Riva Is Waiting for You Right by the Ferry
Text and photos Stewart Johnson
Riva’s elegant interior also has a cosy outdoor area offering total privacy.
Riva is a new seafood restaurant in Tallinn that is in the Michelin Guide. Situated on Sadama tn, or Harbour St, in the same building as the highly-rated Hyatt Place Tallinn Hotel, the interior is classy, and the outdoor seating area is cosy, offering more than enough privacy from passers-by who might have missed this pearl of a restaurant.
This is the sort of place where you go if you want to celebrate something special with an equally special dinner. My youngest was graduating high school, and my oldest was going to study abroad for university: the perfect occasion, and the perfect venue. The brightness of the interior matched our mood.
I must admit that I’m generally not a huge fan of fish, or seafood in general, in Estonia. This is mostly because I don’t like the feeling of tiny bones in my mouth from herring, and the fact that I grew up on the Atlantic coast, accustomed to fresh catch-of-the-day, and thick, grilled steaks of sea bass, or tuna. Almost everything at Riva is seafood-based, but to say that these Michelin-experienced chefs made the intricate fish dishes work would be an understatement. Everything I tasted was a pure feat of culinary engineering. There’s no other way to say it.
While there are only a couple starters that are not seafood-based—they are cheese-based—the mains offer roasted duck, venison tagliata, and ribeye steak. Vegetarian mains include baked cauliflower, pumpkin ravioli, and caciocavallo spaghetti. We chose only the seafood options though.
For starters the baked Camembert was simply delectable, with the unique combination of hot grapes and figs, and a side of radishes. These flavours were simply wonderful, and very unexpected! I had the “Surf and Turf”, which consisted of beef, Worcestershire sauce, artichokes, and topped with smoked eel. Never in my life would I have thought to combine these ingredients, and yet…it was delicious! My youngest had the tuna tartare, which was served over avocado with quail egg and flying fish roe mayonnaise sauce. It’s worth mentioning that she was a bit frustrated with the complexity of Riva’s menu, but she was incredibly pleased with the complexity of the tastes in her starter.
Our server was very polite and helpful for the uninitiated, and explained everything as it was served. She even added the final touches to the dishes, pouring the sauce as she added comments before placing the dishes in front of us.
For the main dish, I had the Cod à la Wellington, which is listed as a dish for two, but honestly I was able to finish it by myself. But! I didn’t have any room for dessert as a result. This is a mistake I will not repeat, the next time I eat here. The cod was wrapped in spinach and served in a wonderful pastry casing, with puréed bisque soup of langoustine, or Norwegian lobster, and a side of grilled broccolini. My eldest enjoyed the Marseille soup, and particularly noted the fennel.
The drinks list is not in any way a list. It’s a book. An actual book. Very detailed, with a long list of wines, spirits, and other beverages and cocktails, including the Hugo, which my adult children both enjoyed. I should mention that the wine selection is broad only if you buy a bottle. The selection per glass includes only three reds, three whites, and two rosés.
Making a reservation is recommended, which you can do here on their website. We were thoroughly impressed with our dinner, which had a dedicated menu. There are also a lunch menu, a brunch menu, and a seasonal menu. The summer menu will be available any day now.
Riva Resto, Sadama 4, Tallinn.
Starters are €5–20
Mains are €18–34, with the Cod à la Wellington for two people at €36
Sides are €8
Desserts are €10–12
To learn more about this and similar topicsdining out Eating Out in Tallinn Michelin Restaurants in Tallinn Riva Tallinn cuisine where to eat
