Trattoria Sogno

I dined with my kid at Sogno on a Monday this past July. The Töölö location is pretty convenient, and even the parking is reasonable — I was driving. Interior wise, they have a spacious, inviting décor. The courteous server brought water, bread, and oil/​vinegar to the table.
I had a pizza — prosciutto di parma with arugula and fig — paired with a bottled Birra Moretti lager (limited brew selection). They served the pizza on a fairly large, stylish wooden platter — it had an artisan look. But it was lackluster for me – either the figs weren’t ripe or the combination with the other pizza ingredients just didn’t work.
For me, Sogno was a pretty average Italian dining experience in Helsinki. The service was solid — if there was more value at Sogno I’d bump the rating up a notch, but for the money I left feeling like I’d rather dine elsewhere in Töölö.

Olen jo useamman kerran sopinut lounas– iltatapaamisia tänne. Kodikas, ystävällinen palvelu, kiva viinilista, iltaisin ihanaa italialaista. Koirat sallittu asiakkaina. Lounas ei olé ollut kovin kummoinen parina viime kertana, mutta ihan OK.

Do you have a really messy kid? You do?! Me too. That probably means that, like me, you have at least one friend who also has a really loud, messy kid. But hey — I’m a former jetsetter with a passion for wine on a mission to never be «mommish» (mission impossible, fyi). Anyway, I refuse to dine in «family-​friendly» (read: chain, fast, or kiddie-​centric) establishments. At the same time, I have a little bit of a heart left and don’t want to hit up fancy places spewing free birth control via my child’s stellar pasta-​pitching skills and promising future as a professional yodeler.
That said: I have taken my 1 year old to Trattoria Sogno numerous times with friends, some who also have kids. I don’t even like kids, so the fact that the noise level here is just enough of a din to make white noise out of a little crying is perfection in my book. You FEEL like you’re in a fancy-​pants place even with dirt-​cheap lunch prices (you can get an amazing salad, pizza, and 12 cl of wine for like 15e and there is so much bread your kid won’t even be hungry again until breakfast). There is plenty of comfortable seating, great for singletons and groups alike. I would endorse this as a good place for a work lunch event kind of thing… like a «you got fired– sorry» or «you are pregnant– sorry?» or «you got a better job! congratulations!» kind of thing.
Even their baby/​child seats are super fancy and while my son would gladly eat out of a trash can while seated on a training toilet, I can appreciate those little details that many places overlook.
The people are nice, it’s hidden away and so it feels somehow secret and special. Food comes quickly. The staff are really nice. I still haven’t tried their dinner but the lunch is a delicious steal in a delightful location conveniently close to the 4,7,10, 14,18 etc etc lines of transit. Go there. Get the salad or pizza and a big old glass of the lunch wine they have on special. Plop your kid in the fancy kid seat, present him with his/​her carefully prepared organic foods you’ve packed that will end up on the lap of the person at the next table, shove a huge chunk of Il Sogno’s bread in his/​her mouth, and get to gossiping with your girls, girl! You’re in an awesome place with awesome food and you might even be wearing real grown-​up girl clothes. Cheers!

Wonderful choice both for lunch and dinner. This restaurant is a personal and stylish hideaway right next to the cozy market place Töölöntori. I’ve shared a pizza and salad numerous times with my friends and it’s always been tasty. Also the lunch is first-​class, with something to suit each taste.