On
Eerikinkatu in down-town
Helsinki you can find a dark, low, smoky and shabby bar infested with pool tables, beer drinkers, bohemians, rockers, movie freaks, yuppies, wanna-bes, has-beens, will-bes,
Andy McCoy, and other strange creatures of the night.
This place is Corona bar. It was started in 1991 by the eccentric movie directors, the Kaurismäki brothers after a sudden whim during the production of a film in Paris. Or so they say.
Underneath the bar is a movie theater which is also these days owned by Kaurismäki & Co (update: Sadly the movie theater Andorra has been converted into a club/lounge bar/venue called Dubrovnik). The bar staff is great: service with an attitude and the 2 Euro toasts represent almost the best value for money in town.
Strange place, but with a definite atmosphere.