Food and cuisine in Jyväskylä

As a student living in Jyväskylä, it is vital to know where to get and buy food; and also where to enjoy a variety of cuisines in the city.

What if I am too lazy to cook?
One of the best things I value during my study here is the lunch meal in cafeterias at the University. After my exchange experience in France, I have come to appreciate these lunch cafeterias more.

Firstly, you might be amazed by the fact that there is not only one cafeteria (lounas ravintola in Finnish), but I would say many of them around the campus. Depending on which building you study, you can check the menus on each restaurant’s website in advance, as I and my friends often search what kind of menu is offered. They are accessible and available with multi-options every weekday. Ravintola Lozzi is also available on Saturday and Ilokivi is open until 5 pm on weekdays, which means you can have two meals per day in the campus cafeteria and also enjoy Saturday lunch if you are too busy to prepare for food on your own. They offer not only lunch but also snacks, coffee, drinks, smoothies, pastries, cakes, etc.

What is more, the price for students’ meal is incredible, with only 2.6 €, including drink, warm food with fresh salad, delicious bread and especially available vegan options on daily basis. These nutritious and healthy meals play an essential role in students’ health and mind for studying. Everything works in order, so you never have to worry about the rush hour at lunch time. Just queue in line and be ready to choose what you want to eat today!

Ravintola Piato (in Agora building) and Ylistö give you a fine view of the lake. In Ilokivi, when you buy a ticket book (25 € for 10 meals), you are able to contribute to the development projects of Student Union. The two links below belong to Ilokiki and Lozzi; on the latter one you can also see other cafeterias at the end of the website.

https://www.ilokivi.fi/en/restaurant/lunch

https://www.semma.fi/en/restaurants/seminaarimaki/restaurant-lozzi/

What if I like cooking, so where to shop for food?

There are two main chains of supermarkets in Finland: S group and K group. Though Jyväskylä is a student city, with a population of approximate 140,000, there are surprisingly a lot of huge supermarkets in the different areas of the city. S group consists of (from big to small size): Prisma, S-market, and Sale. K group has K-Citymarket on the biggest scale, then K-supermarket, K-market, and K-extra. The bigger the shop is, the more sections and the better price they offer.

Depending on where you live, you can always visit your nearby market. There is a very good connection from the city center to Prisma and Citymarket by bus. Once you get S/K group card, you definitely get more benefits such as discounts or bonus. I tend to buy common things in Prisma which offers better price and quality products. Yet, if I need more oriental spices and different kinds of vegetables or seafood, I will go to Citymarket in Seppala, which is close to Prisma. Also, nearby S-market and K-market provide an acceptable selection of products in case you do not want to go far.

Lidl is another chain of supermarkets where you might find other kinds of products or other brands, and sometimes they are even cheaper than in Prisma or Citymarket. Minimani offers very fresh fish with more decent price than the other shops. How about looking for exotic spices or ingredients to make your own food? I am sure that students from Asia, Africa, or South America sometimes miss your home cuisine and want to get certain food with familiar tastes. You can check out Asian Food (in Citymarket Seppala) which I highly recommend, or Antalya market, Silk Mark, which are all oriental shops. And you will be entirely happy to find something you have craved for long.

What if I am interested in restaurants?

Compared to other bigger European cities, Jyväskylä has a limited selection of restaurants. But I find it a privilege to a be student here. I am so surprised that many restaurants in this small city offer discounts for students ranging from 5% to 20%.

Here is the recommendations from our student ambassadors:

Sohwi (Western food and fusion cuisine), Green Egg (Western and Asian fusion), Haiku sushi (offer on buffet time), Katriina (vegan food), Beans & more ( vegan food), RAX ( buffet), Hualong ( Chinese cuisine), Thai Jyvaskyla, Fit (Vietnamese cuisine), Pizzeria Maria.

Why don’t you take a chance to enjoy with your friends and buddies?

Phuong Do-Salenius, Student Ambassador
Development and International Cooperation