Nordic Flavours with Asian Spices
Text and photos Timo Huttunen
The dark-toned dining room provides a cosy environment for dinner.
O2 is a new modern restaurant clearly aiming for Estonia’s Michelin scene. Head chef Martin Meikas has created both the interior and the menu, providing the foundations for the restaurant to rise to the top tier of Tallinn dining.
The 60-seat O2 is located in a courtyard of the new Neutra Torn building, in a trendy area of central Tallinn. Nearby are major hotels such as Swissôtel, Radisson Blu Sky, and Hilton.
On Friday, the dining room was nearly full, indicating that diners have already discovered this venue, which only opened last summer.
The interior is dark, with black and brown tones, and prominent use of wood in the flooring, some tables, and other surfaces. There are no tablecloths, creating a slightly dim, minimalist atmosphere.
The restaurant’s style is Nordic minimalist, modern, and stylish. Natural stone surfaces, live plants, and airy Asian-inspired wooden structures soften the overall effect.
Service at O2 is excellent. The friendly server, Pille, explained the dishes expertly: “Our bread and spreads are made in-house. We favour local produce and seasonal ingredients. If you want to experience all of our flavour offerings, I recommend the tasting menu.”
The menu is concise: five starters, five mains, and five desserts, alongside a tasting menu. Both fish and meat dishes are available.
The initial prawns, however, could have done with a little extra something. The dish was perhaps a little too “ordinary,” though the presentation was impressive. O2 clearly puts significant effort into presentation. The delicate prawns could have used a touch more punch.
In contrast, the tartar with quail eggs was a complete success. The raw meat dish had clear, strong flavours with an Asian twist. A subtle smokiness complemented the dish perfectly.
Both main fish dishes were very good. The pike-perch and pike dish earned praise. The fish were cooked perfectly, allowing the flavours to shine. The trout dish was topped with roe; cabbage and a lightly smoky butter sauce created a melt-in-the-mouth texture from the otherwise lightly raw preparation.
O2 Restaurant, Maakri 23a (Neutra Torn), Tallinn
To learn more about this and similar topics02 Asian food Asian fusion cuisine Food gourmet restaurants Restaurants in Tallinn
