TALLINN: A FOOD & DRINK GUIDE
Whilst researching the food and drink scene in Tallinn, it became evident that I was totally unaware of its gastronomic talents and penchant for fine and casual dining and the enormous café culture. Visiting in summer meant that the longer days, blue skies and warm breeze allowed us to dine al fresco in the fairy tale capital of Estonia!
Foodies, this is your guide to dining, snacking and drinking in Tallinn!
BARS
KOHVIK AUGUST
Situated on the edge of the old Town of Tallinn, lies a lovely, cool little café and bar, named August. During the day it serves food too but we visited around 10:30 pm and it was a chilled out vibe, with great music, a casual atmosphere, well priced drinks (although we stuck with lemon and raspberry lemonades) and cool lighting and interiors!
Väike-Karja 5, 10140 Tallinn. Tel +372 508 6022. Website
VEINIBAAR SHVIPS
In Estonian Shvips translates to ‘being somewhat tipsy’ and this wine bar has the biggest collection of international wines I saw in my time in Tallinn.
The bar is located in super cool Kalamaja close to the creative hub and also serves up some great platters of deli-style meats, cheeses and olives to accompany your tipple.
The very lovely dancing barmaids, Kirisi and Grete
Telliskivi 51i, 10412 Tallinn. Tel. +372 5822 5895. Website
FRANK UNDERGROUND
Part of the Frank Bistro as the name suggests, the cocktail bar portion is located in the basement and wow does it do some of the best cocktails I’ve had.
Our bartender from Athens knocked up the perfect Pisco Sour and wait for it, An Espresso Martini! It’s a cosy environment with low lighting, leather seating and gold accents and of course the cocktails and the bar lit up with stunning bottles are the stars of the show!
Sauna 2, 10140 Tallinn Tel. +372 623 3059. Website
PAN Y VINO
Nestled in the Old Town and managed by a Peruvian guy named Tony this cute little bar is a great place to sit outside and watch the world go by. It’s located on one of the quieter streets near the St Olaf’s Church, it’s pretty relaxing and Tony is very hospitable and made Dr C a Pisco Sour, even though it wasn’t on the menu! Good place to try one of the many Estonian local beers too! If you fancy a quick snack or desserts, they do small plates such as salami and cheese boards and salads including a nice caprese.
Lai 35, 10133 Tallinn Tel. +372 521 4461. Website
FLAMM
Flamm is a casual dining place that offers pizza-like Flammkuchen (a.k.a. tarte flambée) from the Alsace and is cooked in a hot fired oven. These are served best with one of the many fabulous wines on offer in this basement, stoned wall interior. Fantastic place for an evening snack to go with some good quality wine or you have the option of partaking in Flamm’s lunchtime specials.
Rotermanni 2, 10111 Tallinn. Tel. +372 5333 7154.
COFFEE CULTURE
MAIASMOKK
The oldest coffee shop in the whole of Estonia, the interiors of the building dates back to 1864, however the shop is now run by Kalev, who make Estonian chocolate.
We bagged a seat on the ground floor next to the miniature ferris wheel in the window where the baskets are swapped for cups and saucers. Or you could go and check out the Marzipan museum in the next room. Climb the beautiful grand staircase in the middle of the building to arrive at the more formal restaurant and dining experience.
Pikk 16, 10123 Tallinn. Tel. +372 646 4066. Website
NORDIC DESIGN HOME
Owned by Estonian Karolina and her British partner, Nordic Design Home is a short walk across the railway tracks from the old town and is a stylish interiors shop with a very cool café!
I literally wanted to buy every piece in the store with the small matter of shipping it over (thank goodness they have an online store!). The barista here has won several awards for his latte art and I will have to recommend you try the Matcha tea latte. Additionally the Matcha tea is made the traditional Japanese way too!
Kopli 6, 10412 Tallinn. Tel. +372 511 7313. Website
NOP CAFÉ & SHOP
One of my favourite casual eateries is located in Kadriorg, close to the very beautiful Kadriorg Palace. It’s a short walk from the Old Town and well worth the steps in my opinion! The café occupies one part of the building and the other half is a cute little deli as well as a lovely little courtyard to sit out in the summer months!
For a quick snack, I recommend the freshly squeezed orange juice and a slice of the lime cheesecake!
Köleri 1, 10150 Tallinn. Tel. +372 603 2270. Website
FRENCHY
This lovely little artsy bistro is well placed in Telliskivi or what is known as the Creative Hub of Tallinn. It’s housed in a bright orange building in the super trendy Kalamaja district. Inside the décor is super funky with modern light fittings a strategic bicycle displays creating a cool but casual environment.
The walls are adorned with fun sketches and there is, what I can only describe as a Jean-Paul Gautier like mural on the wall at one of the seats.
They serve up traditional dishes such as Croque Monsieurs but we were there for the cappuccino and the Brest. Traditionally from Paris, a Brest is choux pastry ring filled with a sweet praline cream!
Telliskivi 60a, 10412 Tallinn. Tel. +372 5604 8262. Website
PIERRE CHOCOLATORIE
One of my personal favourite cafes in Tallinn, especially for its quirky fabric interiors and curios, will have to be Pierre Chocolatorie.
Tucked away in the cobblestone lined Masters’ Quarters, it’s a small and cosy hideaway with outdoor seating. We refuelled in between sight-seeing with flavoured milkshakes and savoury cheese pastries!
They also make a pretty mean Estonian apple cake is you require further sustenance.
Vene 6, 10123 Tallinn. Tel. +372 641 8061. Website
DINING ESTABLISHMENTS
PEGASUS
Serving contemporary cuisine in just as sleek surroundings, Pegasus is said to be one of Tallinn’s finest restaurants.
It is located on one of the main streets on a pretty square in the old town with outdoor seating on the cobblestones and a further three levels of seating inside. We were on the first floor and seated on the elevation on a truly romantic table as our waiter, Sebastian put it.
The restaurant is housed in a refurbished, writers apartment block! The food is truly sublime, take a look a look for yourself…
The house bread made with beer, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds.
Starters: Marinated beetroot cuts with vegan cheese, grapefruit mayonnaise, dried kale, pine nuts and pumpkin seed oil. Burrata with fermented tomato and basil pesto
Mains: slow cooked eggplant with peanut cream, smokey tomato foam, herb pesto, spinach and marinated shimeji mushroom
Mains: Chicken breast in paprika marinade with basil garlic sauce, fruity sauce, marinated green soya beans pan fried asparagus and salad.
Dessert: Blackcurrant flavoured semolina cream with mint milk, pickled wild blueberries, cardamom and mint meringue. A traditional Latvian dish eaten during the cold war.
Harju 1, 10146 Tallinn. Tel. +372 662 3013. Website
NOA
When it comes to fine dining, nothing comes better than Noa and Noa Chef’s Hall. The restaurant overlooks the Bay of Tallinn and is the epitome of Estonian cuisine. It has been speculated that if the Michelin star scheme existed in Tallinn then Noa would be a three star establishment indeed! Noa offers outdoor drinking and casual dining and the third level to the side elevation, is known as Noa Chefs Hall where a mind blowing taster menu is served daily!
Read all about my creative gastronomic experience at Noa Chefs Hall below:
Ranna tee 3, 12111 Tallinn. Tel. +372 508 0589. Website
KAKS KOKKA
With the literal translation being ‘The Two Chefs’ this is a fab little lunch or dinner spot with excellent service, reasonable prices and lovely warehouse style surroundings. The restaurant is the baby of two chefs from Saaremaa, Martin Meikas and Ranno Paukson.
I would recommend grabbing a Mojito and if you’re not too hungry, heading straight for mains of the chickpea curry (containing grilled broccoli, coconut milk, roasted paprika as ell as the chickpeas) and the Ramen soup (packed with buckwheat noodles, pork belly, Miso and vegetables.
We couldn’t leave without dessert so tried Kaks Kokka’s variation on the White Chocolate Cheesecake! A medley of strawberry jam from the Kopra Karjamois farm featuring a cherry gel.
Mere puiestee 6E, 10111. Tel. +372 661 6151. Website
PEATUS
Peatus has made good use of a former railway carriage on a disused rail track in the Kalamaja district. The former Moscow-Tallinn passenger train carriage is now home to Peatus, a café, bar and nightclub.
Food is very much snacky, the loaded fries with cheese and jalapenos were a winner for me and Dr C enjoyed the chicken burger washed down with a beer! Seating can be outside on the deck or inside, however things are a little snug indoors!
Telliskivi 62, 10412 Tallinn. Tel. +372 5887 7727. Website
F-HOONE
By far one of my favourite lunch hang outs, F-Hoone is known as a popular spot in Tallinn and gets very busy! Again it’s located in Kalamaja and used to be a factory hence the interiors are quite rough and ragged around the edges. However, it is super cool, think posters, exposed brick work, chilled vibes and great music. It still manages to retain a cosy vibe with fancy 60s style lighting.
We went at the weekend, however ensure you do book otherwise you will not get a table. When I said it’s popular, I really meant it.
We kept our lunch pretty casual with an apple and rhubarb lemonade refreshment wise. I picked the vegan Furberger which is a dark bread burger with vegan kebab made from Seiten, beetroot hummus, parsley and chilli pepper aioli tomato and red onions served with a side of fries. Dr C had the non-veg version!
The freshly brewed coffee here is also so good at F-Hoone. Seating is indoor as well as outdoor!
Telliskivi 60a, 10412 Tallinn. Tel. +372 5322 6855. Website
Looking for somewhere to stay in Tallinn, check out my review below of The Schlössle Hotel?
So there you have it, my guide to what to eat and drink in Tallinn. Have you been? What would you recommend I try on a return visit?
Á Bientôt…
PIN FOR LATER
Simply Rasha
How beautiful is that MAIASMOKK building! All the food looks yummy, especially the lime cheesecake!
Bejal
Simply RashaThat is a stunning cafe and so cute form inside too! Oh yep I’m gonna vouch NOP makes the best lime cheesecake PERIOD!!
Cristina - Memories of the Pacific
I didn’t know you could find such amazing places in Tallin! And you know how much I love foodie guides 😉
I’ve fallen in love with MaiasMokk, it reminds me of the classic cafes we visited in Budapest
Bejal
Cristina – Memories of the PacificOh this is why i call Tallinn a hidden Baltic gem! It is full of amazing things to see, eat, drink and visit. Yes you’re right Maisamokk does have an air of Old school Hungarian cafes! You will have to pay a visit soon Cristina.
Mostlyfoodandtravel
It all looks so delicious. I think I would choose Pierre Chocolatorie as a favourite too. Their food scene looks amazing and that array of drinks in quirky but excellent bars makes me want to book Tallin
Bejal
MostlyfoodandtravelPierre Chocolatorie is more of a cafe but their snacks are incredible as are their milkshakes! I was literally blown away by how amazing theri food scene is!
thetravelsofmrsb
I never knew Tallinn had such a great good and drink scene!
Bejal
thetravelsofmrsbTallinn is definitely incredible when it comes to the food scene. Totally worth a visit fro any foodies!