A Baltic Guide to LGBTQ+ Nightlife in Tallinn
Text and photos Stewart Johnson
Sessel is an LGBTQ+-friendly speakeasy, or cocktail bar, located on Viru Street close to Town Hall Square.
One of my closest friends for the past quarter of a century is a Finnish woman named Pirkko. She visits Estonia about twice a year, and we always make a night of it. This means only going to bars of course, as I’m not exactly her type. Last week was her annual holiday visit, and when I met her at the port, she told me, “We always go to your bars. This time, let’s go to mine!” I asked her, “What do you mean?” She replied, “Bars where we can meet people more like me, and not as much like you.” “But I’m American,” I jokingly told her. She chided me, “You know what I mean.” In all fairness, this was a side of Tallinn I had not seen, so I was all for it!
She first took me to a speakeasy, or cocktail bar, called Sessel, at Viru 3 in the Old Town. This is a place I have walked by a million times but never seen, because you have to go through an arts and crafts shop to reach the staircase to the second floor, where the bar is. While not specifically an LGBTQ+ bar, Sessel advertises themselves as friendly. The interior is very cosy, the music relaxing, but the beer selection was extremely limited, and we spent nearly ten minutes waiting for our rather pricey drinks. At the bar.
On the way to the next place, I asked Pirkko if she ever felt uncomfortable at the bars we usually went to. “Not really. In fact, I’ve always been rather open, and I’ve never felt uneasy in Tallinn, not in the past 20 years that is.” We arrived at HELLo! Bar at Väike-Karja 1, also in the Old Town. As it was a Tuesday night, it wasn’t too crowded, and Pirkko was the only woman there. We stayed for several drinks—I got my beer, which had a good selection and fair prices—and Pirkko got more cocktails. She said they were a tiny bit pricey, but still a bit cheaper than in Helsinki.
The staff at HELLo! Bar were friendly to me, and I felt welcome in their establishment. We all have a friend who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and this is a great place to go with them.
When it was getting close to closing time, Pirkko suggested a club near Noblessner called HUNGR, at Peetri 6. A quick web search however revealed that it was closed that night, and we couldn’t find a schedule either, but their Facebook page does list upcoming events. She also suggested a place called Heldeke!, which I already knew. I’ve done stand-up there a few times, and they have frequent burlesque-style shows, as well.
While I accompanied Pirkko to her hotel, she told me about a swingers’ bar, called Sauna Club 69. When we looked it up though, it says there are two types of events: swingers events, with men and women, and men’s only parties. This venue is at Sakala 24, just outside of the Old Town. We passed the Kiek in de Kök Museum on the way to Freedom Square, and I saw one more bar that was open, at Komandandi 2. “How about this place here, X-Baar? There’s a rainbow flag on the door.” Pirkko informed me she didn’t want to go there. “Why not?” I asked. “Are you too tired?” She simply replied, “That’s a gay bar. I’m not a gay man.”
To learn more about this and similar topicsclubs HELLo! Bar HUNGR LGBTQ+ nightlife Sauna Club 69 Sessel X-Baar
