IISI Vallisaari
Helsinki's only island wine bar. A 19th-century fortress island in the Baltic archipelago. Open 150 days a year.
4.7 on TripAdvisor · 9,000+ Instagram followers · #103 of 1,781 Helsinki restaurants
The Island Wine Bar That Shouldn't Exist
Twenty minutes by ferry from Helsinki's Market Square, there's a fortress island where someone decided to build a wine bar. Not a restaurant that happens to serve wine. Not a tourist trap capitalizing on the setting. A proper wine bar — sommelier-led tastings, natural wines from small European producers, Mediterranean varietals poured where the Baltic Sea meets the Finnish archipelago.
Vallisaari was a military fortress for centuries, closed to the public until 2016. The gun emplacements are still there, overgrown with birch and wildflowers. The torpedo storage tunnels are crumbling. And on the terrace overlooking a tiny harbour called Torpedolahti, IISI serves Etna Rosso and Albariño while the wind carries the salt air and the sun refuses to set.
The scarcity is real. The island is only accessible from May to September — about 150 days a year. The ferry is the only way in or out. When the last boat leaves, the island belongs to the rabbits and the ruins.
"Italian wine on a Finnish fortress island while the sun doesn't set. This is what 60 degrees north tastes like."
What It Looks Like
The Island
The seaside terrace at Cafe IISI
Golden hour tastings
Fortress ruins on the island path
The 20-minute ferry crossing
Sommelier-led island tastings
Tapas at IISI Bistro
The Venues
Two Venues, One Island
Cafe IISI
Near the ferry dock. Coffee, champagne, and the famous fries-with-champagne ritual that locals swear by. Sea-view terrace seats 60.
Thu–Sun · Near ferry dock
IISI Bistro
At Torpedolahti harbour, backed by fortress walls. Best salmon soup in the archipelago. Container restaurant at a small marina.
Thu–Sun · Torpedolahti
Wine Events
Sommelier-led tastings and festivals on the Cafe IISI terrace. 5 wines with tapas while the city glows on the horizon.
Fri & Sat 13:00 & 17:00 · €45–89/person
What's Pouring
Summer 2026
Mediterranean soul on a Baltic fortress island. Curated wines from small European producers — the bottles that survive the ferry crossing.
18 wines · 6 countries
Bollicine 2 wines
Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut
Col Vetoraz · Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy
Glera · Crisp green apple, white flowers, fine persistent mousse
€42/btl
Cava Brut Reserva
Gramona · Penedès, Spain
Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada · Brioche, citrus, toasted almond, elegant bubbles
€48/btl
Bianchi 5 wines
Albariño
Pazo Señorans · Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain
Albariño · Citrus peel, white peach, saline minerality, long finish
€49/btl
Etna Bianco DOC
Benanti · Etna, Sicily, Italy
Carricante · Mineral, lemon blossom, almond, volcanic smoke
€52/btl
Assyrtiko
Sigalas · Santorini, Greece
Assyrtiko · Razor-sharp acidity, sea salt, citrus, flinty minerality
€56/btl
Grüner Veltliner Federspiel
Petra Unger · Kremstal, Austria
Grüner Veltliner · White pepper, green herbs, crisp pear, vibrant acidity
€44/btl
Vermentino di Sardegna
Argiolas · Sardinia, Italy
Vermentino · Herbs, citrus zest, sea breeze, refreshing finish
€40/btl
Rosati 2 wines
Côtes de Provence Rosé
Château Miraval · Provence, France
Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle · Pale salmon, strawberry, white peach, dry elegant finish
€54/btl
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo
Cataldi Madonna · Abruzzo, Italy
Montepulciano · Wild cherry, herbs, refreshing grip
€38/btl
Naturali 2 wines
Vitovska
Zidarich · Carso, Friuli, Italy
Vitovska · Amber gold, dried apricot, honey, tannic structure
€58/btl
Rkatsiteli Amber
Pheasant's Tears · Kakheti, Georgia
Rkatsiteli · Dried herbs, beeswax, walnut, gentle tannins
€48/btl
Rossi 5 wines
Etna Rosso DOC
Planeta · Etna, Sicily, Italy
Nerello Mascalese · Red cherry, volcanic ash, dried herbs, silky tannins
€52/btl
Rioja Crianza
López de Heredia · Rioja, Spain
Tempranillo, Garnacha · Vanilla, dried strawberry, leather, complex and long
€48/btl
Côtes du Rhône Villages
Domaine de la Janasse · Rhône Valley, France
Grenache, Syrah · Dark fruit, garrigue herbs, warm spice, velvety
€44/btl
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Tenuta Ferrante · Abruzzo, Italy
Montepulciano · Plum, dark cherry, soft tannins, generous and warm
€38/btl
Xinomavro
Kir-Yianni · Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece
Xinomavro · Tomato leaf, dried roses, firm tannins, earthy complexity
€52/btl
Dolci 2 wines
Moscato d'Asti DOCG
Paolo Saracco · Piedmont, Italy
Moscato Bianco · Peach, elderflower, honey, gentle fizz
€36/btl
Vin Santo del Chianti
Isole e Olena · Tuscany, Italy
Trebbiano, Malvasia · Dried apricot, caramel, hazelnut, endless finish
Wines change with the season. Ask the sommelier what's new.
Full menu at iisivallisaari.fi →Things To Do
Wine Experiences
IISI Vallisaari Island Wine Tasting
Take a 20-minute ferry from Helsinki's Market Square to Vallisaari, a 19th-century fortress island in the Baltic archipelago. On the seaside terrace of IISI — Helsinki's only island wine bar — a sommelier guides you through 5 wines paired with a tapas buffet. During midsummer, the sun barely dips below the horizon. You're drinking Mediterranean wines at 60°N while ferries glide past and the fortress walls catch the last light. IISI claims to host more wine tastings than any other venue in Finland.
IISI Long Table Dinner on the Fortress Terrace
A multi-course wine dinner served communal-style on IISI Bistro's harbour terrace at Torpedolahti. Each course paired with wines introduced by the sommelier. The setting — a former torpedo bay turned restaurant terrace, overlooking a small marina with fortress ruins behind — exists nowhere else. Dinners run on select evenings through the summer season (May-September). Limited to roughly 40 seats per evening.
Wine Dating at IISI Vallisaari
Every Thursday during the summer season, IISI hosts wine dating on the fortress island — singles meet over curated wines and a tapas buffet, guided by a sommelier who introduces each wine before circulating for personal conversations. The ferry ride creates a natural threshold: by the time you step onto the island, you've already left the city behind. EUR 59 per person, ferry ticket not included.
IISI Wine & Music Festival
An annual one-day festival on Vallisaari fortress island featuring 100+ wines, live music, contemporary art, and a wine auction. Held in the repurposed military structures and terraces of the island. Pay-per-wine format lets you explore at your own pace. The 2025 edition coincided with the Helsinki Biennial, blending wine culture with international contemporary art on this car-free island 20 minutes from the city.
What People Say
Visitor Reviews
"The staff was amazing! Wines were great and the tapas buffet was good!"
"Had the salmon soup, and it was fantastic! The location is stunning and the host incredibly friendly."
"A great spot to end my trip to beautiful Vallisaari island. Sit by the sea and listen to the water."
The Season Won't Wait
IISI Vallisaari opens in May and closes when the last ferry runs in September. No winter visits. No off-season pop-ups. When the season ends, the island returns to the rabbits and the ruins.
Book Before the Season Ends →Getting There
The JT-Line ferry departs from Kauppatori (Market Square) in central Helsinki. The crossing to Vallisaari takes about 20 minutes. Round-trip tickets cost approximately €14 for adults; children under 7 ride free.
Ferries run regularly from May through September, with extended evening service on event nights. IISI coordinates dinner and tasting schedules with ferry departures so you'll never be stranded — though staying longer is always tempting.
From the ferry dock, Cafe IISI is a 2-minute walk. IISI Bistro at Torpedolahti is about 10 minutes through the forested island paths, past the old gun emplacements and fortress ruins.
Practical Information
Season
May – September
~150 days per year
Location
Vallisaari, Helsinki
60.1568°N, 24.9882°E
Cafe IISI Hours
Thu 10–20 | Fri–Sat 10–21 | Sun 12–17
Tastings
Fri & Sat at 13:00 and 17:00
€45–89 per person
Ferry
From Kauppatori, 20 min
€14 round-trip
Explore the Helsinki Wine Trail
IISI Vallisaari is the anchor stop on our Helsinki Wine Trail — a curated route through the city's best wine bars, from fortress island tastings to downtown natural wine haunts.
View the Full TrailVisit IISI Vallisaari
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Open the Wine Memories app to check in at IISI Vallisaari, complete tasting steps, and earn your Helsinki wine achievements.
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