Kipsari is a student restaurant, a bar, and a cafe owned by TOKYO. Kipsari can be found in Väre, Otaniemi, the bottom floor, straight from the main hall and forward to downstairs.  Kipsari has its own website as well as a facebook page. By liking the page you can receive the weekly menus in your FB-feed.

Kipsari serves delicious vegetarian and vegan food for student price (2,60€ per meal). Students may choose between a warm dish, sandwich and a salad. The lunch always includes a simple salad as well as Kipsari’s own bread and spread.

Kipsari also serves sandwiches, fair trade coffee, ecological sodas, and home made baked goods. Kipsari also serves as a bar, serving beer and cider. Kipsari aims to be as ecological as possible, favoring naturally produced and fair trade products.

Kipsari Ltd. is owned 100% by TOKYO and is operated by a board which is elected annually. Marjo Katainen has been the Restaurant Manager of the company since 2016.

The I ♥ Kipsari grant

Eating in Kipsari is like putting money in your own pockets: Through TOKYO, Kipsari is owned by the students. From the profits the restaurant makes a grant is given out annually. The I ♥ Kipsari grant is given to students of our school to support artistic projects. The grant can be applied by anyone who is a member of TOKYO.

The receiver of the grant is chosen by a jury consisting of prominent artists and designers. The first ever grant of 1500 euros was given in 2012. The grant can be applied usually towards the end of the year.

TOKYO informs its members about the grant through a poster campaign as well as its e-mail list.

History

Kipsari was founded in the 1960’s in Ateneum, where the School of Art & Design used to be located. The restaurant has since moved numerous times. There was even a time when it was reduced to a trolley circling the school. Kipsari moved again to its last permanent location in Arabia in 1998.

In the late 90’s and early 2000’s Kipsari hosted numerous concerts, attracting famous Finnish bands such as Ultra Bra and 22-Pistepirkko. This fondly remembered period came to an end when it became clear that it was not financially feasable. Since then Kipsari has focused on the essentials: serving good vegeterian and vegan food to students.

Since 2008 Kipsari’s interior has been redesigned every few years. These “Face-Lifts” have been carried out by students. The latest one was done in summer of 2013. In 2018, Kipsari moved to the Väre building in Otaniemi and also opened another restaurant, Studio Kipsari, in Otakaari 7B.