Tallinn’s restaurants receive a fresh start
Text Timo Huttunen Photos 38 Restoran, Andrei Chertkov
Restaurant 38 also creates a new time with its interior design.
The corona pandemic plagued Estonian restaurants for more than two years. Due to travel restrictions and people’s fear, the number of foreign tourists in the country plummeted. Although tourism has clearly picked up this year, tourist numbers have still not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The corona era was particularly difficult in Tallinn, where foreign tourists have traditionally been an important customer group for restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars.
After the initial scare elsewhere in Estonia, domestic tourism saved many restaurants from bankruptcy. In some provinces, the number of tourists even increased because Tallinners wanted to travel. And, because they could not go abroad, the only option was to make a trip within Estonia.
In Tallinn, the restaurant ceiling was high, especially among high-quality restaurants. Many well-known and respected fine dining venues had to close their doors, some for good. Many more common eateries, pubs and café’s saw a similar fate.
Now, Tallinn’s restaurant selection growing and changing all the time. The supply is constantly diversifying. There are many new places in the city, led by enthusiastic young entrepreneurs and ambitious chefs, whose concept is something completely new.
There is something for everyone in Tallinn’s new and evolving restaurant offer. There are fine dining places, à la carte restaurants, cafes, bakeries, fast food outlets, vegan restaurants, and more. The common trend, however, seems to be toward sustainable development and local food.
The Baltic Guide presents new and renewed eateries and cafés in Tallinn
Old Town
Peet Ruut
Peet Ruut is a social meeting place where you can enjoy good company and togetherness. The food is made sustainably from raw ingredients produced by Estonian farmers. Fish, meat and vegetarian dishes are available. At Peep Ruut, you can order different dishes to the table and taste them together with the whole party. The restaurant serves organic drinks, including wines.
OlyBet Bar & Grill
The sports bar OlyBet Bar & Grill has taken into account different customer groups and created a comfortable environment for all its guests. Sports fans can watch matches on the large flat-screen TVs while enjoying good food and company.
Loca Street Food Restaurant
Loca is a Latin American-style fast food restaurant. It is decorated with colourful murals painted by a Bolivian artist. The menu includes pizzas, burgers, wraps, dishes for vegetarians and vegans, and organic drinks made from fresh ingredients on site.
5Senses
5Senses is a small café and bar in the heart of the Old Town. The place specializes in breakfast and brunch. The most expensive dish, an English breakfast, costs ten euros.
Nälg ja Janu Cafe
The café, which is in a historic building and has the feel of a grandmother’s living room, offers its guests café delicacies and snacks.
38 Restoran
The restaurant’s experimental kitchen does its best to stretch the boundaries of traditional flavours. Restaurant 38 wants to be involved in creating a new era that focuses on good food.
The city centre and Kadriorg district
Päris
Is a bakery, deli and restaurant. Here you will find classic French dishes, oven-warm pastries and a cozy atmosphere.
Rudolf Restaurant
The restaurant is named after the Estonian composer Rudolf Tobias. The kitchen uses local ingredients to make classic French cuisine. The restaurant has a unique view of Kadriorg.
Lendav Maaler
Lendav Maaler is a restaurant serving modern Georgian cuisine based on traditional Georgian cuisine. The interior of the restaurant is inspired by the work of Georgian artist Petre Otskhel, who was killed in the persecution by Stalin. The restaurant has a cozy terrace in the courtyard.
Kalamaja and Kopli
Barbarea
The menu has been inspired by all corners of the world, and the portions are meant to be shared with the entire table party. Half of the menu consists of pizzas baked in an Italian wood oven. Most of the raw ingredients come from local organic producers.
13 Lauda
Is a restaurant near Telliskivi with a varied à la carte menu. The 13-table restaurant also offers lunch on weekdays and live music in the evenings.
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