Coffee, actually

A cafeteria that never seems to be open. Grandpas café. (Vaarin kahvila)

This lovely little cafeteria is located in the centre of Lahti (entrance from kauppahalli or the marketplace) and just happens to be one of our favourite places to sit down and have a cup of coffee and chat with old friends. Atmospheric wooden walls seem to enfold you to the aroma of fresh coffee and just-baked cardamom bread. It gives shelter from the cold, harsh wind and mean glances of the town residents. 

Mostly this lovely old-fashioned oasis on the middle of granite buildings is filled with elderly people browsing newspapers, tattling and looking back to the older days which isn’t bad at all, in fact pretty amusing. And when you would actually like to visit the place, it’s always closed. (Open Monday to Friday 7–16, Saturday 7–13) but every now and then, when there is no rush, sun gilds the air and people forget sadness and sorrow for a moment Grandpas café is open.

It's not about magic, or mysticism. It's just about coffee, actually.

- Feo