space is dominated by the beautiful green limestone floor and a huge arched window that overlooks the Railway Square. The large chandeliers and the wall lights that line the room, as well as the harmonious colour scheme, create a warm and peaceful atmosphere in the café. The long sofas and classic chairs invite you to sit down, and you can even spot gastropod fossils in the limestone tabletops. All this provides a great setting for a classic café”, says Päivi Meuronen, of JKMM Architects, who was responsible for the Café Höijer design.

Café Höijer opening hours: Tue–Fri 12:00–19:00 | Sat, Sun 12:00–17:00 | Mon closed

Ateneum opening hours: Tue–Fri 10:00–20:30 | Sat, Sun 10:00–17:00 | Mon closed

Admission fees: Normal admission fee €20 | Concessions €12 | Free admission for children under 18 years
People aged 18 to 24 are eligible for concession tickets in 2023.