Alejandro's Empanadas is Konepaja's handmade corner
Alejandro's Empanadas is a laid-back empanada and tapas bar in Helsinki's Konepaja district, where the empanadas are made by hand on site. Service starts with morning coffee and omelettes, followed by a relaxed lunch, and ends with wine and empanadas in the evening.
Location
Bruno Granholmin kuja 2, 00510 Helsinki
Website
Known for
Handmade empanadas, tapas and alfajores
Raw space and a bit of luck
It all started from the idea of making and selling empanadas somewhere, maybe from a small kiosk that two guys could easily handle. Then they were offered a space in Konepaja, more or less by accident. The space itself, and Konepaja around it, gave direction to what kind of restaurant it was going to be. In another part of town it would probably have looked and felt different. The Alejandros had also talked about running a tapas bar for a long time, so when they opened the doors on October 10, 2025, it became a tapas bar that sells empanadas too. There's no chain behind it, and they make pretty much everything themselves.
You can't always build a place like this from a concept. It's all come together little by little.
Tapas, empanadas and cake
The menu is classic tapas done well, usually with a little twist of their own. Plates are small and meant for sharing. First-timers sometimes ask if they can order the whole list, and they can. The food comes out fast, so it's easy to start with a few things and order more later. A lot of the menu is vegan, including some of the empanadas.
Food is food. It just happens to be vegan.
There's always a chocolate cake and a tarta de Santiago made from a friend's recipe. They also make alfajores, a filled cookie that's common in South America, and they've gotten pretty popular.
Somewhere the whole neighborhood fits
The restaurant is made for the locals, a relaxed empanaderia and bar where people can catch up with friends. Everyone should be greeted and people should feel comfortable coming in, whatever their age, and everyone should get good service whether they order a coffee or a glass of wine. For some older people in the area, a morning coffee might be one of the few chats they have that day.
The wine list is carefully and intentionally curated, being made up mainly of wines that the team themselves love. They work closely with a few importers, one of which is right in the same neighborhood.
Local bands, and empanadas on the move
A few bands have played and there have been some events. They want to do a bit more, but nothing too big. Catering has grown too: one wedding with another on the way, company lunches, graduation parties, naming ceremonies, birthdays and a large corporate event. Empanadas are easy to transport and stay warm, so they work well for this. They've also taken drinks and empanadas to backyard parties and parks by bike.
On Fiest since day one
Alejandro's Empanadas has run on Fiest since it opened, with a POS at the counter, a payment terminal and a kitchen display. The team says that for a new restaurant still figuring out what sells, it's been good not to need a lot of heavy equipment. They can add more devices later if they need them.
They've been really easy to reach. Things get adjusted to how we want them, and they react really fast.
- Live on Fiest from the first day open
- Setup built together with the Fiest team, around how the restaurant works
- Easy to reach the Fiest team, with quick replies when something comes up
At Konepaja
A closer look at the room, counter, and details behind the story.
More from the shift
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