FoodLover Restaurants Week Returns

Text Stewart Johnson
Photo Timo Huttunen

As the number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Estonia remains relatively the same this year, the number of restaurants recognised by the guide has increased. FoodLover Restaurants Week helps people discover what this country has to offer in terms of culinary excellence. For nearly two weeks this month, various restaurants around the country offer special deals with special menus to showcase what’s available. Main courses, appetisers, desserts, and drinks—everything you could want in a restaurant!

For the 17th time now, FoodLover Restaurants Week is an event that happens twice a year. This time, there are 80 restaurants participating—all of them in and around Tallinn, and one in Türi. While it’s always possible that you could just walk in and get a table, it’s best to make a reservation. This will also guarantee that you can enjoy the special menu each restaurant has available. The full list of participating restaurants is available here, and once you’ve made your choice, you can then make your reservation here.

There are currently two restaurants in Estonia with Michelin stars: 180° by Matthias Diether, with two stars; and NOA Chef’s Hall, with one star. Sadly, neither of these restaurants are participating, but they do serve to demonstrate just how much food culture has developed in Estonia over the years. Just for a comparison, there are two Michelin-star restaurants in this country of a little over a million people. In the Czech Republic, with nearly 11 million people, there are nine Michelin-star restaurants…half as many per capita as Estonia!

Don’t get too worked up about this, however. Kyoto, with a population of just over 1.4 million people, which is roughly comparable to Estonia, has approximately 103 Michelin-star restaurants. Japan as a whole has one Michelin-star restaurant for every 61,000 people. This is a tenfold increase over Estonia. And Finland has nine Michelin-star restaurants, which puts the country on par with Estonia with Michelin-star restaurants per capita.

Many of the menus available showcase seasonal foods, so you’ll certainly want to come back when FoodLover Restaurants Week returns…and it will definitely be back!

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Cuisine dining eating out Events in Estonia Food FoodLover Restaurants Week Michelin star Restaurants