Kappeli has in its time served as the place where Helsinki's greatest writers, poets, composers, artists and academics gathered in the evenings. According to one story a largish group of artists, composers, writers and poets including Aho, Järnefelt, Leino, Sibelius and Gallen-Kallela was sitting there as usual when Sibelius said he had to go to Stockholm for a couple of days to compose.

When he returned from his work trip, the same group was gathered in Kappeli.
One of them then remarked: "Hey, Janne, either you're in or out, but stop toing and froing through those doors."