Stefan—Life Between Music and the Stove
Text Susanna Poikela Photos Stanislav Moshkov, Susanna Poikela
In addition to his restaurant, Stefan has ongoing music projects. Next, he’s heading to England.
The door of Steff Grill swings open steadily. Stefan Airapetjan sits at a table in the restaurant with his wife, taking care of day-to-day matters. To many, however, he is better known as a charismatic performer on concert stages than from behind a restaurant counter. Half a year ago, one of Stefan’s dreams came true—he opened his own restaurant in the Pelgulinn part of Tallinn. And not just a restaurant, but a meeting place where people can enjoy live music along with their meals.
What does Stefan, originally from Viljandi, think of his new hometown? “Tallinn is just the right size for a capital city. It’s never boring here, but it’s not overwhelmingly crowded either. In Viljandi, it could sometimes get too quiet—except in the summer, when various events brought thousands of people to town.”
Life in an Idyllic Lakeside Town
Let’s go back for just a moment to Southern Estonia. Stefan is the perfect person to answer what to see and do in Viljandi when visiting. “Viljandi is truly a charming place. The people are nice and friendly. The town has many good restaurants, including my father’s Armenian restaurant, Armeenia Köök Soso Juures, located in the centre of Viljandi. Just below the centre of town is Lake Viljandi, surrounded by forests and hiking trails. In summer, the lakefront is especially cosy. You can rent a boat, play beach volleyball, and enjoy nature there,” Stefan describes.
He himself used to spend a lot of time at the lakeside. That’s where he practiced kickboxing, and every other day he would run a 12-kilometer loop around the lake. There was no shortage of romance either—Stefan had his very first date right by the shores of Lake Viljandi.
Towards the World of Music and Performing
Stefan’s path into music began when he was just a little boy. In music school, he studied violin. He taught himself to play the guitar at home. He took singing lessons from Hedi-Kai Pai. “My aunt and my vocal coach, in particular, played a key role. They taught me how to sing, and they believed in me! My own family didn’t really believe yet that I could become a singer. At some point, I also started getting interested in songwriting. I ended up in a band, which was a lot of fun. We mostly did everything but rehearse, but even that was an important experience.”
In 2017, the 20-year old Stefan met another young aspiring musician, Hans Noormets, and things really began to take off. “We wrote and produced songs together on a computer. I learned a lot about production from him. Our band was called Vajé, which came from the fact that I’m an Armenian from Viljandi, and he’s Estonian.” In 2018, Vajé made it to the superfinal of Estonia’s Eurovision selection and placed third with the song “Laura (Walk With Me)”, written and produced by Karl-Ander Reismann.
Stefan went on to reach the Eurovision selection superfinal three more times—in 2019, 2020, and again in 2022, when he was chosen to represent Estonia with his song “Hope”. He finished 13th in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2022, Stefan released his long-awaited debut album, “Hope”. In January 2023, he was awarded four titles at the Estonian Music Awards: Male Artist of the Year, Pop Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Audience Favourite.
In February of the same year, Stefan’s song “Miraaž” was named Radio Hit of the Year at Estonia’s Kuldne Plaat, or Golden Record, pop music gala. With these awards, Stefan firmly established himself as one of the most popular artists on the Estonian music scene. “Viljandi produces a lot of talented musicians. Something must be nurturing that. Maybe it’s the nature and the clean air, or perhaps the unusually vibrant cultural life for such a small town,” Stefan reflects.
The future includes both running the restaurant and continuing to make music. “I’m currently heading to England, where I’d like to write songs and perform. I go there regularly, and am constantly working on developing that side of things.”
A Taste of the Caucasus in Tallinn
The world of restaurants has always been part of Stefan’s life. His father has been running his restaurant, Soso, for over twenty years. The entire family has been involved in it one way or another. “When I visit Viljandi, the first place I go is my father’s restaurant. You’ll often find other relatives there, too. We chat about all sorts of things, and I immediately feel at home. Armeenia Köök Soso Juures is a bit like an Italian or Greek family restaurant, where the owner is right there behind the counter,” says Stefan.
So, the spark to open a restaurant of his own didn’t come from far away. “Stefan has been dreaming of his own restaurant for years,” notes his wife, Victoria Airapetjan. Steff Grill features two spacious dining rooms, a covered terrace, and a lounge area in the yard made from repurposed euro pallets. The tables are served with a variety of delicious dishes.
Every Saturday, a band or artist performs at the restaurant. More information about upcoming shows can be found on Steff Grill’s Instagram page. The concerts are free to attend, but it’s wise to reserve a table in advance.
The waitstaff are all smiles. During the interview and photo shoot, Stefan chats with customers. There’s no rush. He picks up a guitar, sits down, and begins strumming a melody. On one side, the photographer clicks away; on the other, customers joke casually with the relaxed host.
This is Stefan’s world: it’s full of music, food, and unhurried living.
Steff Grill, Telliskivi 1, Tallinn.
Where Would Stefan Take You in Viljandi?
Since Viljandi is a small town, people mostly get around on foot. This gives the town a peaceful and homey feel.
We’d start the morning with coffee and a pastry at the Roheline Maja Café. After that, we’d head to the lake, where we’d play basketball or beach volleyball, and go for a swim if the weather allows. We might even go for a short boat ride.
From the lake, stairs lead up to the town centre. We’d climb them and go eat shashlik at my father’s restaurant, Armeenia Köök Soso Juures. The shashlik there is really good, by the way.
In the evening, we’d buy tickets to a performance at Ait, Ugala, or Sakala Keskus. To end the day, we’d take a walk around the ruins of the castle, cross the bridge, and go for dinner at either Fellin or Romaan.
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